Plants thrive during the monsoons because of all that lovely rain combined with warm weather and a humid atmosphere. However, they can be prone to waterlogging and infections. Here are 12 simple tips that will help your plants stay lush, green and happy!
- This is a great time to repot your plants. There is little chance of the soil drying out quickly, and as they have their growth spurt at this time due to the conducive weather conditions they will rapidly produce new leaves.
- Monsoon is the best time to replant saplings or cuttings. You can prune and cut from the original plants and plant elsewhere. You should be able to see new leaves and shoots within a week. Trimming plants also helps them have faster and healthier growth.
- The weather conditions are also ideal for fungal growth, so use a fungicide like cinnamon powder ( 1 teaspoon in 1 litre of water, sprayed on the plant) every 10- 15 days to ward off attack by fungus.
- Make sure potted plants have adequate drainage. During the monsoons plants receive more water than they require, so it is very important that excess water drains from the pot. If water is not draining properly check that the drainage holes aren’t blocked. A clay soil will also retain water, so repot such plants in a good porous soil mix.
- Algae love wet, humid conditions, so check the surface of the soil for green algae patches and remove them as soon as they appear.
- There are often very strong winds during thunderstorms, so protect your young saplings and plants from damage by staking them before the onset of the monsoon.
- Make sure there is not a big gap between the top of the soil and the top of the plant pot as water is likely to accumulate there if there is too much space. Fill any spaces with a good loamy soil.
- Occasionally move pots slightly from the normal positions they occupy in order to stop the collection of water under them. Till the soil more frequently to loosen it.
- The soil in the pots retain moisture due to the rainy conditions and reduction in sunlight. Therefore be careful not to water until necessary as this can cause the plant to decay.
- Keep a watchful eye on cacti and succulents as they can decay very quickly during heavy rains. Move them to a spot where they will not get so much water, or tilt the pots slightly so that water does not accumulate in them. It may be necessary to move them to a more sunnier spot during this time.
- Very heavy, direct rainfall can cause soil erosion, so it may be necessary to move pots to a place where they will be protected, or to provide some cover for them.
- Regularly clean any trays placed under pots and do not allow water to collect and stagnate there as it becomes a good breeding ground for mosquitoes.