5 Monsoon Mistakes Killing Your Plants

Monsoon rain can make a garden look effortless while roots quietly lose oxygen. The season’s biggest care mistake is continuing a summer routine after evaporation slows.

1. Watering without checking

Rain outside does not tell you whether a sheltered balcony pot is wet, but humidity often keeps it damp for longer. Feel the mix and lift smaller pots before watering. Empty saucers after rain.

2. Ignoring drainage holes

Roots need oxygen. Clear compacted holes, raise flat-bottom pots slightly and redirect roof runoff that repeatedly floods one container. Decorative outer pots must not become hidden reservoirs.

3. Treating every spot the same

Fungal leaf spots often expand in humid, splashy conditions, but not every mark is fungal. Remove badly affected fallen leaves, improve spacing and avoid wetting foliage late in the day. Do not spray a chemical simply because a leaf has a spot.

4. Fertilising a stressed, wet plant

Do not feed a waterlogged plant or apply fertiliser before heavy rain. Roots under stress cannot use the dose well, and nutrients may wash away. Restore drainage and active growth first.

5. Letting growth become a thicket

Dense foliage reduces airflow and hides pests. Prune only what is dead, diseased or excessively congested; avoid a harsh reshaping in wet weather. Support top-heavy stems before wind arrives.