Once planted, caring for citronella is pleasingly easy. Cut 3 to 5 inches off the tip of a branch and remove all but the top two or three leaves. You might have heard it called mosquito plant or lemon geranium. A sunny window is a perfect winter home for a citronella plant; south or west facing windows let in the brightest light. Your citronella plant will root in about 4 to 6 weeks. In regions with intense summer heat, give your plant afternoon shade. They arrive well packaged and ready to grow! Scented geranium varieties are instead bred for their fragrant foliage. Water the plant occasionally, allowing the soil to dry out a couple inches down before you water it again. The plant can grow to be four feet tall. When considering how to grow citronella mosquito plant, keep in mind that it likes the same conditions as other annual geraniums (pelargoniums). In addition to his work in publishing, Kevin thoroughly enjoys being outdoors, specifically in Michigan and Arizona; Hiking, Cycling, Fishing, Reading, and Working around the yard or garden. In outdoor settings, plant your Citronella shrubs in slightly damp soil that has excellent drainage. Plants are just like us, and they need food just as we do. Citronella grass is known for being repellent to mosquitoes, but it is the oil of the plant that does the repelling, so simply growing the grass in your garden will not discourage mosquitoes from the area. If the soil is too alkaline, the plant will not grow well and may even die. Leaf blight infections can also be caused by overwatering or overly moist environments. The Grass plant looks like this image to the left: Its a beautiful, ornamental grass that is also highly used in Asian Medicinal and Food recipes. Even though they require up to six hours a day of sunlight, it doesnt necessarily require direct sunlight. They do not do well with cold. Light. While drought tolerant, it does need watering outside while it is getting established. Citronellas need six to eight hours of sun each day, preferably cool morning sun and afternoon shade. Prune off any spent leaves to keep the plant looking attractive. 2. Sri Lanka was the main place where this plant was produced and exported until 1890; It was then that the competition came, Java after several rehearsals began to produce it with a better presentation and perhaps more concentrated. The fastest-growing type of fertilizer for these plants and this rings true for pretty much all plants is 5-10-15 fertilizer. Place the citronella geranium in a pot with some commercial potting soil if it is currently in the ground. DIY Guide for How To Care For Citronella Plants (Lemongrass). Miruna is a versatile writer and, as you might have guessed, her favorite topic is gardening. Late winter or early spring is an ideal time to prune citronella plants. During the growing season, allow the surface of your citronella containers soil to dry out before you water the plant again. Citronella plants do best with moist soil. Make sure their growing medium is not too rich in nutrients or organic matter because these can lessen the strength of their fragrance. The soil must have a pH level of 6.5 and must also have good air circulation. Part of how to take care of citronella plants is bringing them indoors for the winter in USDA Zones lower than 9. 90%+ Germination Rate: The Citronella Seeds for Planting will reach higher than 90% germination rate in proper planting way. The Mosquito plant can also repel insects indoors as a houseplant. As always, once you have one of these shrubbies around, there will be times when you will forget about them. This is a plant whose origin is in hot environments, so it's best suited to tropical and subtropical climates. However, you should use a soil testing kit to get the levels right. Water and Sunlight Needs of the Citronella Plant The citronella plant requires a part to full sun. The cuttings need to be about 3 to 4 inches long and must contain at least three to four leaf nodes. Sanitize small pruning shears with a half and half solution of rubbing alcohol and water or a hand sanitizer often while working. Failing to do this will put the plants in direct competition with each other, and once the roots start to take hold they will either kill one another or they wont reach their full potential. This means the fertilizer is 5% nitrogen, 10% phosphorus, and 5 % potassium. Garden plants will do just fine if you provide them with a balanced fertilizer once every year in spring. Place a dried leaf and pine needle compost on top of the soil in the pot. Water your plant well after planting and keep the soil moist always but not soggy Remove any leaves that turn yellow which is a normal occurrence. Thisensures that the roots wont become saturated when you water the plant. 2. If they seem less vigorous in general, you can repeat this process once every three to four weeks during the summer months. RELATED: 11 Things People Believe About Mosquitoes That Arent True, Common Name: Citronella plant Scientific Name: Pelargonium citrosum Van Leenii Hardiness Zone: 9 to 12 Soil: Fast-draining, pH 7 Light: Full sun to partial shade Water: Low Food: Balanced plant food Propagation: Softwood cuttings Safety: Toxic to pets. Citronella plants can be cultivated as a hedge or as a loose shrub. Keep reading and keep mosquitoes away with the Citronella . . Even if you dont have anywhere to put them outside. While the citronella plant has insect repellent traits, it can still have issues with pests such as whiteflies, mites, mealybugs, and caterpillars. Cut back on watering and allow the soil to dry out before watering again. Tip: If you are planting multiple Citronella plants, then make sure you keep no less than eight inches apart. Plants Preference: Citronella Grass Seeds will begin germinate in about 1 month at 68F. However, if you experienced a significant cold snap that lasts for any length of time, it may be worth temporarily migrating your plants indoors. Hold the covered stem in place with a rock or bend a piece of wire or paper clip into a U . The Citronella plant