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Texas Gardening

Thai lemmon grass

16 years ago

Anyone try Thai Lemmon grass for keeping the Mosquitoes away does it work and how does it grow in Dallas. Does the plant die back in the winter? Does it have to be replanted or does it grow back? I thinking about getting some plants to keep the Mosquitoes away from the front door.... any thoughts on other mosquito repelling plants.

Thanks

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Comments (6)

fool4flowers
16 years ago
HEB had some mosquitoe plants a few months ago. I mentioned it to my neighbor and she said that is what she uses around her pool. I went back to get a couple and they were all gone. She says if you brush up against them they release something that drives mosquitoes away.
cestbellevie
16 years ago
We have lots of lemon grass on our property and use it in Asian cooking and as a tea and a decongestant when I have a cold. Simmer it up with some lemon leaves and camphor oil and I feel like new again. I can honestly tell you that it doe not work to keep the mosquitoes at bay. I still get EATEN ALIVE. The chemical components of lemon grass does contain citronella as it is believed to be a repellant, but unless you crush the root of the lemongrass in large quantities, it is best to keep the bug spray handy. On the other hand the plant itself is beautiful, stays healthy and alive all year round, lives through frost, and is mighty tasty on grilled meats.
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Granddad i have seen that picture of your longbean trellis extension before. What would happen if you didn't add the extension? Would the beans just start to cascade back down? Would it affect yield? i am very curious! Cyrus gardener please contact me privately through my Gardenweb member page-thanks! zensojourner i do not mean to highjack your thread! So far i think no one has mentioned pumpkin or watercress. Watercress is a classic veggie side dish at Korean restaurants here. Thais enjoy pumpkin which is not like the jack o'lantern Americans are familiar with. More like a winter squash or even more like a Japanese Kabocha. Check out this website i just surfed into yesterday, they sell Thai vegetable seeds although they are adapted more to a tropical climate and i am not sure about your zone. i have not ordered from them so i cannot comment on product or service. Kaffir lime is pretty much a must for Thai food. it is not frost-proof but it should do OK in a pot if you suffer from that affliction ; ) i have heard that this can be ordered from FourWinds if you cannot get it locally. Cilantro, Mint, Thai Basil have all been mentioned but if you'd like to get really authentic try herbs Culantro and Rau Ram. Oh and green papaya salad is pretty much classic Thai food. You can use unripe solo papaya but the real green papaya is large, long and used primarily as a vegetable. i've been looking for a seed source myself. Sawatdi ; ) Here is a link that might be useful: Kilohana farms
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As I mentioned before, I am growing Thai basil from store-bought basil, rooted in water. I have about 4 of them. They have grabbed the soil and are growing. Yesterday I bought a bunch and am rooting more. Also I bought purple shiso and am rooting them as well, I have regular (green,light purple backs) Korean shiso, also called sesam leaves. I was going to get some CULANTRO but they were very tired, yellowed and had aged too much. next time I find more fresh ones, I will get a bunch and try to root them as well. My cilantros have bolted already and I have left some to grow seeds and pulled out the rest. So then CULANTROS will be a substitute in the coming hot summer months. P.S. my Lemon Grass is growing nicley as well.
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Comments (7)
treefrog supposedly you take a stalk of it- peel off the outer skin and then crush it up in your hands and rub all the clorophyl on you and thats what repels the skeeters I've never been affected by mosquito bites- shrug em off and in a day their gone. Ive had so many in the last 10 days that I think I'm becoming allergic- all the bites are getting infected even though I havent itched them. When and what is the playdate?? the fruit sale on sat? I will definitely be at the fruit sale bright and super early.
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I pulled the bottom paragraphs from two sources including Wikepedia. Basically I've always heard King Cobras as being reclusive, shy, and a little less likely to habit densly populated areas and more likely to live in forest. Now other cobras and kraits are commonly found in urban areas throughout Asia and are responsible for numerous fatalities. I would think farmers would run more risk of confronation than city dweller. Despite the King Cobra's fearsome reputation and deadly bite, it is a shy and reclusive animal, avoiding confrontation with humans as often as possible.[9] There are other venomous snakes within this species' range that are responsible for a more fatal snake bites than the King Cobra such as the Monocled cobra, Russell's Viper, and Banded Krait.] Characteristics: Although it is the largest venomous snake in the world and it has a disposition to go with this honor, it causes relatively few bites on humans. It appears to have a degree of intelligence. It avoids attacking another venomous snake for fear of being bitten. It feeds exclusively on harmless species. The female builds a nest then deposits her eggs. Lying close by, she guards the nest and is highly aggressive toward anything that closely approaches the nest. Its venom is a powerful neurotoxin. Without medical aid, death is certain for its victims. Habitat: Dense jungle and cultivated fields.
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MrsBox77
16 years ago
If I bathe in lemon grass oil, the skeeters do not come anywhere near me...however, I don't think I have the blood type or ph levels that attracts mosquitoes (a-neg)...but if I bathe in Lavender and lemon grass...they do not bite me. If I don't, they do....go figure.
averagejoetx
16 years ago
I think that lemon grass works for some and not for others. It does nothing for me. Mosquitoes see me as an all you can eat buffet. I have heard that marigolds can repel mosquitoes, but I've not tested that theory. Seems they don't like the smell. Anyway, there was also a discussion on here previously about using cedar products to repel them. Here is the link:

Here is a link that might be useful: Previous Discussion on Cedar Products and Mosquitoes
jabee
16 years ago
PS. If you "brush up against" lemon grass you'll cut yourself to shreds!
fool4flowers
16 years ago
Lol, it wasn't lemon grass I was talking about brushing against. It was a green leafy plant only labeled mosquitoe plant.

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