Citronella oil, the savior contained in the battle in opposition to the mighty mosquito! For people who reside in a heat humid native local weather then it’s essential have heard of citronella because of the oil utilized in a burner, a candle or a magnificence lotion smothered on the pores and pores and pores and skin to repel mosquitoes from biting. However, have you ever ever learnt the place it comes from? Correctly, let me introduce you to the citronella plant, Cymbopogon nardus!
The citronella plant is to not be confused with one completely different lemony ‘supposed’ insect repellent plant, the scented geranium, Pelargonium citrosum (or Citrosa geranium). The scented geranium, typically known as citronella geranium, is straightforward on the attention and smells implausible, nevertheless it actually does nothing contained in the battle in opposition to pests.
The true citronella plant is a gigantic tufted perennial grass with inexperienced leaves rising upright to 6ft tall (1.8m) and 4ft large (1.2m) throughout the actual circumstances. It’s the oil contained all by the leaves that repels bugs and it might solely be harvested through crushing the leaves. The existence of those grasses with their medium inexperienced texture alone is not going to be going to discourage mosquitos.
The plant’s oil has an extended historic earlier of medicinal use akin to treating lice, parasites, or worms, together with relieving migraines and fevers. Its antibacterial, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-fungal properties make it helpful in each cleansing and marvel merchandise offering them with an unmistakable lemon scent. Planting it’s an environment friendly methodology so as in order so as to add numerous contrasting textures to your yard.
Fast Care Knowledge
| Frequent Set up | citronella plant, mosquito plant, citronella grass, geranium grass, and nardus grass |
| Scientific Set up | Cymbopogon nardus, Cymbopogon winterianus |
| Household | Poaceae |
| Peak & Unfold | 6ft x 4ft |
| Mild | Full picture voltaic to partial shade |
| Soil | Loam |
| Water | Fastened frequent watering |
| Pests & Sicknesses | Leaf blight |
All About The Citronella Plant
For people who uncover a plant at yard facilities or large topic retailers with the botanical decide Cymbopogon nardus or Cymbopogon winterianus then you definitely definately undoubtedly might probably be assured you might want found the well known citronella plant, moreover known as citronella grass, geranium grass, mosquito plant, and nardus grass. It comes from the plant household Poaceae. This grass plant is an upright tufted grass with lance-shaped bluish-green leaves sprouting from extended brownish-red erect stems and rising to 3-4 ft extended (90-120cm).
Citronella grass is an fragrant evergreen perennial, native to Sri Lanka nonetheless frequent in most warm-temperate, subtropical and tropical areas of Asia and Africa. In cooler climates, citronella crops are grown as annuals and launched indoors over winter. It’s intently associated to lemon grass.
When optimum circumstances are met for rising, the citronella plant will produce panicles of flowers on spikelets borne on extended flowering stems protruding as loads as 6ft from the middle of the plant. These flowers will readily self-seed nonetheless require mounted temperatures of between 20-22 C to germinate. Seeds are delicate brown, dry, and typical of grasses/cereals. Crops grown in cooler climates are loads a lot much less further susceptible to provide viable flowers.
Mosquito crops will unfold naturally through creeping underground rhizomes and may develop to be considerably invasive of their pure tropical native local weather with its vigorous rising habits, out-competing current flora and cultivated crops.
This grass is often grown in a summer season season border or in window packing containers for its insect repellent properties. Many gardeners take into consideration that the citrus aroma of crops is satisfactory to repel mosquitos like bug zappers nonetheless sadly this isn’t true. It’s the oil contained all by the leaves that’s utilized in mosquito repellents, nevertheless it actually must be extracted first through the technique of distillation. For people who merely crush the leaves by hand you’ll launch some oil, nonetheless not satisfactory for repelling mosquitoes. Nonetheless, some gardeners swear that crushing and rubbing the leaves on their pores and pores and pores and skin might be going one in every of many pure methods to utilize a mosquito repellent, and that citronella scent can also be worthwhile in retaining numerous mosquitoes away when you’re working contained in the yard! Greatest to pair them with bug zappers for greatest outcomes.
