Mosquito Repellent Plant Also Known as Scented Geranium: Seed Planting Methods, Uses and Suitability for the Bedroom

The mosquito repellent plant (scented geranium, Pelargonium graveolens) prefers a warm, humid environment with plenty of sunlight and has poor cold tolerance. Scented geranium is widely popular because the plant has a volatile fragrance and has a wide range of uses, so people love to grow it. So do you know what the seed planting methods for the mosquito repellent plant are? Is it suitable to put in the bedroom? What uses does it have?

I. Seed planting methods for the mosquito repellent plant

Soil: The mosquito repellent plant requires fertile, well-drained soil. For potting soil, you can mix 1/3 leaf mold, 1/3 rice husk ash and 1/3 garden soil, then add a small amount of superphosphate and mix evenly.

2. Watering: The mosquito repellent plant is drought-tolerant and afraid of waterlogging. Too much water in the potting soil will cause leggy growth or root rot. In spring and autumn, when growth and flowering are vigorous, you can water a little more; in winter, when temperatures are low, water as little as possible.

3. Temperature: The most suitable growing temperature for the mosquito repellent plant is 10-25°C. It can overwinter safely above 0°C, and above 15°C it can normally release its lemon fragrance; the higher the temperature, the stronger the fragrance.

4. Fertilizing: When cultivating the mosquito repellent plant, besides applying enough base fertilizer, during the growing season, especially at peak flowering, apply a thin liquid fertilizer once every 7-10 days. Water less or not at all 3-5 days before fertilizing.

5. Light: In spring and early summer, when sunlight is not too intense, the mosquito repellent plant can be placed in a spot with plenty of light, but in the hot season of midsummer and early autumn it should be placed in shade and kept away from direct strong light.

6. Pruning: In spring, if the mosquito repellent plant grows too vigorously, you can thin out branches by pruning. After flowering, promptly cut off spent flowers and overly dense branches, and carry out one more pruning during the dormant period.

7. Pests and diseases: If the mosquito repellent plant is improperly managed and develops root rot or stem and leaf rot, you can spray fungicides such as chlorothalonil or carbendazim (800-1000 times dilution), but do not spray frequently.

II. Is the mosquito repellent plant suitable to put in the bedroom?

In fact, whether or not you can tolerate the special smell of the mosquito repellent plant, it should not be put in the bedroom.

1. The smell is too strong. Bedroom space is already small, and the special smell of the mosquito repellent plant will fill the whole bedroom, affecting your sleep quality.

2. It competes for oxygen. At night there is no light, so the mosquito repellent plant cannot carry out photosynthesis and only performs respiration. This process consumes oxygen, causing you to inhale insufficient oxygen and feel dizzy the next morning.

3. It exhales waste gas. The mosquito repellent plant performing respiration also exhales some carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, so it is even more unsuitable to put it in the bedroom at night. Not only that, but you should also try not to place other potted plants in the bedroom.

III. What uses does the mosquito repellent plant have?

1. The mosquito repellent plant can be shaped as a bonsai, like a beautiful flowering plant, repelling insects while also being ornamental. It is especially suitable for offices, homes and business premises.

2. The mosquito repellent plant releases a lemon fragrance all year round, filling the air with fragrance, freshening the air and safely repelling mosquitoes. No medicine and no fumigation are needed, it is harmless to people and animals, and it achieves natural biological mosquito repellence.

3. Communities and apartment complexes can also plant it on a large scale to create mosquito-repellent green belts. This is especially true for waterside communities.

4. The mosquito repellent plant can be cultivated indoors and outdoors and releases a rich lemon fragrance all year round. It has the effect of repelling mosquitoes and purifying the air, and importantly, it has no side effects at all.