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When temperatures rise and that time arrives, it is so pleasant to spend time outdoors, they also arrive in many coastal areas or with humidity, which are, for many, the main drawback of summer, one of the few animals for which practically no one feels any sympathy: mosquitoes.
But as always, our friends, plants, have a lot to offer us, also when it comes to driving away these annoying biting insects. This time we are not going to talk about the well-known citronella, but about another plant that, with very beautiful flowers, is also capable of fulfilling the function of anti-mosquitoes: the lemon geranium. If you want to learn how to care for mosquito geranium, join us in this Green Ecologist article.
Characteristics of the anti-mosquito geranium
Its scientific name is Pelargonium Citrodorum, although it is known more anti-mosquito geranium, lemon geranium or citronella geranium. These are its main characteristics:
- It is an evergreen plant with a herbaceous appearance, rarely more than half a meter in height, with a similar width.
- Its leaves are green and of a certain thickness, highly appreciated aesthetically, and when they are cut they give off a strong smell that reminds of the citrus of lemon or citronella, which is why it is also a powerful mosquito repellent.
- But if the leaves of the citronella geranium are beautiful, their flowers are even more so, with five petals and that grow in small groups, with shades ranging from pink to purple and with a darker and more marked coloration in the center of their petals. , which forms striking drawings.
- And when does the anti-mosquito geranium bloom? Its first flowers begin to appear as a general rule at the end of winter, and the flowering can last until well into the summer, although as always, it will depend on the specific temperatures and climate. In cooler areas it may take longer to flower and extend its flowering beyond the beginning of summer, while in warmer areas everything will take a few weeks earlier.
If you like these plants, here you can discover many types of geraniums.
Location and climate for mosquito geranium
The citronella geranium is quite easy to grow and their care is not excessively demanding in any respect. As far as its location is concerned, this plant requires a well lit and sunny place, although in very hot climates it will be preferable to protect it from direct sun, especially in summer, which can be too much for the plant. If you grow your lemon geranium outdoors, find a semi-shadow zone, protected from the incidence of the sun at noon, and if you grow it indoors, look for a well-lit room, near a window but without direct sunlight and taking care to avoid the magnifying glass effect. If you take the plant outside for a while when it is not too cold, early in the morning or late in the afternoon, it will surely appreciate it.
It is convenient that the plant is in a well ventilated area and as regards temperature, it does not tolerate frost for a long time. If temperatures drop below 0ºC for more than one night, you will need to bring your geranium into the house or protect it with a thermal blanket.
Irrigation of the anti-mosquito geranium
Needs to little water and does not tolerate excess humidity, so it is necessary to avoid wetting its leaves when watering it, or spraying them. The most common is to water it approximately every three days in the warm months, and weekly or fortnightly in the cold, when the soil has dried and always without flooding. Of course, young plants will need a little more watering for a while. It is very important that if it is in a pot, it has drainage holes And don't let water accumulate underneath, on the plate.
We recommend you read this other article about When to water the plants and in case you leave home for many days, don't worry, here we tell you How to water the plants on vacation.
Substrate and compost for anti-mosquito geranium
The only important thing with the soil of this plant is that it offers the best possible drainage, since it does not tolerate environments with excessive humidity or waterlogging. The universal mix equal parts coconut fiber, worm castings, and peat will work perfectly. As we always recommend, you can add vermiculite and perlite to improve the water retention properties. In the warm months, the plant will appreciate a monthly contribution of compost or organic matter to help it with its flowering.
Before transplanting your citronella or lemon geranium, since if you have bought them and you have the nursery pot you need the transplant and a substrate like the one we have indicated, we recommend you read this other article on How to plant geraniums.
Pruning the mosquito geranium
Between late winter and early springBefore flowering begins, it is advisable to give the lemon geranium a pruning by shortening its stems to stimulate the growth of new shoots. Dried flowers and parts in poor condition should always be removed immediately.
In this link you will see a guide on when and how to prune geraniums.
How to reproduce the anti-mosquito geranium
Regarding multiplication, the easiest thing is to do mosquito geranium cuttings. These tend to root very easily, being able to do both in spring like in summer or fall. Cut stems with several growing buds or use the remains of the spring pruning, remove the lower leaves and immediately introduce the cutting into the substrate mixture described above. Water the first time abundantly and place the plant in semi-shade; in a few weeks it will have rooted.
Here you can read more about How to plant geranium cuttings for multiplication.
If you want to read more articles similar to Anti-mosquito geranium: care, we recommend that you enter our category of Cultivation and care of plants.