The extracted crucial oil of citronella mosquito crops has a strong lemony perfume usually used to fragrance cosmetics, soaps, deodorants, and pores and pores and pores and skin lotions notably used as mosquito repellents. Citronella candles and oil burners are used at night time as mosquito repellent. The anti-bacterial and anti-fungal nature of the oil makes it superb for cleansing and disinfecting merchandise. Warning ought to be used when utilizing these merchandise. Inhaling the oil vapors would possibly set off an allergic response in some folks and citronella oil may additionally irritate delicate pores and pores and pores and skin. The citronella plant is just not going to be edible, in distinction to its shut cousin Cymbopogon citratus, usually typically known as lemon grass.
You probably have purchased a ‘citronella plant’ with lacy foliage and a citrus scent, then it’s nearly positively you might want lemon-scented geranium, typically known as the citronella geranium, which is certainly a part of the geranium household. The lacy leaves scent similar to this grass, nonetheless the leaves don’t comprise the insect repellent citronella oil and on account of this reality are ineffective at retaining these pesky mosquitoes from biting. Sadly, members of the geranium household can also be lovely crops to your yard amongst completely completely different flowers, nonetheless their lacy leaves merely don’t repel mosquitoes efficiently!
Planting Citronella Plant
Mosquito plant might probably be planted all 12 months prolonged if grown in tropical, subtropical, or heat temperate climates. The vigorously rising mosquito plant acquired’t take extended to ascertain. In cooler climates wait till late spring to early summer season season earlier than planting out into the yard.
Select a location in full picture voltaic with some partial shade on the most well-liked a part of the day for mosquito plant. Leaves can develop to be merely scorched and look ugly. This grass is adaptable to most soil varieties, nonetheless the mosquito plant prefers moist loam-based soil that’s well-draining.
Rising mosquito crops from seed is just not going to be advisable as germination might probably be erratic. The vigorous progress and rhizomatic roots make it a predominant candidate for propagation from division.
Citronella grass is sweet for rising as potted crops because of it allows you to swap crops into a wide range of areas to fit your wants. It’s attainable you’ll ought to put money into bigger pots as your container crops outgrow smaller containers, or just divide the plant and replant a division throughout the equal container and share the others with fellow gardeners. Container rising mosquito plant is an environment friendly danger for colder zones because of it permits your plant to be merely moved indoors over winter to guard them from frost.
Citronella Plant Care
This grass is native to the tropics. Nonetheless, it is vitally adaptable to cooler climates within the occasion you understand straightforward strategies to deal with it. Let’s discuss mosquito crops, data you’ll ought to know to maintain them, and sustaining their pretty foliage in your yard!
Photograph voltaic and Temperature
Citronella is primarily a sub-tropical grass with a various for full picture voltaic (at the very least six hours) and heat temperatures. In terribly in type climates present shade or filtered daylight through the most well-liked time of the day to forestall the leaves from scorching, be sure that it ought to get at the very least six hours of daylight. In areas with loads a lot much less warmth, give the plant additional delicate.
Don’t let this plant’s tropical origins put you off rising it in case you could be positioned north of the equator! Hardy to USDA zones 10-12, the citronella plant can tolerate temperatures all the best way through which all the best way all the way down to 32ºF (0ºC) nonetheless is not going to be going to tolerate extended intervals of frost. Carry your citronella indoors in massive pots when the primary frost is forecast.
Water and Humidity
Present extended deep drinks when the soil begins to dry out or present irrigation through soaker/drip hoses to deal with mounted moisture. This grass prefers persistently moist soil nonetheless surprisingly can tolerate extended intervals of drought. Cut back watering through the winter months nonetheless verify repeatedly to make sure crops haven’t completely dried out, notably these grown in containers. A soaker hose or completely completely different kind of drip irrigation on the underside of the plant could be utilized to assist in watering your yard.
Soil
For optimum outcomes develop citronella in a wealthy loam-based, free-draining soil or compost. Citronella may be very adaptive to most soil varieties and as rapidly as established will do efficiently. The place soils are very poor, dig in some pure matter earlier than planting to provide dietary nutritional vitamins and to assist with moisture retention. Soil pH needs to be impartial, and efficiently drained soils are greatest.
Fertilizing
Fertilize citronella yearly in spring with an impressive top of the range slow-release nitrogen-rich fertilizer. In case your plant is trying significantly lackluster, then a fast feed with a liquid nitrogen fertilizer or all goal plant meals ought to convey it as soon as extra to healthful rising habits. Along with a most important inch of compost a few cases a yr all through the underside of your plant will even work in lieu of fertilizers or all goal plant meals.
