Citrosa question.
 

Hello there, I am just new to this site, so I hope that this is not a silly question or anything:

I have a small Citrosa plant (markes as a Bonsai) which gives off a lemon scent.

Recently, due to my own lack of knowledge (and just a bit of neglect) the leaves and stalks have started to die and fall off, starting at the bottom and moving upwards, leaving a bare stem, which has become slightly hard at the bottom.

I just want to know what I should do to try and revive it, and once I have done so, how I should better look after it as regards to location, temperature, food etc.

Like I say, I hope this isn't a stupid question or that I have not been specific enough.

Hope you can help.

Sorry, I'm a genuine beginner.

Take it no one knows then?



Think its just about dead now anyway.

On Wed, 29 Dec 2004 05:42:08 +0000, Douglas
wrote:

I have a small Citrosa plant (markes as a Bonsai) which gives off a
lemon scent.

Recently, due to my own lack of knowledge (and just a bit of neglect)
the leaves and stalks have started to die and fall off, starting at the
bottom and moving upwards, leaving a bare stem, which has become
slightly hard at the bottom.

I've not heard of Citrosa. Is it an indoor bonsai, kept in the house?
If so, you may have kept it too warm. The best I can suggest is to
move it somewhere cooler and spray it daily and see if it looks any
better in a few days. Is the compost too dry, or too wet?
Have you any instructions with it?

Pam in Bristol

[quote=Pam Moore]On Wed, 29 Dec 2004 05:42:08 +0000,

I've not heard of Citrosa. Is it an indoor bonsai, kept in the house?

When looking at it on the internet, it seems to be some sort of gerranium.

If so, you may have kept it too warm.

That is what I am beginning to think as well. I have now moved it elsewhere in the house.

The best I can suggest is to
move it somewhere cooler and spray it daily and see if it looks any
better in a few days. Is the compost too dry, or too wet?

We are just trying to get it to dry out, so it is too wet probably.

Have you any instructions with it?

Yes, which I have just noticed.......... - it has sat in a larger pot, so the instructions have been obscured usually. :-S

It say something about fertilising it every week, but I have no idea what it means by that - does it mean watering, or something else??

It also says that it thrives in a high humidity environment, but short of sitting it next to the shower every day, I'm not too sure where it should be.

Anyway, I'll see what I can do.

Thanks for the reply.

"Douglas" wrote in message
...

Hello there, I am just new to this site, so I hope that this is not
a
silly question or anything:

I have a small Citrosa plant (markes as a Bonsai) which gives off a
lemon scent.

I can find no reference to a citrosa plant in any of my books. Are
you sure you are quoting the generic (first) name rather than the
specific (second) name?

Also, are you aware that bonsai plants are supposed to be outdoor
plants, in spite of being potted?

[snip]

Franz

On Fri, 31 Dec 2004 21:46:01 +0000 (UTC), "Franz Heymann"
wrote:

Also, are you aware that bonsai plants are supposed to be outdoor
plants, in spite of being potted?

franz, some tropical plants are sold as indoor bonsai and I guess this
is one of those. You often see sad specimens in garden centres.
I gave up on indoor bonsai years ago as they are difficult to keep in
a warm house where the atmosphere is dry. Outdoor ones are hardier so
I stick with those.
This one I guess is an indoor one. I put Citrosa and bonsai into
google and it came up with a few sites, mainly in Swedish or similar.
2 references said "Citrosa geranium". I've not the time now to look
them up or get the pages translated but Douglas may like to.

Pam in Bristol

I gave up on indoor bonsai years ago as they are difficult to keep in
a warm house where the atmosphere is dry.

*******
That doesn't make me feel so bad (slightly).
I'll have to learn more about it before going any further, i.e. getting something else which I don't kill.
*******
Outdoor ones are hardier so
I stick with those.

*****
Sounds interesting
We have a large garden, so I'm sure some could be bought.
*****

I put Citrosa and bonsai into
google and it came up with a few sites, mainly in Swedish or similar.
2 references said "Citrosa geranium". I've not the time now to look
them up or get the pages translated but Douglas may like to.
Pam in Bristol[/quote]

I'll have to get that Swedish dictionary out then (I look at German sites enough, so I'll be interested to see what the difference is)

I only looked for sites through Yahoo and came up mostly with useless sites for garden centres.
There were one or two bits of info though.

Anyway, thanks.

