Citronella is one of the best known organic mosquito repellants.
Citronella is a fragrant, zesty herb that has become common in household gardens throughout the years. It is most often used as an organic mosquito repellant by crushing the leaves and rubbing the citronella oil on the body. A type of scented geranium, the citronella plant is an herbaceous annual that can only get to be so large within a growing season. The bushier the plant, the more fragrant leaves there are for use. To get the plant bushy and large, oftentimes people will cut back the plant to induce new growth. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Trim the plant about midway down the stems right above a node. A node is an area where leaves emerge from the stem.
2. Water the plant thoroughly for a few weeks until you see new growth. You want to allow the soil to dry out a bit before watering again, so during cloudy weather space out watering a bit more.
3. Fertilize the plant weekly with a balanced fertilizer until you see new growth. Each fertilizer is different, so follow the instructions listed on the back of the product for proper dilution.
4. Continue to fertilize the plant after new growth appears, but space it out to about twice a month.
5. Repeat as desired, cutting a bit higher up on the stem. Each time that the plant is cut back, it will grow back fuller and bushier.
Tags: organic mosquito, until growth