Some people would say, "bed-weather days are here, time to cuddle up!" While garden tribes would echo, "rainy days are here! It's time to plant!" Great is this season for planting, but this can also pose some problems to vegetable plants. Keep the vibe, we can be proactive and check on the things that we should pay attention to when gardening during the rainy season.
1. Consider planting your greens
Salad greens like spinach and lettuce love the wet condition brought by the rainy days. It's the perfect time to grow them during these days so you could enjoy your fresh salads after about six to eight weeks. Just remember to keep the seed tray away from direct rain, and gradually introduce the growing seedling to outdoor conditions about two weeks after germination. This will prevent the rotting of roots and drowning your seedlings before they can thrive.
2. Relocate the water-sensitive plants
While the greens love moist soil, herbs like rosemary and lavender do not like to get their roots to be wet most of the time. It's best to move them to an area where direct rain is not expected all the time but sunlight can still pass through. Be careful with the rosemary though, as it's a little more sensitive when lighting conditions are changed suddenly. Make sure the area for its relocation receives quite the same amount of sunlight as the original place.
3. Use well-draining soil for potted plants
Water will accumulate in your pots when it rains, and it's a defining moment whether your soil is well-draining or not. To achieve the best consistency of soil for potted plants on rainy days, it's best to amend it with perlite, these are volcanic rocks that have small packets. It improves the aeration of the soil thereby letting your plant breathe and the water drain.
4. Check your draining holes
Remember that no matter how well draining your soil is, if the holes are blocked in any way, water will still drown your potted plants. To solve this problem, add more holes to your pots, or you may add a layer of rocks and chopped wood at the bottom of your pot to protect the drain holes. In that way, you won't be worried every time that the rain will pour.
5. Feed the soil
As the rain continues, it also washes away the nutrients that your soil possesses. Liquid fertilizers are a quick and easy remedy. But if you're more of an organic-inclined gardener, you may opt to mulch a layer of organic compost to your existing soil. Another way to replenish the soil nutrients is to repot the plant with the more nutritious soil. This ensures that the soil is fed, therefore, the plants will be fed as well.
6. Watch out for pests
Consider making it a habit every morning to check for any sign of infestations as wet conditions attract slugs. They are always hungry for your leaves and they could destroy a great portion of your garden overnight! Some plants must also be checked for fungal diseases. When this happens, it's advisable to discard the plant and the soil, then replace them.
While the rainy season continues, it's important to plan your gardening routines. It's also nice to be equipped by developing new skills and knowledge; so you could minimize the problems that may arise, and maximize the benefits of rainy day gardening.
Rainy Day Gardening
Posted by Jewel Sebastian on
- Tags: rain, rainy day gardening, rainy days