Keep one thing in summer to repel insects, and bugs won't dare come and bother you

In summer there are many mosquitoes and many small pests too. Friends who love growing flowers may wonder whether there is a flower that can repel pests and still bloom well.

Well, would you believe it, there is such a flower: the geranium (Pelargonium)! Geraniums have a strong scent and the whole plant is covered in fine hairs, so pests stay as far away as they can.

Growing geraniums is not really difficult; once you understand its growing habits it is much easier. Geraniums like sunny and warm environments, and cannot tolerate high temperatures, cold, or waterlogging.

For potted geraniums, gardeners can mix leaf mold with an appropriate amount of sandy soil and rice-husk ash to make the potting soil, then add a small amount of bone meal as a base fertilizer. Just repot once a year from mid-August to early September.

Before repotting, prune the plant first, and repot only after the potting soil and the cut surfaces have dried. When repotting, trim away some of the longer and excessive fibrous roots. From mid-to-late April each year, place it outdoors in a well-ventilated, sunny spot for care.

To keep it blooming continuously, apply a dilute organic nutrient solution frequently, generally once every 10 days. It is best to use a purely plant-fermented organic nutrient solution, diluted 500 times with water, and simply water it directly onto the geranium's roots.

Watering is generally done when the leaf tips begin to wilt, and when you water, water thoroughly. From late June to early August, the weather is hot and geraniums enter a semi-dormant state, so fertilization should be stopped and watering controlled. High temperatures, direct sunlight and waterlogging in the pot after rain will all disrupt the geranium's dormancy and can even cause root rot. It should be placed on a shaded windowsill, away from light and sheltered from rain.

With this kind of care it will bloom continuously, and this summer the bugs won't dare come and bother it either!