Bergamot: Your garden's secret weapon against pests

Once found in nearly every garden, today, it often loses to more fashionable species. Unjustly so. This small, beautifully scented plant repels voracious snails, mosquitoes, and ticks. You can buy a bergamot seedling for just a few dozen zlotys.

Summer is a busy time for every gardener. Plants require regular watering, weeding, and fertilizing. However, the worst are pests that often appear in the garden at this time of year.

Among them are, among others, snails. Within one night, they can seriously damage crops. How to protect your garden from snails? Use the power of bergamot, and you will get rid of pests.

Bergamot is a plant from the mint family. Initially, it was found only in North America, but it quickly spread worldwide. There are as many as 27 different species of bergamot. In our conditions, varieties such as scarlet, punctata, spotted, or garden bergamot will work best.

Depending on the species, it reaches from 2 to even 4 feet in height. It stands out with its unusual structure. On long, stiff stems, inflorescences are covered with white, purple, red, or pink petals.

The plant is easy to grow. It requires only providing it with permeable and fertile soil and remembering to water it regularly. However, one must be careful not to overwater it, which can lead to severe root damage.

Where to plant it? Bergamot feels best in a sunny location but can also cope in the shade. How and what should the plant be fertilized? Opt for organic fertilizers such as biohumus or compost. Perform the treatment in summer, not more often than once a month.

The unique appearance and ease of cultivation are not the only advantages of bergamot. The plant emits a beautiful, floral-citrus scent that spreads throughout the garden. This unique, pleasant aroma repels mosquitoes, ticks, and snails.

Plant several seedlings around the fence and pests will not even approach the garden. For instance, you can grow it on the balcony in a large pot. This way, you will protect yourself from mosquitoes.