Monsoon and Gardening

[Farhan Ahmed]

Monsoon mean respite in temperatures and the beginning of another active growing period....Following are some gardening activities for monsoon that i could think of and learned about.

Members are requested to share their experiences...

1. Monsoon is good time for cuttings and air-Layering.
a) As i experienced it is the best time to plant Nanthra cuttings.
b) Dahlia Cuttings
Members are requested to share their experience about other specific plants.

2. It is also the time for yet again planting the summer annuals such as portulaca, Celosia Marigolds....If you are expecting heavy downpours or flooding conditions in your garden, start these plants in a sheltered site for planting out late August.

3. Ensure good drainage conditions in your garden. Cloud burst phenomenon of monsoon can flood best drained gardens. Especially care for plants which do not like wet feet. If possible relocate them to a sheltered site such as bulbs which rot due to soggy conditions.

4. Ensuring water ways/ Proper slopes etc can be beneficial for quick water drainage.

5. Stake taller plants as monsoon can be violent.

6. Grass, weeds and other plants will show an abrupt growth in monsoon and post monsoon( Lower temperatures & water availability)...requiring jobs such as mowing, weeding and pruning.

7. Monsoon means end of spider mite season.....however post monsoon do ensure good humid conditions to avoid re-emergence.

8. Monsoon would mean end of Zinnias due to mildew

9. Monsoon is good time for planting trees.

10. Avoid chemical fertilizers in active monsoon as it will be leached away.

11. Watch out for pest/mosquito re-emergence.

12. Watch out for fungus, make available fungicide. Ensure good air passage to reduce chance of fungi buildup.

13. Replace your delicate plants at a sheltered site.

14. Trim your trees and plants before the rain starts

15. Special care is required for roses to pass through monsoon. Regular fungicide sprays would be required.

16. Lift Dahlia Tubers from ground/Pot Them

[farah fayyaz]

Very comprehensive note on monsoon.JazakAllah.

[Hamad Ahmed Kisana]

v good farhan bhai itni garmi main main aap ne humen monsoon ke yaad dila de.good effort for the planning of moonsoon ...

[Muhammad Arif Khan]

Nothing much to add.

17. It is the best time for tip cuttings,I have not tried hard wood cutting, will it also work? How about roses?

18. LEAVE ALL TRANS PLANTING TO THIS PERIOD.

19. Much more frequent Mowing of grass is a must.

Karachi wallas must go on long drives to see how the barren country side is magically transformed, provided it rains.

[Farhan Ahmed]

In my little experience its not a good time for Rose cutting......for mainly two reasons.

It is not an active/budding period for roses.
Plants were already struggling with issues like fungus/heat/pest, and will further have to face heavy fungus attacks in monsoon. Therefore neither the parent would be healthy nor the baby(cutting) have easy conditions to sail through.

[Mustansir Billah]

The past year due to little knowledge I pruned the rose bush in summer and I had severe results The plant died.

[Mustansir Billah]

Few days ago I saw white cotton like thing on the edge of the portulaca where there flowers and I cut them away. Now Portulaca is not producing flowers but rapidly flourishing. What could be the reason?

[Tahir Khan]

Few days ago I saw white cotton like thing on the edge of the portulaca where there flowers and I cut them away. Now Portulaca is not producing flowers but rapidly flourishing. What could be the reason?

That is most probably a developing seed pod, don't worry when you dead head a plant it responds with side shoots, these will also produce blooms.. just wait

[Farhan Ahmed]

Pakistan Met forecast for Monsoon 2013