\u00a9 2022 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. The plant is perennial so it can last in your garden for years. So it is best if you get a container that is 12 inches deep and 10 inches wide. But citronella grows best at the zone 10 hardiness area where the weather is almost always warm throughout the year. Citronella needs plenty of moisture to grow well, but it also dislikes wet feet. The plant should be planted in a sunny location, which is well-drained and does not dry out too quickly. Remove all lower leaves from the cutting. Use sharp and clean scissors to cut out a branch from an adult plant. The best way to control citronella is by making sure it does not grow in your garden in the first place. Take citronella geranium cuttings in the fall season, by cutting shoots 3 to 5 inches in length with a clean pruning clipper. Water the cuttings only to prevent shriveling. Step 4: Make sure that the potting cup has drainage holes in the bottom to eliminate excess water. Do this uprooting and replanting carefully to avoid damaging the plant. Grow it as an annual in zones 3-8. Fill every space with extra soil. It doesn't matter if your pot is plastic or ceramic. During the summer, water your plant for just 6 seconds once every week till the soil surface is damp. If you want to know more about this wonderful mosquito repellant plant and how to grow and care for it, that's precisely what this article will do for you. Gardening Bank is where I share my knowledge from years of experience and practice. Citronella needs full sun to part sun. However, it is recommended that they are planted in late spring when the soil is warm. Most planters do not grow the citronella plant from the seeds. It doesnt need a lot of water to get going. Press the cut end of the stem into rooting hormone, then press the stem into your prepared container. How Do You Keep A Citronella Plant Alive? Divide a healthy plant that is at least 2-3 years old and has developed a good root system. Normally this process takes around two weeks, but other factors may speed up or slow down rooting time, such as your cuttings' source. Make each cutting 2 to 6 inches long, with at least three sets of leaves. You can tell if a soil is well draining or not by pouring a little water on it. For children whose immune system is still tender, it may cause slight irritations on the skin. The citronella plant is often touted for its ability to repel mosquitos, theres no actual evidence that it keeps them away. Give the plant a gentle spritz of 34 teaspoons (1520mL) of water. This plant can grow up to 6 feet tall and 4 feet wide, providing a large focal piece. It is best you plant it during spring, when the weather is warm and around eighteen degrees Celsius. Your email address will not be published. How can I make my Citronella to flower? Plant the citronella then. Next, dig a hole two times as wide and two times as deep as the plant's roots. Over summer when it's hot and dry, water plants in the garden and in pots every day. Select a branch with nodes (these are bump-like structures on the branch) and slide the end three inches below the ground. Apply a water soluble fertilizer to the cuttings every two weeks. Find a healthy stem and make a snip about 3-5 inches down the shaft. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. The plant is tropical, so it needs much sunlight. Citronella will grow better if you leave them uncovered with soil. To grow citronella in containers, start with a container that is at least 12 inches deep and wide. One insect that many people would want to repel at all costs is a mosquito. The soil you should use for planting citronella should be one that is well-drained and has a mix of loamy soil and sand or chalk. Note that the cut must be done smoothly, and it's best if you have at least three sets of leaves on the cutting. The stems can also become quite woody by the end of summer. Buy on Amazon: 2: Quintessential Guide To Rosemary Oil : Buy on Amazon: 3: Hem Incense -12 box best variety pack 20 sticks each - 240 sticks - 240g - 45+min burn : Go to source If the plant is doing fine with less frequent watering, only water the soil sparingly. Personally, I don't like having plants inside the house that thrive incredibly well outside. Of course, you'll want to make sure you water the soil too. Make sure the container or pot has enough drainage holes in them to prevent waterlogging. When you have filled the empty spaces, sprinkle the plant with four teaspoons of water. The plant can grow as tall as 6 feet and as wide as 6 feet too. Then just water the seeds to help them settle into place. Ive grown house plants all my adult life Ive also grown tomatoes, cumbersome and peppers. Buffalos might eat the citronella sometimes, and elephants will only try it during the drought and dry season. Trustworthy Source Citronella is one of the easiest plants to grow from a cutting though, so its the best choice if you dont want to wait a year or two for you plant to grow. The soil is also usually moist and the roots will develop root rot. To mosquitoes, it smells terrible. Keep in mind that if you want. If it takes time for the soil to percolate the water, then the soil does not have good drainage. Make sure your soil is alkaline or neutral. Lets get started. But make sure you are watering around the plant (especially as it is in its stages of infancy) to keep the water from damaging the foliage. Division and prompt replanting in fall in warmer climates supplies the garden with new plants. Citronella plant and lemongrass looks so much alike and is usually mistaken with it. