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The citronella plant is prized for its citrus-like scent. The scent is mistakenly believed to contain citronella, which repels mosquitoes. This belief has earned the plant the alternative name mosquito plant.
Pelargonium citronella may not be the most effective way to keep mosquitoes out of your home. However, it is still an attractive and aromatic plant. The plant’s attractive foliage resembles the leaves of parsley. Added to this are the lavender-colored, geranium-like flowers that appear in the summer months.
Citronella plants are suitable for a range of plantings, from mixed borders to herb gardens. If you want to make the most of the plant’s aromatic properties, plant it along paths or borders. As people walk by, the scent is released, filling the air with a fragrant, citrusy aroma.
Growing your citronella plant is delightfully easy and classed as a tender perennial.
When disturbed, cut, or crushed, a pleasant citrus aroma is released.
The foliage can cause dermatitis in pets if they rub against the leaves.
Ingestion of the plants can be toxic to pets when consumed in large quantities. Consuming smaller amounts can cause lethargy or upset pets’ digestive systems.
Growing Citronella from Seed
While young plants can be bought at hardware or garden stores, growing from seed is often cheaper. However, it takes time and space.
You can start sowing directly outdoors as soon as the last frost has passed. Sow the seeds in a bright spot that will receive at least 6 hours of sunlight.
If you want a head start, you can also sow the seeds indoors about 6 weeks before the last frost. Many gardeners like to sow the seeds at the same time as tomato seeds.
Citronella seeds are delightfully easy to germinate. Simply scatter the seeds over well-worked or fresh, moist soil. Sowing in moist soil helps the seeds stay in place so they aren’t disturbed by the wind.
If you sow indoors in trays or pots, cover them with plastic wrap or a lid. This protects the seed better. It also gives you more control over the microclimate, which means you can keep the soil warm and encourage germination.
Seeds can be sown face-down in containers or bowls filled with fresh compost.
After germination, thin out the seedlings once they are a few inches tall. This will make the remaining plants stronger and healthier.
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Plant
When seedlings are large enough, harden them off before planting them in garden beds or larger containers. Plants purchased from hardware stores or garden centers can be planted directly in their final location.
The citronella plant is considered hardy or an evergreen perennial in USDA zones 9 through 11. Here it is best grown in pots. This way you can bring the plants under cover in autumn before the first frost of the year.
Place the plants in a spot that will receive at least 6 hours of sunlight per day. If you’re growing the plants indoors, place them in containers on a bright windowsill that gets at least 6 hours of sunlight daily.
If you’re not sure what your soil is like, you can check the pH with a simple test kit. It’s also a useful way to ensure your soil stays healthy and balanced.
Before planting, dig up the soil and remove any weeds. Loosening the soil also helps improve drainage. Incorporating organic material such as well-rotted manure or homemade compost will help enrich the soil. This is especially beneficial for citronella plants, as they thrive in nutrient-rich soil.
When you’re ready to plant, dig a hole twice the size of the container the plant will be in. Carefully, without damaging the root system, remove the plant from the jar and place it in the hole.
If you plant more than one citronella plant, plant them 5 to 7 inches apart. This gives the plants space to grow and spread. It also allows air to circulate between the plants, helping to keep them healthy.
If your soil is particularly poor, try planting it in containers or small raised beds filled with fresh compost.
Cultivation In Containers
You can also grow citronella in a container garden.
The container you choose should be clean and have drainage holes in the bottom. This is roughly twice the size of the plant’s root system when fully grown. Planting in a large container means your plants have plenty of room to grow and spread.
Fill the bottom of the container a few inches thick with nutrient-rich, fresh potting soil. Position the plant in the center of the container, the top of the root system should sit under the lip of the plant. When you are happy with the position of the plant, fill the pot with fresh soil and gently press down.
If you want a low-maintenance garden, try self-watering containers.
Caring For a Citronella Plant
After planting, caring for citronella is delightfully simple.
Regularly weed the soil around the plants. Weeds grow quickly and can overwhelm small plants. They also take valuable moisture and nutrients away from the plants. There are several useful tools to help you keep your garden tidy and weed-free.
Scented geraniums or mosquito-repellent plants bloom profusely when properly positioned and cared for.
How To Grow Citronella in A Container
Step 1: Choose a vessel that is the right size. Opt for one that is about three to six inches in diameter and height.
Step 2: Support the plant with good drainage and provide extra nutrients by adding a mix of fertilizer and potting soil.
Depending on the size of the container, you may need to adjust your measurements.
Step 3: Place your citronella plant in the container so that the top of the root ball is about two inches from the top of the container. The root ball must be at the same height as it was in the original container.
The root ball is the mass formed by a plant’s roots and the soil surrounding them, as you can see pictured above.
Step 4: Next you need to water the soil. This eliminates air pockets and compacts the soil around the roots.
Add more water so the soil is evenly moist. Do not exaggerate.
Step 5: Place the plant in a spot that gets at least 6 hours of direct sunlight so it can grow well.
How To Grow Citronella in The Garden
Step 1: Choose a spot in your yard that gets a good dose of six hours of direct sunlight.
Step 2: Get out your shovel and work an inch or two of 5-10-5 slow-release fertilizer and organic compost into your chosen spot. Follow the directions on the packaging. Fertilizer consumption depends on the square footage of the space you are using.
Step 3: Dig a hole for the plant with your trusty shovel. Next, you need to put the plant in the hole.
Make sure the top of the root ball is at ground level. The plant needs to be held in place, so fill in the soil around the root ball. Avoid crowding by spacing the plants eight centimeters apart.
Step 4: You’re almost done. The last step is to water the soil. This removes air pockets and compacts the soil around the root ball.
