pruning of plants in monsoon season Archives

Monsoon Gardening: 16 Tips for Healthy Plants

The monsoon season brings much-needed relief to plants after the intense summer heat, but it also presents unique challenges. Prolonged wet conditions can last for 2 to 2.5 months, increasing the risk of root rot, especially in indoor plants.

Garden plants with many flowers are also prone to damage, and pests thrive during this period. It is crucial to take special precautions and understand which plants, vegetables, cuttings, or fruits are best suited for this time. This guide will cover all aspects of monsoon gardening, starting with the necessary precautions.

16 Tips for Monsoon Gardening

1. Remove all damaged and spoiled plants

After a harsh summer, many plants may wither or become damaged. While it is normal for seasonal plants to decline, even hardy plants can succumb to extreme temperatures.

After the rains begin, give your plants a week to recover. If they don’t bounce back, it’s time to remove them from your garden. Collect any empty pots to assess how many new plants you can add.

2. Pruning of plants

Pruning is essential to make plants denser and healthier.

As the monsoon season starts, remove yellow leaves and dead stems of indoor, outdoor, winter, or summer plants.

Avoid hard pruning during this time; focus on light pinching instead. This helps control stem elongation and ensures plants stay bushy, with healthy leaves and flowers.

3. Soil care during monsoon season

During summer, mulching with cocopeat is common, but loosening the soil is difficult. Now is the time to care for your soil.

Remove unwanted weeds, loosen the soil to improve its texture, and add necessary fertilizers.
Pruning the grass reduces the chances of fungal attacks and prevents the formation of green algae on the soil’s surface.
Loosen the soil weekly to promote healthy plant growth.

4. Maintaining garden cleanliness

The monsoon season demands extra attention to garden cleanliness:

1. Keep all dry items, like leaves, fertilizer packets, and soil bags, covered to prevent them from getting wet and attracting insects.

2. Prevent water stagnation around your garden area, which can attract mosquitoes and cause drainage issues. Regularly check and clear any debris that may clog the drainage system.

3. Dispose of any garbage promptly to avoid creating a problematic situation.

5. Selecting seeds for monsoon gardening

Choosing the right seeds is crucial during the monsoon:

1. Vegetables: Pumpkin, bottle gourd, bitter gourd, ridge gourd, lady finger, tomatoes, eggplants, chilli, coriander, and mint are ideal for planting.

2. Flowers: Petunia, hybrid vinca, and sunflowers can be planted now, regardless of their typical season. Most flowers thrive during the rainy season.

3. Avoid: Winter vegetables and capsicum during this season.

6. Protect delicate plants

Some plants do not thrive in excessive water and need protection from direct rain. Here’s how to manage them:

1. Succulents and Hardy Plants: Keep them away from direct rain.

Examples include Echeveria, Crassula ovata, Aloe vera, Coleus, Hybrid vinca, Kalanchoe pinnata, and Dumb cane, etc.

2. Limited Rain Exposure: Croton, Rose, Chrysanthemum, Aglaonema, Areca palm, and Adenium can handle rain occasionally but should be moved to the shade afterward.

3. Outdoor Plants Tolerant of Rain: Tulsi, Curry leaf plant, Hibiscus, Gandhraj (Cape jasmine), Madhukamini (Orange Jasmine), and Madhumalti (Rangoon creeper) can generally withstand rain and thrive with proper care.

7. Rainwater Harvesting

plants in rain pot 2 — Pic credit: Pinterest

Rainwater is excellent for plants, so collect it in containers.

Use this water for plants that typically don’t like direct rain exposure.
Indoor plants that are not kept directly in the rain can also benefit from this natural water.

Check here:

9 Reasons Why Rainwater is best for plants

8. Indoor plant care

Indoor plants can struggle during the monsoon due to lack of light, high humidity, and poor air circulation. To keep them healthy:

1. Avoid overwatering: Check the soil by tilling it and only water if the soil is dry halfway down the pot. Wait a day after tilling before watering.

