How to Get Cuttings of a Mosquito Shoo Geranium to Root

"Mosquito shoo" geraniums repel mosquitos with citronella oil.

"Mosquito shoo" is a variety of geranium also known as the mosquito plant or citrosa geranium. Its leaves contain citronella oil, which is a proven insect repellent used in anti-mosquito candles. Mosquito shoo may be effective if the leaves are crushed and rubbed against the skin but the plant itself does not repel mosquitoes, according to The University of Iowa's Richard Jauron. Like all geraniums, the mosquito shoo geranium can be easily propagated from cuttings.

Things You'll Need

• Sharp knife or scissors
• Hormone rooting powder
• Sand
• Perlite
• Seed tray
• Compost
• 4-inch pots

Instructions

1. Take cuttings from your mosquito shoo geranium in the fall at least a month before the first frost. Use a mother plant that is thriving and free from disease. Keep its soil barely moist for several weeks prior to taking cuttings.

2. Remove the end 3 or 4 inches from strong stems using a sharp, sterile knife or pair of scissors. Remove the bottom leaves from each cutting, leaving those at the tip. Dip the cut ends into commercially available hormone rooting powder.

3. Plant your cuttings in a shallow tray containing damp sand or an equal mixture of sand and perlite. Plant each cutting at a depth of 1 1/2 inches. Cover the container with a transparent plastic bag to maintain humidity levels. Place in a bright spot that receives indirect sunshine such as a west facing windowsill. Remove the bag to replace the air inside once a week.

4. Remove the bag and move your cuttings to a sunny windowsill once a gentle tug indicates that roots have begun to form. Keep the soil only barely moist to prevent fungal disease. Re-pot each cutting into individual 4-inch containers and free-draining compost once new growth starts to appear. Fertilize your growing cuttings every two weeks with a liquid houseplant fertilizer.

Tips & Warnings

• Remove all dead leaves from your mosquito shoo geranium to discourage fungus and other pests. Grow in a sunny location in the garden with free-draining soil. Move plants indoors before the first frosts. Remove flowers to encourage further leaf production.

• To sterilize your cutting tools, dip them in rubbing alcohol or bleach for one to two minutes, then rinse.

• Test mosquito shoo geranium leaves on a small section of your inner arm before applying elsewhere. The plant is safe to use if no symptoms emerge with 24 hours.

References

• Clemson University; Geranium; Karen Russ; May 2009
• North Carolina State University; Geranium Culture for Home Gardeners; Alice B. Russell; December 1997
• Geraniums - How To Grow And Propagate Them; David Rodriguez; February 10, 2007; Texas A&M University
• Iowa State University; Plant Advertisments - Fact versus Fiction; Richard Jauron; 15 March 1996