In article , Pam Moore
writes
On Fri, 31 Dec 2004 21:46:01 +0000 (UTC), "Franz Heymann"
wrote:

Also, are you aware that bonsai plants are supposed to be outdoor
plants, in spite of being potted?

franz, some tropical plants are sold as indoor bonsai and I guess this
is one of those. You often see sad specimens in garden centres.
I gave up on indoor bonsai years ago as they are difficult to keep in
a warm house where the atmosphere is dry. Outdoor ones are hardier so
I stick with those.
This one I guess is an indoor one. I put Citrosa and bonsai into
google and it came up with a few sites, mainly in Swedish or similar.
2 references said "Citrosa geranium". I've not the time now to look
them up or get the pages translated but Douglas may like to.

Googling on citrosa came up with:

"The Citrosa plant is a genetically engineered houseplant created by
incorporating tissue cultures of the grass that produces citronella oil
into hybrid varieties of geranium to produce a cultivar that emits a
citronella aroma."

.... a stoary repeated on several sites. Others list it as a variety of
geranium/pelargonium.

If it is a scented leaved palargonium, then lower leaves dying off is
just part of what they do! - especially the leggy rosette type (P
graveolens or the chocolate peppermint one) as opposed to the shrubby
type (like the usual lemon scented one or the 'oak leaf' one) - they
produced arched bare stems with a few dead leaves adhering, and then a
rosette of healthy leaves at the tip. It's quite hard keeping them
compact as they don't seem to branch as readily as the shrubby types.


--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

On Sat, 1 Jan 2005 16:08:09 +0000, Kay
wrote:

Googling on citrosa came up with:

"The Citrosa plant is a genetically engineered houseplant created by
incorporating tissue cultures of the grass that produces citronella oil
into hybrid varieties of geranium to produce a cultivar that emits a
citronella aroma."

Well done Kay. If that's the case then it needs to be kept very dry,
surely. I cnnot imagine a geranium bonsai!

Pam in Bristol

Well done Kay. If that's the case then it needs to be kept very dry,
surely. I cnnot imagine a geranium bonsai!

Pam in Bristol[/quote]


Yes, again, thanks.

Bonsai things do interest me, but I'm reading up about them first of all before getting one.
The trees for example can be beautiful things.

"Pam Moore" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 31 Dec 2004 21:46:01 +0000 (UTC), "Franz Heymann"
wrote:

Also, are you aware that bonsai plants are supposed to be outdoor
plants, in spite of being potted?

franz, some tropical plants are sold as indoor bonsai and I guess
this
is one of those.

I'm glad i'm behind the times and haven't fallen for that sales
gimmick {:-))

You often see sad specimens in garden centres.
I gave up on indoor bonsai years ago as they are difficult to keep
in
a warm house where the atmosphere is dry. Outdoor ones are hardier
so
I stick with those.
This one I guess is an indoor one. I put Citrosa and bonsai into
google and it came up with a few sites, mainly in Swedish or
similar.
2 references said "Citrosa geranium". I've not the time now to look
them up or get the pages translated but Douglas may like to.

Hello Pam,
I was rash and just put in "Citrosa" and came up with 12,000 entries.
The upshot is that there appears to be a plant "Pelargonium citrosa",
which clicks with your "citrosa geranium". However, this name does
not occur in either The Plantfinder or in the RHS Encyclopedia. So
what gives?
If indeed there is a plant "Pelargonium citrosa" which has the main
characteristics of a pelargonium, why should it ge sold as a bonsai?
I'm still lost. Perhaps the OP can find the original label and
rnlighten us.

Franz

"Pam Moore" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 1 Jan 2005 16:08:09 +0000, Kay
wrote:

Googling on citrosa came up with:

"The Citrosa plant is a genetically engineered houseplant created
by
incorporating tissue cultures of the grass that produces citronella
oil
into hybrid varieties of geranium to produce a cultivar that emits
a
citronella aroma."

Well done Kay. If that's the case then it needs to be kept very
dry,
surely. I cnnot imagine a geranium bonsai!

Hello Pam and Kay,
My confounded ISP misses about 30% of my newsgroup post, so I did not
get Kay's response.
Any way, thanks to Kay for sorting out the problem of the name.
The next question is how and why such a hybrid can be grown as a
bonsai.

Franz

For Franz; here is Kays post.

On Sat, 1 Jan 2005 16:08:09 +0000, Kay
wrote:

Googling on citrosa came up with:

"The Citrosa plant is a genetically engineered houseplant created by
incorporating tissue cultures of the grass that produces citronella oil
into hybrid varieties of geranium to produce a cultivar that emits a
citronella aroma."

... a stoary repeated on several sites. Others list it as a variety of
geranium/pelargonium.

If it is a scented leaved palargonium, then lower leaves dying off is
just part of what they do! - especially the leggy rosette type (P
graveolens or the chocolate peppermint one) as opposed to the shrubby
type (like the usual lemon scented one or the 'oak leaf' one) - they
produced arched bare stems with a few dead leaves adhering, and then a
rosette of healthy leaves at the tip. It's quite hard keeping them
compact as they don't seem to branch as readily as the shrubby types.