Pruning
Citronella crops require little or no pruning when grown of their pure atmosphere. At most, maybe they might income from the odd trim of brown leaves and deadheading each few weeks to forestall self-seeding. Crops grown in containers in cooler climates will income from a difficult prune to six inches (15cm) above the crown earlier than bringing them correct proper right into a sheltered home or indoors over winter. New shoots will seem in spring prepared for going as soon as extra outside.
Propagation
This grass is unlikely to develop viable seeds until grown in optimum native local weather circumstances. Even with viable seeds, germination is erratic. The principle kind of propagation for citronella crops is through division. The vigorous rising nature of citronella lends itself absolutely for division to maintain plant measurement beneath administration. It’s furthermore an environment friendly approach to protect container-grown crops in verify.
Divide a healthful plant that’s at the very least 2-3 years outdated and has developed an impressive root system. Dig up the complete plant and utilizing a seen, spade or knife divide the plant into as many divisions you require. Pot every division up individually or replant into new positions contained in the yard. Water efficiently till crops are established. If utilizing this technique, assure there’s ample time for the mannequin new mosquito crops to develop to be well-established earlier than the primary frost.
Root cuttings are one different various within the occasion you happen to don’t want to dig up a complete plant. Root cuttings needs to be taken in winter when crops are dormant and their roots are nutrient-rich, thus giving cuttings top-of-the-line probability to develop. Merely take away soil from the underside of the plant till roots are seen and reduce off 2-3 inches of root with a clear pair of snips. Place the slicing correct proper right into a pot of compost and place someplace vivid and heat, retaining the compost moist. Shoots ought to seem in early spring.
Troubleshooting
Citronella is a simple plant to deal with with few rising factors. Listed beneath are a few factors to look out for merely in case. Figuring out these will help you shield a healthful plant.
Rising Factors
Your mosquito plant advantages from afternoon shade to guard the leaves from picture voltaic scorch through the most well-liked time of the day. The scorched leaves are ugly and the injury reduces the plant’s skill to photosynthesize thus decreasing the plant’s frequent properly being.
Moist toes could also be an issue for citronella crops. Though they like soil to be persistently moist, heavy moist soil will scale back the power of the plant to take up dietary nutritional vitamins from the soil and will set off crops to deteriorate. It’d even set off root rot and the demise of the plant. Develop citronella grass in free-draining, loam-based soil to avoid this rising draw again.
Pests
This citronella tends to not be affected by pests.
Sicknesses
Commercially grown citronella might probably be matter to leaf blight. That is notably prevalent in sub-tropical climates the place crops are grown densely to offer citronella oil. Lack of air circulation presents superb circumstances for blight to take protect and will end in a discount in each the amount and top of the range of oil extracted. Blight is manner a lot much less frequent in home gardens until crops are allowed to develop to be very congested. Indicators of blight are darkish spots or lesions on leaves from which necrosis begins to rot the leaves. Take away and destroy affected leaves instantly. Divide congested crops each few years and take away ineffective or dying foliage to strengthen air circulation. Copper fungicides can also be helpful to assist forestall blight.
Ceaselessly Requested Questions
Q: Do citronella crops actually shield mosquitoes away?
A: The oil extracted from the leaves of citronella crops has some pure mosquito repellent qualities when utilized in candles, lotions, and oil burners. The crops of their pure kind don’t assist in repelling mosquitoes.
Q: Does citronella plant like picture voltaic or shade?
A: Citronella plant likes to develop in a vivid sunny spot, nonetheless will income from some shade on the most well-liked a part of the day to guard leaves from scorch.
Q: Is citronella an impressive houseplant?
A: Citronella is commonly confused with the citronella geranium or scented geraniums (Pelargonium citrosum, typically known as Citrosa geranium), which have a lemony scent and make nice houseplants. Sadly, the citronella geranium doesn’t repel mosquitoes. True citronella crops are massive grasses rising as loads as 6ft tall and 4ft large and are unsuitable for lots of indoor progress for very extended. It does make for an beautiful patio plant as most individuals have sufficient house on their patio for a a lot greater species.
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