Growing conditions, not cedar hedges, attract mosquitoes.
When deciding what ornaments, trees and shrubs to plant in a landscape, the prudent gardener or homeowner researches his choices before doing any actual work. Cedar hedges have gained a reputation for being breeding grounds for mosquitoes, leading many planters to turn away from them. Knowing the truth, however, will ensure that you keep all of your options open for planting. Does this Spark an idea?
The Truth About Cedar
Cedar hedges do not attract mosquitoes. In fact, cedar chips, blocks and oils are in many all-natural insect repellents. Cedar chips or cedar-soaked rags and cloths are kept in closets, pantries and porches to repel moth infestations. Some manufacturers sell cedar-lined sleeping mats and cedar-based shampoos for pets to keep fleas at bay. While cedar is not a known cure for mosquito problems, it does not attract them either. If you see mosquitoes around your cedar hedge, they are searching for shade or hiding from you or other natural predators.
Source of Rumors
Cedars gained the reputation for producing and attracting mosquitoes, thanks to their growing conditions. More than many other plants, cedars can grow in low-lying, thick-foliaged, dark and damp places. They thrive in soil that is too moist for many other plants, such as areas around ponds, lakes or low-lying spots of a landscape. Standing and stagnant water is the ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes, and it just so happens that the cedars can thrive there. Because of this, cedars became known for attracting the bugs, even though the location, and not the hedges, was causing the mosquito infestation.
Planting Cedar Hedges
To plant a line of cedar hedges in your landscape, dig a trench along your planting line that is about a foot and a half wide and about a foot deep. Line up the cedar hedges so that they are straight and fill in the trench with an equal parts mixture of top soil, peat moss and compost. This mixture will help excess water drain quickly -- thus avoiding mosquito attraction -- and will add nutrition and fertility to the soil. When planting, make sure you carefully line up the cedars to create a straight hedge. You can plant the hedges anytime from spring after the final frost of the year, up until early autumn, six to eight weeks before first winter's frost. This enables the cedars time to acclimate to their new home before winter cold.
Mosquito Repellent Plants
If you have mosquito issues in your landscape, don't blame your cedars, but take other action. Search for low-lying or slow-draining areas of your landscape and add draining amendments such as sand or peat moss to the soil to prevent puddles and stagnant areas from building up. Plant marigolds, which naturally repel mosquitoes. Install bat boxes to attract the mosquitoes' top natural predator to your landscape.
Tags: your landscape, attract mosquitoes, about foot, Cedar hedges, cedar hedges