It was great when we finally had warm weather and could spend a lot of time outdoors. We feel the sun, smell the flowers, everything is so beautiful and relaxing. But then we heard terrible sounds – buzzing in our ears. Mosquitoes either prowl in our ears and harass us, or they land on us and bite us. It will make us run in as quickly as possible in search of citronella candles or other insect repellent. But what if we had a garden full of lemongrass plants? Does it keep these pests away from our yards? This seems like an ideal natural solution.
Despite claims that citronella plants repel mosquitoes, some studies prove otherwise. This is most likely a situation, and if it seems too good to be true, then it is most likely true. However, we will delve deeper into these claims and find out the truth. We will explain exactly what lemongrass plants are, how to grow and care for them, their advantages.
What Is the Citronella Plant?
The citronella plant belongs to the geranium family and is officially known as geranium. However, they are often referred to simply as “mosquito plants”. Since these geraniums contain citronella, they are thought to repel mosquitoes. In fact, many bugs don’t like the lemon smell of plants. Unfortunately, plants alone do not repel mosquitoes. They contain a small amount of citronella oil, which is not enough to repel mosquitoes. Even so, some people find that when the oil on the leaves is rubbed on the skin, it does act as an insect repellent. That is, commercial producers of citronella candles and oil source their raw materials from citronella (lemongrass), which actually contains a higher concentration of citronella than the citronium geranium plant.
The advantage of growing citronella plants in a garden or container is that they do smell good to humans. The fresh lemon scent is a pleasant aroma both indoors and outdoors. In addition to this, citronella plants look beautiful with lace leaf patterns and beautiful pink flowers.
How to Grow Citronella Plants?
Citronella plants should be planted after the last frost in spring. Before planting them in the ground, you need to think about what to do in winter. These plants are very sensitive to cold weather and can die if exposed. That being said, there are ways to keep them alive all year round.
People living in districts 9-11 should find it safe to leave citronella plants in the ground all year round. Everyone else should grow citronella plants in containers to introduce them in winter. Alternatively, another option is to transplant some citronella plants from the garden into pots and bring them into pots for replanting the following spring.
How to Grow Citronella Geraniums from Seeds?
It is very easy to grow lemongrass plants, and they grow quickly from the seeds. The key is to start growing indoors in mid-January to prepare for outdoor planting in the spring. Simply place the seeds on top of the soil in the container and gently cover them with extra soil. It is better to place them on a heating pad and illuminate them with a lamp to make them start. Once the seedlings have grown three leaves, they can enter their own four-inch pot. Then, after the last frost of spring, they can be planted on the ground with a spacing of 18-24 inches.
How to Grow Citronella Geraniums in Pots?
Buying potted plants is probably the easiest way. Just buy a plant with a solid stem. Once you’ve brought the plant home, you may want to transfer it to a slightly larger, drained pot to give it room to grow.
You can also buy small starting plants, and instead of starting with seeds, they can grow on the ground like seedlings.
When Is the Best Time to Move Citronella Plants Indoors?
You need to move the plant indoors before the first frost. Once the nighttime temperature drops to 45 degrees, it’s time to bring them indoors for safety.
Before bringing the plant indoors, trim it to a height of about 6-8 inches. Then, place it on a sunny window and water it when it dries one to two inches deep.
Citronella Plant Care
Sunlight Needed
Citronella plants need sunlight every day. They grow well in full sunlight or partial shade, but require at least 6-8 hours of sun exposure. If you are located in a hot and sunny area, you may want to plant citronella in a shady place in the afternoon.
Houseplants should be near sunny windows. You can tell if the plant is not getting enough sunlight because it extends towards the sun. If you notice this, you can always move or spin the pan.
The Best Soil
For container plants, simply use a standard potting mixture or combine half peat moss and half perlite. As long as the soil is well drained, the plants should grow well. If you’re planting underground, almost any soil will do, as long as it’s well drained.
Fertilize
Citronella plants work best when mixed with 10-10-10 fertilizer in soil. For indoor plants, micronutrient-rich plant foods are fed every two weeks from spring to fall.
How Often to Water?
It is very important not to overwater the lemongrass plant. They do not like standing water and tolerate dryness better. When the ground feels dry to two inches deep or an inch deep in a container, water the plant.
How to Trim?
To ensure that your plants become full and compact, it is important to do some pruning. You can prune the tip of each bud at any time. This will encourage the plant to branch out and become full.
How to Propagate Citronella Plants?
Once you own the citronella plant, there is no need to buy more. Instead, you can spread the word about what you have. To do this, wait for your plant to get healthy new growth, then cut some cuttings about three inches long. Cut from below the leaf nodes of each bud. Then, dip the base in rooting powder and plant them in small pots with new soil, just like the seed starting mixture. Next, place the pot in a bright and warm place, away from direct sunlight. It takes about a month to take root and then it is ready for transplantation.
This is a great way to create more potted plants, which you can move to other areas before bringing them indoors. Or, if you want to share it with your friends, you can gift them a new plant.
Lemongrass Plant FAQs
1. The sap of the citronella plant can irritate the skin of some sensitive people. To avoid problems, it is best to wear gloves and sleeves when handling them.
2. The leaves of the citronella plant are toxic to pets, but dogs and cats usually don’t like the lemon flavor. However, curious pets may bite a little, which can lead to vomiting.
3. Too much watering can make the leaves yellow or brown and fall off. The way to avoid this is to only water when the soil is dry and make sure it drains well.
4. If there is too much or too little sunlight, the plant will turn yellow.
5. When the humidity is low, the leaves will wither. Spraying the plants with water between watering can help.
6. The pot is too small to cause the roots to be compact and entangled with each other, causing the plant to turn yellow.
Advantages of the Citronella Plant
- Low maintenance costs and easy to grow
- A desirable fragrance
- Looks beautiful
- Great indoor plants – you can leave them outside in the summer and enjoy them indoors the rest of the day
- The leaves and petals can be dried to make tea
- You can crush the leaves and use oil as a mosquito repellent
- They act as relaxants in aromatherapy
