Growing Flowers in Summers

Maintaining a garden in summers can be quite a job, but it is one of the most satisfying hobbies. There cannot be a better break to hectic lives than connecting with nature. One often runs into the problem of drying flowerpots in summers. However, it is quite manageable, and one only needs to keep a few things in mind. Read on for some verified and scientific ideas for maintaining the precious garden flowers in the summer.

1. Choosing the Flowers:

The first thing to do in a garden is to know what plants there are. The typical summer flowers suitable for Indian climate are-

·       Bougainvillea 

·       Peonies

·       Daffodils

·       Lily

·       Dahlia

·       Tulips

·       Pansy

·       Hibiscus

·       Rose

·       Zinnia

·       Petunia

·       Sunflower

·       Marigold

·       Add Lotus to the list if you can spare some land to use as a tiny water harvesting system. A lotus plant floating on muddy water is usually the main attraction of open spaces.

Plants that bloom in winters or spring will most likely not bloom again in summer. Also, if those plants happen to be annual, it is better to prune them out and buy new stock in the next season.

2. Preparing the soil base:

The composition of soil used becomes important in summers when evaporation rates are higher. Make sure that the soil mixture contains appropriate amounts of wet earth and sand. Add a bit of clayey soil to the equation in summers to increase its water retention capacity.

While you may find both solid and liquid manure for flowering plants, it is just as easy to cook it at home! Collect vegetable and fruit peels for a couple of days, shred them and add in the soil mixture. One can do the same using dried cow dung, powdered bones, or leftover food too!

Always ensure that the pot has an outlet for water. Water-logging kills.

3. Determining the Perfect Spot for Flowering Pots:

It is advisable to pull a net over flower pots kept in the sun, like a tent. One should prefer spots where the sunlight falls for only a few hours. Never put plants close to a vent. If there are trees present, keep the pots under the shade, your flowers will love it. Keep indoor plants a little away from the window.

4. Watering the Plants:

It is always better to use a narrow-mouthed container or a mug or water plants, compared to a sprinkler. Peak summer carries high humidity with itself. Wetting leaves in such weather may promote the growth of fungus on plants. Narrow-mouthed containers provide added advantage of delivering water right into the roots.

The perfect time to water plants in summer is before 10 AM and after 4 PM. This practice means you can easily do the job every day right after waking up. What a beautiful way to start your day!

Pots with less soil coverage, like those hanging on the terrace might need the irrigation twice a day. At the same time, xerophytes like Cacti don't require watering. Adding a tiny amount of water once a week will do.

5. Pruning:

Pruning is an essential aspect of maintaining flower pots. Instead of spraying chemical pesticides, check for signs of blight (rapid discoloration, browning, wrinkling) and fungus (whitish growth) on leaves and stem and prune them away.

Once flowers mature, they begin to lose their petals and wrinkle. When that happens, look for seed buds inside the flower and prune them off. Absence of seeds will trick the plant into flowering again. Do not prune the entire flowering stem away.

Weeds somehow always find their way to our precious flowering pots. One must check for them weekly. An effective way of managing nutrition is by shredding the leaves of the weeds and the pruned parts of the plant and mixing them back into the soil. Remember not to add other parts of the grasses or the diseased parts of the plant.

Most of the gardening habits do not involve remembering. The more you connect with a plant, the better you'll understand its requirements on your own.

Planting a lot of flowers in and around the house can also be a solution for excess warming in cities. If the space crunch makes it difficult to maintain a lawn or a terrace garden, one can implement a kitchen garden near the kitchen window using herbs. Roof Gardens can provide a substitute for artificial cooling. It is, in fact, an old concept for Singapore. They have moved on to gardens on public transport now! Check out the idea of wall gardens too. Choose the best fit for your home.