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. If you dont have a flowering variety of citronella, swap to the potassium fertilizer in mid-summer when the plant has grown considerably. Place the tray in a location that offers indirect sunlight and warmth. Step 8: Wait until a few new sets of leaves have developed before placing the new plant in direct sunlight. It is an A-Z guide on all things citronella. If your drainage issues persist, you can try adding a layer of gravel beneath the soil. Your citronella plants could also be dying due to lack of water. Tip: Compost is a combination of green and brown organic materials that are left to decompose naturally over time. It is also good to consider the weather when planting your citronella. Does citronella really possess all these superpowers that people accrue to it? They look similar and grow the same way, and are processed in the same manner too. The container should be at least twice the width and twice as wide as the root of the plant. Select wholesome crops. Despite how exceptional the plant seems to be, it is an enemy to biodiversity because of its invasive nature. These sets of people should avoid any exposure to citronella vapors while using the citronella candles, it is wise to be careful as candles can cause home fires. Continue to grow under lights or in full sunlight until the cuttings can be moved outdoors. Provide enough sunlight for this plant - about 6 hours every day. Some authorities recommend applying products with the following ratios at most: 2 percent citronella grass, 0.1 percent lemongrass, 6 percent citronella geranium. This is because citronella does not need deep and constant watering. How do you root a citronella plant? Remove all but the top two or three leaves and stick the stems or cuttings in fresh potting soil. Citronella is a variety of annual geranium, also known as mosquito plant, as it is known to repel the insect with its strong fragrance. Leave only 2-3 leaves. If the citronella species that you have is not the flowering type, change to a potassium fertilizer as summer runs half-way. It also has numerous stiff stems that arise from a short rhizomatous rootstock. Last Updated: September 2, 2021 You will be able to tell if your citronella gets too little sun it will grow lanky and fall over. Using a product containing citronella oil made from citronella grass is the best way to keep bugs at bay. First, we will explore some of the basic questions that often arise when preparing to plant citronella. One of the most popular reasons that gardeners love to grow citronella is that it repels biting pests such as mosquitoes. Lemongrass, lemon thyme, and eucalyptus are much more likely to scare the mosquitos away. Tip Wait until autumn to propagate a mosquito plant. The plant is the source of the popular citronella oil. Remember, citronella plants require 4 to 6 hours of sunlight per day, or they will not grow properly. They are usually fifteen to thirty centimeters long and unbranched. How to Propagate Citronella There are a few easy ways to propagate mosquito plants. Top 25 Perennial Flowers To Plant In Spring, 8 Practical Steps To Energize Your Raised Garden's Soil, Best Way To Divide Ferns And Why You Should Do It, Moses In The Cradle Growing Guide (Tradescantia spathacea), Calathea Roseopicta (Rose-Painted Calathea) Growing Guide, How to Save a Dying Japanese Maple Tree {5 Quick DIY Steps}. You can bring them outside again in early spring, when the cold weather passes. Once nighttime temperatures drop to 45 degrees Fahrenheit in autumn, bring your citronella plant indoors. Learn which plants thrive in your Hardiness Zone with our new interactive map! That means once the temperature starts to dip below the 59-degree mark, it's time to move your citronella plants indoors for the winter. gardens. X The best time is before it produces seeds because if it produces seeds, control will be extremely hard as wind, pets and even the gardener can propagate the plant easily. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. Leaf-blade length is 18 to 36 in (45.72 to 91.44 cm). Citronella naturally grows in hardiness zone 10 where its fairly warm all year round, but there dont seem to be any problems with growing it in cooler, temperate climates. Rooting a citronella plant is one of the ways to make more plants. Two keep your citronella plant full, pinch off the ends of the plant every few weeks. Ideally, you should use old manure or compost as your primary source of fertiliser. [3] If the citronella plants are placed under direct sunlight, they will wither under the scorching heat. In today's video I want to show you a little update on my citronella plant since we transplanted her into a bigger pot a few months ago. Plant your citronella in a deep pot if you're growing it in a container. . Planting the citronella indoors is a piece of work, but if you insist, you can do that. She believes it is possible to live fully and eat well while spending less. With a pair of scissors. Lighting Issues Plants have green leaves because of chlorophyll, the pigment responsible for absorbing sunlight. Just pour water on the soil. Citronella needs plenty of water and nutrients but likes well-draining soil to avoid wet roots. Hopefully, this question has been answered. Top 13 Species of Plants With Spiky Leaves (+ Their Photos), What Plants Have Red Stems? Or, you can start seeds indoors 6 weeks before the last frost of the season. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. The medium should hold enough moisture so that watering is required once a week. How to grow and care for citronella plantis a piece you need to read if you are interested in growing citronella. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.
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