Gardening in the rainy season

[maddie]

Where I live after the summer it rains and rains non-stop for weeks. Since I have a container garden, I do not water the plants much until the soil is dry to touch. I still have plants rotting due to the lack of heat and light. I use LED grow lights to help them after I shift them in to a drier place. Do you have any tips to prevent the rot or dying of plants during this season. I think we are already there.. More dark cloudy days ahead for us.

 

[ChanellG]

My mom had that issue with her squash. They were over watered and the fruits would never get more than a few inches before they would rot. The main stalk of the plant never really looked healthy to me either. (Almost all the other plants have the opposite problem like the thirsty tomatoes...)

My suggestion to you would be to try and adjusting your soil. The plants I potted most recently have mixed soils - my aunt bought this peat moss/bark mix that she complained was too dry (well, yeah it's mossy mix...) I have been mixing it with this other stuff she had as well as some moisture control stuff I got from my mom. Supposedly you can never over or under water with it.

 

[maddie]

Chanell, The problem here is when it is hot and dry it is bone dry.. when it is wet it is wet and damp as damp can be. I have the soil adjusted to mostly well drained and yet when there is very little sunlight I face this problem. Today it has not rained but the water has not evaporated even a little since it has been cloudy all day. I need to figure out a way to deal with this issue. Thanks for the suggestion. I appreciate that.

 

[ChanellG]

Hmmm...

Maddie, I think your best bet will be to go with soils that dry out quickly and then use mulch and drip pans for your containers during the dry periods. You'll have to water more often when it's hot and dry, but you could try saving rainwater for those periods.

Another option might be to use tarps or clear plastic to cover your plants a few days during the rainy season. I huddle mine together in winter and cover them to protect them from cold snaps when temperatures are expected to get below freezing. If you cover them when it's hot, just be sure to do it in a way that they can get some air so they don't cook under the plastic.

 

[maddie]

Hmmm...


Another option might be to use tarps or clear plastic to cover your plants a few days during the rainy season. I huddle mine together in winter and cover them to protect them from cold snaps when temperatures are expected to get below freezing. If you cover them when it's hot, just be sure to do it in a way that they can get some air so they don't cook under the plastic.

This is what I have resorted to. Covered the plants with a plastic sheet that I have hung from a couple of hoops in the awning. The problem is more of the lack of light and heat. The solar panels hardly work now and I have had to add a couple of tube lights to prevent further damage.
Darn, you really need to get innovative to work around these problems.

 

[ChanellG]

Darn, you really need to get innovative to work around these problems.

So true! Just as soon as you sort one thing out there's another challenge to deal with; the other day I used the spray nozzle on the hose to "wash" the bugs off my grandfather's okra plants, but each day I have to keep checking for aphids on my milkweed. The cutworms have found the basil... let's not forget the snails (ugh!)

Today the hanger that holds my parsley and thyme hanging baskets fell over in the rainstorm. I came home and found the thyme turned upside down on the ground. There's always something.

 

[maddie]

So true! Just as soon as you sort one thing out there's another challenge to deal with; the other day I used the spray nozzle on the hose to "wash" the bugs off my grandfather's okra plants, but each day I have to keep checking for aphids on my milkweed. The cutworms have found the basil... let's not forget the snails (ugh!)

Today the hanger that holds my parsley and thyme hanging baskets fell over in the rainstorm. I came come and found the thyme turned upside down on the ground. There's always something.

OH my! I hope your problems stop there. At least the soap spray stops the bugs and the pests for me. Today, the sun is out and its is warmer. I just took off the plastic shield I had put for my plants .. I hope my plants are happy and get recharged. Most of my plants look okay a few look really indeed of some emergency measures. :/

 

[Tracey Hash]

I live in Indiana and we too have had a record rains over the last couple years. Last year was the worse for us. We lost our entire garden to rains. We had about 2 foot of water standing over our garden by the time it was all said and done. We were devastated since we use our garden for growing our winter's supply of food. This year we have been tossing around the idea of raising the garden up using pallets. Or just building a raised garden in general. I have seen some people say that it may dry out too quick using a raised garden. I am sure this will not be the case seeming as how I would manual water it if we have no rains. Has anyone had any luck doing this? I just do not want to lose another good plant season to the rains!

 

[Corzhens]

Gardening in the rainy season is tricky particularly when you plant some seeds. During rainy season, we just pull out the weeds while they're small because they grow too fast when there is rain. With the plants, we normally do not sow seeds, we just let the existing plants grow and additions will be done after the rainy season. One problem in our garden is too much rain inundates it that sometimes ruins the crops.

 

[remnant]

Gardening in the rainy season is an exciting but messy affair. By this time, I usually have removed the weeds and added manure into the soil. These tasks are tough when it rains. The manure becomes sodden and heavy while uprooted weeds keep regenerating. The main activity is broadcasting fertilizers to improve crop performance. I live in the tropics where it can be dry sometimes so I am glad that the irrigation aspect has been catered for.

 

[Rosyrain]

The problem where I live is that we have a long rainy season that lasts from late fall until early spring. The ground gets waterlogged and this can actually cause plants to rot. Our summers can get dry, but rarely enough to cause any sort of a drought.