What to do if you are bothered by insects entering the apartment through open windows in the summer? Forget about chemistry! Lemon nutmeg, with its citrus and mint scent, works as a natural repellant to disorient mosquitoes and flies. And what’s the best part about it? A sunny windowsill and minimal care are enough for him.
Long warm summer evenings are tempting to sit in the garden or at least on the balcony, but at the same time they hide one big pitfall in the form of intrusive insects that constantly penetrate into our homes through open windows. Flies buzzing around the laid table and mosquitoes that keep us awake at night can reliably ruin a pleasant atmosphere. Fortunately, nature offers us a very elegant and 100% ecological solution in the form of an aromatic plant that turns the kitchen windowsill into an unbeatable green wall.
The following YouTube video from the Prima Nápadů Recipes workshop will tell you how to grow geraniums:
Pamper yourself with lemon muscat
We are talking about a specific type of geranium, which our ancestors did not call otherwise than lemon geranium. At first glance, this plant differs from the classic overhanging geraniums, because its main weapon is not giant colorful flowers, but deeply cut leaves. As soon as the warm rays of the sun rest on them or we pass by them and touch them briefly, they begin to massively release an intense aroma with strong undertones of citrus and mint into the surroundings. While to the human nose this aroma is extremely refreshing and pleasant, to the sensitive senses of flying insects it is an intolerable smell that is avoided at all costs.
Perfectly confuses annoying insects
The essential oils contained in the tissues of this geranium clearly work as a very effective natural repellent that flies and , while their finely tuned olfactory cells do not help them either. Insects lose the ability to perceive the smells of food or human sweat, so they perceive a window planted with these plants as an impenetrable wall and prefer to fly elsewhere in search of food. If you want to increase the effect of the fragrance in the room, just rub a few leaves gently between your fingers or place them in a small bowl directly on the dining table, which will give you instant protection while serving lunch.
Anyone can grow
Growing this fragrant protector is so easy that even a complete gardening beginner can handle it – without any previous experience. Lemon geranium requires a bright location, so a warm kitchen windowsill oriented to the south or west is an absolutely perfect home for it. The plant does best in a light, well-drained substrate and prefers occasional drying of the material rather than abundant watering, as overwatering could cause the sensitive roots to rot. During the summer, it is enough to fertilize it once every two weeks with a regular organic fertilizer to be rewarded with rich and fast growth.
Simple reproduction will ensure the next generation
Another great advantage of this geranium is its longevity and ability to multiply easily, thanks to which you can create a protective wall for all the windows in the house for free in a single season. In the fall, it is enough to transfer the plant to a cooler room, significantly reduce watering, and in the spring, simply cut new cuttings from it, which will take root in a flash in a glass of water. You will thus get a reliable helper who will protect your household from buzzing insects not only this year, but also in the years to come.
