Mosquito Plant Pruning How To Cut Back Citronella Geranium Plants

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.

Can you cut back leggy geraniums?

Pruning Leggy Geraniums

Prior to bringing plants indoors (usually late fall), you should cut back about a third of your spindly geraniums. Make sure you remove any unhealthy or dead stems as well. Pruning leggy geraniums also prevents them from becoming overgrown and unsightly.

How do I cut back geraniums?

Use a pair of reliable shears to trim back perennial geraniums to two or three inches above the soil, cutting at nodes or new growth points when possible. Remove any leaves or additional flowers that remain. You'll end up with a fairly unattractive grouping of thick stems.

How do you take care of citronella plants?

Check soil moisture every few days and water when the top inch becomes dry. For abundant blooms, feed regularly with a water-soluble plant food. Once mature, prune citronella as necessary and enjoy the fragrant leaves and flowers in summer arrangements.

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.

When should geraniums be pruned?

Jane recommends pruning geraniums and pelargoniums back by between one third to one half during March or April. Come spring, the plants will rocket away, bush up beautifully and give a lovely flush of flowers. When pruning, don't throw the cuttings away – they are really great for propagating.

How do you revive dried geraniums?

Trim back one-half to three-quarters of the geranium, cutting back the overgrown stems. This severe pruning forces a new flush of compact growth and encourages new bud production. Cut each stem above a leaf or bud so the stem is forced to branch, which results in a fuller geranium.

How do I make my geranium bushy?

Remove all of the dead and brown leaves from the geranium plant. Next trim away any unhealthy stems. Healthy geranium stems will feel firm if gently squeezed. If you would like a less woody and leggy geranium, cut back the geranium plant by one-third, focusing on stems that have started to turn woody.

Should geraniums be cut back in winter?

Prune geraniums in preparation for winter.

After the growing season is finished, pruning back the geraniums will help them stay healthy and dormant during the colder months. Wait until the flowers have died and the geranium has gotten a little leggy, in late summer or early to mid-fall.

How do you winterize geraniums?

Set the plants in a shady spot and let them dry for a few days. This will help avoid mold or mildew during storage. Store your geraniums through winter in a paper bag or cardboard box in a cool, dry location, at about 50 to 60 degrees F.

Should I cut back my citronella plant?

Keeping the foliage looking healthy and tidy with regular pruning can help with this. Citronella plants can reach 2 to 4 feet (0.6 to 1 meter) in height. ... 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.

Can you grow citronella from a cutting?

Citronella-scented geranium is easily propagated from stem cuttings. The cuttings should be 4 to 6 inches long, but more importantly they must have at least two leaf nodes -- the raised buds along the stem that leaves or new stems can grow from.

Can you root citronella in water?

Citronella Geranium Cuttings

Softwood stem cuttings root more rapidly than semi-hardwood or hardwood cuttings. Remove any blooms from the cuttings and all the leaves except for the top two. ... Keep the stem cuttings in water until you stick them in potting soil.

Is citronella a perennial or annual?

Citronella geraniums will survive outdoors year-round as a perennial in USDA plant hardiness zones 9b through 11—i.e. much of the West Coast, the Southwest, and the Southeast of the United States. In other zones, they can be brought inside during the winter or left outside as an annual.

Is the citronella plant poisonous to dogs?

Citronella candles and oils are a popular mosquito repellent, but the citronella plant is toxic to pets. Use caution when using citronella products around your pet, and make sure they don't have access to any citronella plants in your garden.

Does citronella die in the winter?

These plants are sensitive to cold and will die if they are exposed to frost. In warm climates where frost does not occur, citronella plants can remain outdoor year-round. In colder regions, plants may be moved inside for the winter until warmer temperatures return.

Why do geranium leaves turn yellow?

One of the most common causes for yellowing leaves is too much moisture or overwatering. Generally, on over-watered plants, the bottom portions of geraniums have yellow leaves. They may also develop pale-looking water spots. ... Water or air temperature that is too cool can also result in geranium yellow leaves.

How long do geraniums last?

A common geranium can live for 40 years or longer if it is cared for properly. Over- or under-watering, insects or disease and cold snaps are the most common reasons geraniums die.

Do geraniums like sun or shade?

Most annual geraniums need a spot in full sun, except for the ivy geranium, which grows best in light shade. Perennial geraniums, on the other hand, grow in either sun or shade, depending on the type.

Do geraniums like to be root bound?

Keep Geraniums Blooming

Geraniums bloom best when they're somewhat root-bound, so repot your geraniums into larger containers only when necessary, and use a container only one size bigger than the previous one.

Can I leave geraniums in pots over winter?

How to over-winter geranium plants: ... Keep the plants as they are, but put into pots. Cut back the plants so that they spend the winter re-growing and bushing out. Root some new cuttings and leave the old plants to get on as best they can.