can thrive in full to part sun. If you feel like theres something missing from your garden, we are more than pleased to introduce you to one of our top picks for this summer! Having given your dying plants the required care and attention, wait at least a month. Well-draining soil is key to growing healthy citronella grass. Keep reading our guide to find out more about Citronella plants. Provide it with morning sun and afternoon shade. Plants Preference: Citronella Grass Seeds will begin germinate in about 1 month at 68F. Lastly, you will need to make sure you put your newly potted plant in an area of the house that gets a good amount of sunlight. Contact miruna@gardenbeast.com. As long as the soil is well-draining, they will grow. They also produce flowers in the color of pink, purple or white. So whatever name you refer to, This is the real deal and holds its own in spite of its lack of a pink or lavender bouquet. Megan Hughes is a university-trained horticulturist and passionate gardener who writes for several national publications. It has the fragrance of citrus on its ruffled, lacy leaves. Citronellas well, but do not overwater them. Dig a hole the same size as the height of the plants root ball and slightly wider than its width. Water citronella plants growing in the ground when the top two inches of soil feel dry to the touch. Citronella Plant Care and using the Citronella Plant to repel mosquitoes is very easy. Citronella is a plant that needs full sunlight, so you should place it somewhere in your garden where it can receive at least six hours of sun a day. Prune your citronella plant regularly by using sharp garden shears to trim off long stems. Bury the stem on its side, covering least one leaf node (the spot where the leaf grows from the stem.) You can check the stage of root development by pulling the cuttings gently from time to time. Check under the leaves and around your plant regularly to detect any pest problems. Especially avoid watering the plant too often if you keep it under cool conditions during winter. Brown spots on leaves could also indicate that the plant is getting too much water. If you grow them as houseplants, give them a sunny window. Once these steps are complete, fill a container or bed with moist vermiculite. Then, cut back any leggy stems. However, it does best with slightly acidic soil with a pH of around 5.86.3. In colder areas, you can either treat your citronella plant like an annual and replace it every year, or you can bring it inside for the winter. A loamy soil pH of 6.5 is best. Don't place it in direct sunlight! Finally, cut back the main stem by a few inches. The citronella flower is small and lavender, and its 5-petal shape is similar to other pelargonium blooms, with burgundy veins decorating the upper two petals. 2 large LIVE Citronella Mosquito repellent plants 4 to 8 tall, planted in individual 4 plastic pots. If you want to encourage blooms, try a 10-20-10 formula instead at the same rate. Then continue to pinch the new tips about once per month during the growing season to keep the plant full and compact rather than tall and rangy. Citronella Malvarosa or Mosquito Plant Geranium is popular for its mosquito repelling properties. Do the common citronella plants you find. Clovers Garden 2 Large Citronella Plants in 4-Inch Pots - Citrosa Geranium Plant Natural Mosquito Plant 2,981 $22.97 $ 22 . Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Includes our Clovers Garden copyrighted QUICK-START Guide for growing robust citronella mosquito repellent plants. Citronella Mosquito plants (Citrosa Geranium) are a NATURAL mosquito repellant for your yard, patio, pool area, front porch, or driveway, These lemony-scented citronella plants keep an area up to 10 square feet virtually mosquito free. If the plant is in direct sunlight, you will need to water it more often. The cymbopogon nardus needs some tender love, and care to grow and even potentially flower. The ASPCA considers scented geraniums toxic to both dogs and cats. If you want to plant your citronella in a pot, make sure that pot or container is deep. When contemplating how to care for citronella plants in pots, start them out in 4- to 6-inch containersor whatever diameter is most appropriate for their sizefilled with a light and fluffy standard potting mix or a mix of half peat and half perlite. The cutting should have two nodes (the bumps that grow stems, leaves, and buds). Subsequently, that is when people began to put this plant to the test and see if it did what it claimed to do. Best way to grow citronella is from a cutting, You can grow it indoors in water. One of the most beautiful aspects of the Citronella plant is that it is able to survive in shade, as well as in direct sunlight. The plant is pretty low maintenance and is easy to grow. Snip the top 3 inches from each shoot, cutting just below a leaf node. RELATED: 20 Outdoor Plants You Can Propagate From Cuttings. During the cold months: Take the plant indoors if the temperatures outside are intolerable. It should be planted in a well-drained soil with good drainage if it is grown in the garden or near the patio. Allow your plant to soak up about six hours of sunlight each day. If your plant does not get enough light, the leaves will begin to turn brown, and the plant may die. Feed regularly during growing season. Press Esc to cancel. Tips for planting, growing, and caring for Pelargonium Citrosum. We recommend you prune these shrubs in spring to give them enough time to set flower buds and blossoms. Gardeners who live in frost-free zones in the South may want to plant this pelargonium in autumn instead, since annual geraniums like cool nights and tend to resent daytime temperatures above 85 degrees. This plant needs sunlight, food, and water (huh, come to think of it, plants arent all that different from us). Look for a plant that has healthy, deep green leaves. The idea behind this is that, while humans love the citrusy scent of the plants, mosquitoes cannot stand the smell of it. 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