Spring is the perfect time of year to enjoy your balcony plants and their colorful foliage. Aromatic herbs are one of those plants that also provide important benefits. Discover this herb that can repel mosquitoes from your home while you enjoy its pleasant aroma. Discover its many benefits!
Like rosemary, bay leaves, and basil, which add flavor to cooking, there are other plants with extraordinary culinary properties but lesser-known mosquito repellent properties. We can mention lemon verbena, with its many benefits. Originating in South America, its leaves are reminiscent of lemon and also add flavor to our soups and salads.
How to grow lemon verbena at home and take advantage of its mosquito-repellent properties?
Very easy to grow, this plant repels mosquitoes and perfumes your home. Thanks to its lemon-scented leaves, it provides both freshness and protection against any mosquito attack. Here’s how to maintain it so it’s well protected from these insects.
Where to place lemon verbena?
As soon as the verbena shoots form, they should be transferred to a jar or individual pot. Lemon verbena requires a mild, temperate climate and neutral, well-drained soil. Sun exposure is important to keep it alive and also allows it to release its beautiful aromatic substances. Lemon verbena does not tolerate low temperatures well. Therefore, it is best to keep it in a pot to move it to a sunnier location when it gets cold. Verbena can be placed in your garden or vegetable patch. Forming a small, light-leaved shrub, it propagates by cuttings from August to September and produces flowers in autumn. To take a cutting, cut a damp 10 cm stem in the morning and then remove the leaves from the base as well as the flowers. All you have to do is insert it into a hole in the garden soil or into the pot you have previously prepared. It is recommended to use garden soil mixed with a little river sand. After flowering, lemon verbena leaves can be stored for two years after drying them thoroughly in the sun.
Aromatic verbena, an effective mosquito repellent!
There are several plants whose strong scents are effective against mosquitoes and other insects. Aromatic herbs like lemon verbena will save you from unpleasant mosquito bites. Although citronella products are available on the market, you can take advantage of this plant’s natural virtues by placing it in your home, on your terrace, or in your garden. Lemon verbena, with its repellent properties, keeps mosquitoes away and allows you to protect your skin from any bites or attacks.
To repel mosquitoes, you can also burn dried verbena in a saucer. This not only releases citrus aromas that repel these pests, but also creates a natural fragrance for your home’s interior. In case of a mosquito bite, you can apply citronella essential oil diluted 10% in vegetable oil or aloe vera gel to your skin.
Warning: This technique is not suitable for children under 6 years of age or pregnant women during the first months of pregnancy.
In addition to verbena, other plants work to repel mosquitoes.
Lemon balm, with its lemony foliage, produces the same effect as lemon verbena. Known for its mosquito-repellent properties, it can be planted alongside mint, lavender, or basil to protect you from these insects. Lemon basil can also be placed on a windowsill, providing a good growing environment to protect your home from mosquitoes.
It’s possible to grow lemon verbena indoors to benefit from its mosquito-repellent properties. Place it in your home on a sunny windowsill or balcony. You’ll enjoy its pleasant fragrance and fresh leaves all season long.
