citronella plant pruning

As mosquito plants grow, they may become leggy or flowering may diminish. Most mosquito plant pruning will involve pinching back the stems to encourage branching and increase blooms. Here's how to cut back citronella: Remove spent blooms by pinching off just below the flower with thumb and forefinger.

1. When can I prune a citronella plant?
2. Does citronella grow back every year?
3. How do you keep citronella plants over the winter?
4. What do you do with a citronella plant?
5. How do I make my citronella plant bushy?
6. How do you cut and replant citronella?

When can I prune a citronella plant?

Prune citronella grass in late winter or early spring to reshape the plant and maintain the size that works in your landscape. Citronella grass can grow to heights of 5 to 6 feet with cane-like stems and flat green leaves. Periodic pruning maintains plant shape and keeps the grass at a manageable size.

Does citronella grow back every year?

An evergreen perennial in zones 9 to 11, citronella usually grows as an annual where freezing temperatures occur. In addition, the stems can become quite woody by summer's end. If you want to overwinter your plant, propagate a new one during the late summer months by layering.

How do you keep citronella plants over the winter?

Wintering Indoors

You can move the potted citronella outside to a spot that receives full sun during the warmer spring to fall months once nighttime temperatures are regularly above 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Then you can choose to bring the plant indoors to a sunny spot for the winter only.

What do you do with a citronella plant?

You can use citronella foliage indoors

Snip foliage from the citronella plant and keep them in vases, places strategically around your home to keep biting bugs away. If you enjoy the scent you can even place bundles of the plant around the home for air freshening purposes.

How do I make my citronella plant bushy?

You can pinch back citronella to form a more compact, bushy plant. The lacey, fragrant leaves also work well in summer floral bouquets so feel free to prune often. The stems also can be cut and dried.

How do you cut and replant citronella?

Cut 3 to 5 inches off the tip of a branch and remove all but the top two or three leaves. Dip the cut surface at the end into a dish of rooting hormone and sink it into the planting mix at least three nodes -- the thick parts of the stem where leaves and branches start -- deep. Put several cuttings in each pot.