Growing the mosquito plant is easy. They are also a favorite when it comes to propagation as they can easily multiply, too. In the succeeding sections, we will discuss how to grow citronella plant from cutting.
This perennial
grass can grow as tall as 5 to 6 feet. The perfect condition to grow this plant
is in places wherein frost and extremely low temperatures do not occur.
However, you can
still grow the citronella plant even if you live in a place that has four
seasons. You just need to take the necessary precautions to protect the plant
from frostbites. It is ideally planted in a pot. This is because this plant is
very sensitive and putting in pots makes it easier for you to transfer the
citronella indoors during winter.
Another thing to
remember is to provide well-drain pots for this plant. Lastly, please do
observe that you apply fertilizers that are rich in nitrogen. Do this
periodically to ensure that the plant grows healthily. Experts recommend that
you apply fertilizers once a year in spring.
Different Ways To Grow Citronella Plants
Below, we will share some details when to use seedlings and cuttings to grow the citronella plant:
Growing Citronella From Seeds
Seed
propagation is the traditional way of growing plants but this takes a long time
too. Growing citronella from seedlings takes patience and a lot more stages to
consider. Experts reveal that there is no trick to growing this plant from
seedlings. There are only patience and utmost care when nursing the seedlings.
But
don’t let this drawback confuse you as growing citronella from seeds is ideal
for those who want to choose a range of colors for their plants. You can decide
what colors you want, from scarlet red, orange, to bi-colors like coral and
pink or orange and salmon.
Growing Citronella From Cuttings
Growing
citronella from cuttings is by far what many gardeners choose to do these days.
This is because it is a quick and easy process.
This
is recommended for those who want to get thrifty as you only need a mother
plant to get your cuttings from. You don’t need to wait longer and you can skip
the nursery stage in which you put the seedlings in a controlled environment.
How To Grow Citronella Plant From Cuttings?
In this section, we
will discuss the steps on how to grow
citronella plant from cuttings. Since this is the easiest and quickest way
to multiply citronella, a lot of people want to follow this process.
So, here you go:
1. The Perfect Timing
Some
people say that the best time to grow citronella is during spring, but for
growing this plant from cuttings, it is best to do so in fall. The fall season
is when the plant starts to enter the dormant stage, so taking a cutting during
this time lessens the chance of harming the plant.
2. Choose The Mother
You
should pick a healthy citronella plant where you will get your cuttings from.
This is crucial to ensure that both the mother plant will not be harmed and the
cuttings will grow successfully. Get your cuttings from the plant with more
leaves and is a bit taller.
3. Start Cutting
Cut
around 3 to 5 inches from the plant’s branch. Also, get rid of the leaves from
the cutting except for the two or three leaves on the top.
4. Planting Tray Preparation
In
this stage, you need to prepare the soil which is a mixture of peat and sand.
Then put it in the rooting medium. You also need to sprinkle the mixture with
water to moisten the soil.
Remember
that balanced soil chemistry is needed to make sure that the cuttings will
start rooting.
5. Apply Rooting Hormone and Start Planting
How to grow citronella from cutting successfully?
Use
a rooting hormone.
Dip the cuttings in the rooting hormone before you put them in the tray with rooting medium. Don’t put too much hormone though. Just let the hormone coat the base of the cutting. This thin coating is enough to protect the cuttings from infection, as well as stimulate rooting.