Pam in Bristol

All it says is 'Citrosa Bonsai Lemon Bonsai tree'

It seemingly was bought from Ikea, which may explain a few things, and was grown in the Netherlands.

It isn't really a tree though, just a green bush/plant like creature with finger like leaves.

Sorry, can't be more specific, I'm just a beginner (and not very good at it too).

My main experience of trees, except for climbing them, are the Evergreens (Cyprus?) and 'Aspens in the front garden.

I have heard people go on about hissing Aspens, but I'm so used to them that I have never really noticed, and had to be told that.......

"Pam Moore" wrote in message
...
For Franz; here is Kays post.

On Sat, 1 Jan 2005 16:08:09 +0000, Kay
wrote:

Googling on citrosa came up with:

"The Citrosa plant is a genetically engineered houseplant created
by
incorporating tissue cultures of the grass that produces citronella
oil
into hybrid varieties of geranium to produce a cultivar that emits
a
citronella aroma."

... a stoary repeated on several sites. Others list it as a variety
of
geranium/pelargonium.

If it is a scented leaved palargonium, then lower leaves dying off
is
just part of what they do! - especially the leggy rosette type (P
graveolens or the chocolate peppermint one) as opposed to the
shrubby
type (like the usual lemon scented one or the 'oak leaf' one) -
they
produced arched bare stems with a few dead leaves adhering, and
then a
rosette of healthy leaves at the tip. It's quite hard keeping them
compact as they don't seem to branch as readily as the shrubby
types.

Thanks Pam. My mind still boggles at how a pelargonium is trained to
look like a bonsai

Franz

"Douglas" wrote in message
...

Franz Heymann Wrote:


I'm glad i'm behind the times and haven't fallen for that sales
gimmick {:-))

*****
It was given to me, so I had no choice. I'm stuck with it.
TBH, it is not the type of thing I would probably choose myself
anyway
- it stinks of for a start and even if you merely think about
touching
it, the scent will get all over your hands and can only be removed
by
washing them.
Its rather quite impressive in a way.
*****

Perhaps the OP can find the original label and
rnlighten us.
Franz

All it says is 'Citrosa Bonsai Lemon Bonsai tree'

It seemingly was bought from Ikea, which may explain a few things,
and
was grown in the Netherlands.

It isn't really a tree though, just a green bush/plant like creature
with finger like leaves.

Sorry, can't be more specific, I'm just a beginner (and not very
good
at it too).

My main experience of trees, except for climbing them, are the
Evergreens (Cyprus?) and 'Aspens in the front garden.

I have heard people go on about hissing Aspens, but I'm so used to
them
that I have never really noticed, and had to be told that.......

Hello Douglas,
Thanks. I think I have a general idea now.
I don'tthink I'll invest in one.
{:-))

Franz

[quote=Franz Heymann]
Hello Douglas,
Thanks. I think I have a general idea now.
I don'tthink I'll invest in one.
{:-))
******
I don't blame you.

It died anyway, it was obviously too far gone and I was too late......
(I have a genuine problem with organising myself, executive skills, starting and stopping things despite all my will, and various other things as well, caused by illness as a baby. People just do not realise just how bloody annoying and frustrating it can be, and I can only blame myself.
I actually have to force myself to do really simple things sometimes, such as tidy away an item which has been sitting there right in front of me for the last few days, has started to annoy me because it is still there and making is the place untidy. All I have to do is reach out and pick it up, but I never get round to it, even though it is annoying the heck out of me.
I will do it eventually, even if it is several years later, because something suddenly clicks into place for a short while, and it is the turn of that particular undertaking.
It can be hard to explain to people at times that no, I'm not being lazy.
Even if you are lazy, and something is irritating you, then you would do something about it, or get someone else doing it for you!
Jobs and my life in general seem to have an allocated time and place with me, except that I don't know what the timetable is.

Just don't expect my house to be tidy and organised other people as well as myself do the garden, so it is ok.
Also there is Forgetfulness, slowness, and forgetfulness.
My logic can be decidedly fuzzy at times.

Remember, that motivation and the actual undertaking of things are controlled by 2 different parts of the brain, so, like in the case of myself, it just doesn't quite connect!)


Enough potentially pretentious drivel about me.

Anyway, back OT:
I have now learned a lot from here and other places about how to handle one of these plants and other similar things in the future (famous last words).

Today I was bought some small beginner bonsai trees ('proper' bonsai), so armed with the books and the groups here, etc, I'll see how they get on.




End of mindless waffle.