In India, terrace gardening is becoming very popular. The reason behind this is that a growing number of apartments now feature confined outdoor areas. Hence, for those who don’t have space for a lawn or backyard, but who love to live amidst greenery, terrace gardening is the only solution.
However, managing a terrace garden is not easy as you think. Terrace gardening must be maintained with extreme care, especially during the monsoon season. If not, the plants may rot, weeds may grow, and flies may breed irrepressibly.
Tips to Maintain Terrace Garden during the Monsoons
Terrace garden requires profuse attention expressly during the rainy season. Always be alert, as monsoon can be as harmful as blissful for your garden terrace.
Following the tips below will help you maintain garden terracing and keeps you close to nature!
Proper Drainage System - Check the drainage system on a daily basis to ensure that the rain water is flowing properly out from your terrace without clogging anywhere. This is important, as stagnant water is where mosquitos and other flies lay their eggs. Hence, it is important to prevent the breeding of such flies by properly managing the drainage system.
Check Plants Individually - Ensure that the pots of the plants are not overfilled with rain water. This deteriorates the plant’s root, and gradually results in decay. Use perforated pots to prevent blockage of water inside the pot.
Provide Saplings with Enough Shelter - If you are planting saplings in the rainy season, provide them with enough shelter. However, covering the plant with an opaque sheet harms the plant and hampers its growth. To provide shelter from heavy rains, cover plants with a perforated plastic sheet. This allows saplings to receive a controlled amount of water and sunlight for their growth.
Act Immediately to Save the Plant – Take immediate measures when you notice any kind of discoloration in the leaves. This is common during the monsoon season. If the leaves are turning yellow, it is the first sign of decaying. Ensure the use of organic pesticides to save the plant in such cases.
Pluck the Weeds - Weeds grow at a faster rate during rainy season. Growth of these unnecessary plants harms the foliage in your terrace garden. They hamper the health of your plants by draining out all the nourishment from the soil. Always be watchful about such growth. Pull out those weeds immediately.
Apply the Right Amount of Organic Fertilizers- With the arrival of monsoon, you are required to use the right amount of fertilizer. Organic fertilizers are preferred to nourish your plants. However, make sure to pluck out dead leaves and weeds before applying the manure. You can use cow dung manure and foliar fertilizers for this purpose.
Do not Water the Plants – Unless the soil is drying up, it is advisable not to water the plants during rainy season. Plants would get enough water for their growth naturally during the monsoon. Excess watering only promotes decay.
Use Pesticides – This must be done immediately once fresh roots and new leaves sprout in the plant. This is because insects prefer to eat fresh leaves. You can also keep a bowl of kerosene in the terrace garden to kill the insects. Insects would get attracted to the smell of the kerosene easily.
The aforementioned tips are easy to follow and would not take much time and energy. Following these simple steps helps you maintain a flowering and lush garden terrace during the monsoon