2. Ensure adequate light and ventilation: Use grow lights to compensate for the lack of natural sunlight.

3. Prevent pests and fungal attacks: Use an organic plant protector that acts as a fungicide, insecticide, and disease preventive.

Mix 1 ml of the plant protector with 1 litre of water and apply it every 20 days.

You can buy Plant Protector (Organic insecticide) from here:

✅ Plant Protector on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3TV9xti

9. Pesticides for Outdoor Plants

Monsoon season is prime time for pests. Protect your plants with neem oil spray, or if needed, switch to a plant protector:

Plant Protector: Mix 2 ml with 1 litre of water and apply every 3 days.
This organic solution prevents and treats various pest infestations, including snails, aphids, spider mites, and mealybugs, without any harmful side effects.

10. Plant propagation

Monsoon is ideal for propagating plants from cuttings:

1. Soft Cuttings: Plants like Money plant, Portulaca, Mint, Syngonium, Monstera, and ZZ plant can be propagated in water.

Ensure the container is clean, change the water regularly, and avoid direct sunlight.

2. Hard Cuttings: Rose, Bougainvillea, Hibiscus, Mogra, and Aprajita plant cuttings can be propagated in moist sand.

Keep them in a shaded area, maintain moisture, and avoid disturbing them.

Must read:

How to grow plants from cuttings

11. Repotting and Root Pruning

Monsoon is a good time for repotting and root pruning. However, avoid hard pruning during this season.

Check here: How to repot a plant

Must read: How to do root pruning of plants

12. Chrysanthemum plant Care

If you have Chrysanthemums, winter-flowering plants, need special care during the monsoon.

Prepare them for blooming in October by pruning, checking soil conditioning, propagating from cuttings, and repotting as needed.

Check here:

How to care Chrysanthemum plant

13. Shopping for Plants

Visiting a nursery during the monsoon is a treat.

You will find a wide variety of plants, but be sure to select only healthy ones. This is the perfect time to shop for new additions to your garden.

14. Use of Organic Fertilizers

While fertilizers are generally not recommended during the monsoon due to natural growth conditions, they can be used if plants are under stress:

1. Healthy but not flowering: Use banana peel fertilizer.

2. Small and not growing: Use mustard cake or groundnut cake fertilizer.

3. Regular pest attacks: Use neem cake powder fertilizer.

For general growth, follow these guidelines:

1. End of July: Apply onion peel fertilizer.

2. End of August: Apply seaweed liquid fertilizer.

3. Alternative: Use Prime Plus, an organic fertilizer combination of a protector and fertilizer.

You can buy Prime Plus (Organic fertilizer) from here:

✅ Prime Plus on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4cOnKAO

✅ Plant Protector on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3TV9xti

15. Waterproofing

Gardening can cause roof cracks, leading to leaks during the rainy season.

Use “Tapcrete” mixed with cement to fill and seal any cracks, preventing water seepage and protecting your home.

16. Care of fertilizers and tools during monsoon

1. Prevent rust: Clean tools with a rag and paint them once a year to avoid rust.

Use WD-40 on pruners if they become tight.

2. Store fertilizers properly: Keep them covered and dry to prevent fungal growth.

By following these tips, you can keep your garden healthy and thriving during the monsoon season.

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Happy Gardening!

Pruning of Plants During the Monsoon Season

Monsoon season brings a burst of growth and rejuvenation to plants due to the increased moisture and favorable weather conditions. However, this period also necessitates careful maintenance to ensure plants remain healthy and vigorous.

Pruning involves the selective removal of certain parts of the plant to promote better growth, prevent diseases, and enhance overall aesthetics.

Before embarking on pruning, a thorough inspection of the plant is crucial to determine which parts need attention and where cuts should be made. Careful consideration must be given to avoid causing harm to the plant.