Water the soil to help your newly planted lemongrass plant thrive, as pictured above. Creative Commons Watering by nicgep114 / CC by 2.0
Watch the moisture level of the soil. Water is just enough to keep the soil evenly moist. You don’t want the soil to dry out.
Water
The number of variables determines how often you need to water your plant. You need to consider such things as humidity, temperature, and exposure to sunlight.
If the plant is young, water around it to prevent the water from damaging the foliage.
Too much can have bad effects. If you give your plant too much water regularly, it will become overwhelmed. This can lead to root rot.
Avoid root rot problems by making sure the bottom of your container has plenty of drainage holes. Also, make sure the soil dries out between each watering so you don’t overdo it.
Trimming
When you prune your plant, you can enjoy the fragrant flowers and foliage it produces. You will delight in the beautiful lavender flowers that she loves to flaunt.
Prune your citronella in late winter or early spring. You will also stimulate the flowering of beautiful flowers.
Pruning is a practice you must not neglect if you want to ensure your plant stays healthy and lush. Since citronella plants can grow quite large, you need to keep an eye on them to make sure they don’t start to overgrow your garden or patio.
Another popular area where citronella is often planted is entryways. You don’t want someone trampling on your precious plant on the way to your beautiful home.
Citronella grows quickly, so you’ll need to prune the foliage every few weeks to get the growth under control. The best way to prune your plant is to remove any leaves that look yellow.
Fertilizer
A good rule to follow when adding fertilizer to your plant is to use a large tablespoon per square foot of soil. The right balance is crucial. If you add too little, your plant will not thrive as well as it could.
Water Demand
Water the plants regularly. When watering, make sure to keep the soil evenly moist.
Once established, these plants are delightfully drought-tolerant. If you want to keep your water costs low, you should try to collect rainwater. So you can provide your garden with fresh, chemical-free water without spending a lot of money or wasting natural resources.
On average, the plants need to be watered every two weeks. However, this schedule is subject to change depending on temperature and growing conditions.
A soil moisture meter like the Atree Soil Moisture Sensor Meter allows you to closely monitor the condition of your soil. This way you know exactly when the soil is drying out and when you are at risk of overwatering the plants.
How Often Do Fertilize
The citronella plant thrives best in a nutrient-rich environment.
Fertilizing with an all-purpose fertilizer will help encourage flowering. Give a liquid plant fertilizer when planting. Repeat this dose every 10 to 14 days until the plant is established and thriving.
When summer begins, the plant begins to bloom. As soon as flowering begins, give a potassium-rich fertilizer, such as a tomato fertilizer. Repeat this application every 14 days throughout the summer.
Stop fertilizing in the fall. If your variety of citronella is not a flowering variety, change the fertilizer in mid-summer once the plant has reached comfortable growth.
Trimming
If left to grow, these plants can reach 2 to 4 feet tall. Once fully grown, they should be cut back regularly to control the spread of the plant. A sharp, clean pruner is ideal for this task. Pruning or poking out new growth also helps encourage a bushy growth habit.
The citronella plant can become leggy if it doesn’t get enough sunlight. In this case, cut off sagging branches and put them in a lighter spot.
Withering foliage should be cut away. Cut away any foliage that is losing color or appears to have dried up to keep the plants healthy. This change in appearance happens naturally in the fall. If you have to cut away dead foliage in the spring or summer months, it can be an indication that your plant isn’t getting enough water.
Always use sharp, clean tools when pruning. This allows you to make clean cuts without the risk of spreading disease from one plant to another.
Winter Care
In cooler climates, citronella plants can be brought indoors in containers for the fall and winter months. Once the last spring frost has passed, move the plants back outside.
If your plants are in raised beds or the ground, prune them back in the fall and mulch them well. You can also cover cut plants with horticultural fleece. Gardener Plant Covers offer good protection against seasonal frosts as well as protection from larger pests such as deer and rabbits.
Covering the plants will help them survive cold winters of up to 20℉. Remember that these are delicate plants. In colder temperatures, they will hardly survive.
If you plan to overwinter the plants in the coldest climates, it’s best to lift them with a fork and prune them back before planting them in a container. Put the containers in a bright place. After a few weeks, apply a dose of slow-release fertilizer to the soil surface. Replant the plants in spring after the last frost.
Companion Planting
Companion planting is the joint planting of plants that benefit each other. The citronella plant thrives particularly well in combination with mint, nasturtium, thyme, and coleus. This means that the plant not only grows on its own but can also be planted as part of an herb garden.
Propagation
If you want to grow more citronella plants, they are easy to propagate from cuttings.
Use clean secateurs to snip a 3 to 4-inch long tip from the plant. Only take cuttings from healthy stems and branches.
This encourages root growth but is not necessary. Plant the cutting in a container filled with nutrient-rich potting soil.
To check if roots have formed, gently try to pull the root out of the plant. If you feel resistance, that’s a good sign that roots are in place. Once the stems have taken root, care for them as above.
Common Problems and How to Treat Them
Dark spots on the foliage of the plant, leaf spots, are a sign that the plant is getting too much water. Cut off the affected leaves and allow the soil to dry out before watering again. When you resume watering, try not to water the plant’s leaves.
If you plant the plants properly, they will not only produce lots of foliage but attractive geranium-like flowers as well.
The citronella plant is not necessarily the best choice when trying to repel mosquitoes. Plants like lemon thyme, lemongrass, and eucalyptus are more effective. However, it is an attractive and fragrant plant.
Planting a few citronella plants can add color and aroma to your garden. They are particularly effective when planted with other aromatic plants on a balcony or around a patio.
