Monsoon Garden Prep - A Checklist Before the Rains Hit

Most monsoon plant losses don't come from the rain itself. They come from a garden that wasn't ready for it. A short checklist in the weeks before the rains start prevents most of the usual damage.

Check every pot's drainage first

Roots sitting in water rot faster than almost anything else can hurt them in monsoon. Make sure every pot has a working drainage hole, and lift pots slightly off the ground with small risers or bricks, so water can actually drain out from underneath and not just pool there.

Finish major pruning early

Do any hard pruning or shaping cuts at least a few weeks before monsoon, not during it. Fresh cuts sitting in constant damp air are an easy way for rot to get in, and wounds heal much slower in wet weather than in dry.

Clear weeds before they take over

Weeds grow fastest in monsoon. A bed that starts out mostly clear stays far more manageable than one that's already overgrown. One pass with a hand weeder now saves you several passes later.

Move sensitive pots under cover

Not every plant handles nonstop heavy rain well. Succulents, and anything prone to root rot, are usually better moved under a roof overhang or balcony cover for the season, instead of sitting in standing water after every downpour.

Stock up on basics now

A trowel, weeder, cultivator, and pruning scissor cover almost everything you'll need through the season. It's much easier to have a full set ready before the rain starts than to realise mid-storm that you're missing one.

Don't fertilise right before heavy rain

Fertiliser put down just before a downpour mostly washes away instead of feeding the plant. Wait for a drier stretch, or apply it right after rain once the soil has had a day to settle, so the plant actually benefits from it.

Check your plants every week through the season

Look at leaves and stems for early signs of spotting or pests once a week through monsoon. Problems that would normally take weeks to show up in dry weather can appear in just days when it's this damp - so catching them early matters more than usual.