10 Easy Winter Flowering Plants to Grow Before Winter

10 Best Flowering Plants to Grow at Home

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10 Flowers That Bloom in Summer Season

10 Reasons – Why You Must Keep Pothos (Money Plant) At Home

10 Reasons Why You Should Have Tulsi (Holy Basil) Plant At Home

10 Shade Loving Plants You Must Grow at Home

10 Small Plants to Grow At Home

Methods of Pruning in Plants During the Monsoon Season

1. Pruning of Leaves

pruning of leaves of money plant dead leaves

i. When Leaves Start Turning Yellow or Brown:

Essential Timing:

It is crucial to prune leaves promptly when they start turning yellow or brown to maintain the plant’s overall health.

Prevention of Disease Spread:

Removing diseased or dying leaves prevents the spread of infection and redirects the plant’s resources towards healthier growth.

ii. In Case of Infection:

Immediate Action:

If any leaves show signs of infection, such as discoloration, spots, or mold, immediate pruning is necessary.

Promoting Recovery:

This prevents the spread of disease to other parts of the plant and promotes faster recovery.

iii. Removing Bottom Leaves:

Moisture Management:

Pruning the bottom leaves of the plant is beneficial as these leaves often retain moisture, creating a favorable environment for pests and fungal diseases.

Efficient Energy Allocation:

Lower leaves receive less sunlight and contribute less to the photosynthesis process.
By removing them, the plant can allocate its energy more efficiently to the upper, healthier leaves.

2. Pruning of Branches and Stems

Encouraging Healthy Growth:

Hard pruning of rose plant — Pruning of stems of Rose plant

It is advisable to prune dead stems and branches during monsoon season.
Pruning at this stage encourages the plant to develop a healthier and denser growth pattern.

Precise Cuts:

Pruning can be done by pinching off excess growth, but it’s crucial to make precise cuts just above the node—the point where leaves or branches connect to the stem.
This strategic pruning promotes new growth at the desired location, contributing to a more balanced and attractive plant shape.

Also, read: What is Hard Pruning of Plants

3. Pruning of Flowers

Removing Spent Flowers:

(i) Redirecting Energy:

Once flowers have bloomed and started to fade, it’s essential to remove them promptly. By removing spent flowers, the plant can redirect its energy towards producing new blooms or other growth.

(ii) Continuous Blooming:

For example, in the case of jasmine plants, removing the entire branch on which flowers have bloomed stimulates the plant to produce flowers on other branches, promoting continuous blooming.

Completion of Life Cycle:

Tulsi ji pruning — Pruning of Tulsi flowers and seeds

Tulsi Plant Management:

In the case of the Tulsi plant (Holy Basil), when flowers have matured and developed into seeds, it indicates the completion of the plant’s life cycle.

To maintain the health and bushiness of the Tulsi plant, it is advisable to remove the flowers once they have matured into seeds.

This encourages the plant to channel its energy towards producing new foliage and promotes a more robust growth habit.

Sanitization of Tools

Before pruning, it is essential to sanitize all pruning tools, such as scissors or pruners, using disinfectants like Dettol or soap.

This precaution helps prevent the transfer of infections from one plant to another, safeguarding the overall health of your garden.

Plants That Can Be Pruned During the Monsoon Season

Curry leaf yellow pruning — Pruning of yellow leaves of Curry leaf plant

Here are some plants that can benefit from pruning during this time:

You can do pruning of all outdoor plants such as: Hibiscus, Bougainvillea, Rose, Tulsi (Holy basil), Curry leaf, Jasmine, Night blooming Jasmine, etc.

You can do pruning of some ornamental plants such as:

Money plant, Jade plant, Monstera, Vinca, Areca palm. etc.

Conclusion

Pruning during the monsoon season is a vital practice to ensure that plants remain healthy, vibrant, and aesthetically pleasing.

By removing diseased or unnecessary parts, redirecting the plant’s energy towards healthier growth, and promoting a balanced structure, gardeners can help their plants thrive.