Gardening during the rainy days

CEBU, Philippines — When it rains, it’s a good time to plant. But when it rains continually, like during the rainy season, it might pose some problems to the plants, vegetables in particular. Thus, gardening during the rainy days really requires good planning and closer attention.

Some people may want to wait until the rainy season subsides before planting again. Others won’t let up. For instance, when the family is used to enjoying fresh, tasty vegetables from the small garden in the backyard, it’s indeed difficult when the supply stops.

Produce from the backyard garden is often much better in quality and taste than produce sold in the market. The gardener has control over the quality of the soil – he may allow no synthetic chemicals to touch his plants by going organic about his garden. Organic vegetables are safer and healthier to consume.

New home gardeners who are quite worried over the excess water during the rainy days may find helpful the following ideas shared by the website www.urbangardeningmom.com:  

Start planting the greens.

Most salad greens like lettuce and spinach, as well as Asian vegetables, will grow well under these cool wet conditions. To have an endless supply of leafy greens, it’s good to sow a few seeds every other week, or alternating between two or three types of seeds every week. As leafy greens tend to grow faster during these wet days, one may expect to harvest these vegetables in six weeks.  

With new seedlings, too much water may cause the young roots to rot. The gardener shall make sure to keep the seedling tray indoors or by the window exposed to some sunlight. These shall be moved gradually outdoors two weeks after germination.

Ensure proper drainage for potted plants.

Too much rain can sometimes be harmful for some plants. Potted tomatoes, for instance, don’t want to get their roots too soaked, which cause their leaves to curl. Potted plants shall always have sufficient holes at the bottom of pots to allow excess water to flow through properly. If the rain water tends to accumulate in the pot, then it means that the drainage needs to be improved by adding more holes at the bottom of the pot.

Replenish the soil nutrients.

The rains also tend to deplete or wash away the soil nutrients. Organic fertilizer or compost shall be added to replenish the lost nutrients in the soil. The fertilizer shall be applied at the sides of the plant’s base, where the tips of their leaves or crown extend to. The soil shall be loosened first before applying fertilizer, especially if the soil has hardened after being water soaked for an extended period of time.

Watch out for pests and plant diseases.

The wet rainy season also attracts garden pests. Slugs and other crawling creatures love the moist environment. These pests can be voracious and can destroy an entire plant overnight. The plants shall be checked every morning for any signs of slugs and other pest infestation. In addition, some plants are prone to plant disease during these consistently wet days. When a fungal infection occurs, the entire plant shall be discarded and the soil not used for the same crop group.

Move water-sensitive plants.

Some plants, like the rosemary, lavender and aloe vera, are sensitive to too much water; these plants do not like being soaked. During the season of frequent – and often heavy – rains, it’s better to move these plants indoors or under a shed, but where they can still get some amount of sunlight. Rosemary roots, like those of lavender, are very sensitive to moisture and too much of water will kill the plant.

A word of caution though: Rosemary dislikes being moved around a lot because it is very sensitive to sudden changes in lighting. So when moving the pot, it shall be made sure that it still gets more or less same amount of sunlight that it has been used to.

Get yourself a good rain gear.

Yes, gardening can still be fun during the wet season. After a rainy day, it’s so relaxing to smell and feel the morning breeze. However, the rainy season also carries with it all sorts of disease-causing bacteria and viruses.

A good raincoat is good protection, especially one that does not restrict the wearer’s movement while gardening. Some raincoats are designed with flaps which allow cool air to pass through the material. Gardening boots are also useful especially when walking through muddy puddles and slightly flooded areas.  

It also helps to take vitamin supplements to increase the body’s resistance to colds and other viral infections, after being exposed to the rains.