Most House Plants need to be repotted this time of the year. Make sure you have a pile of fertile soil mix which is lying covered with a tarpolin, or else very little repotting will be done once the rain stops, because then the soil will be wet. If the maali requests you to buy some pots. Please don’t do that immediately. Almost every house I have visited, the maali will have his secret hiding place for upturned pots. Under the tank, behind the wall, under the bushes, behind the trees, under the guard house… please have all these areas cleaned out to rediscover some old treasures, a shallow tray to make a tray garden, a ceramic pot bought years ago, on a trip abroad, pots etc. Then start to put similar plants of one type in similar size and type of pots. So all the ferns will go in 8’’ pots which are of a particular type, the 2 ficus trees can be put in 2 large pots that you may have, Some weak plants can be combined to make available precious space and some empty pots. It’s a slow and laborious process, which can only be done by your close supervision. It is a rewarding exercise, which barely costs any money, takes lots of effort, and uses the resources that you already have at your disposal. Plants can be displayed in a in a systematic manner. Also best to not increase the size of the pot beyond a certain limit. Maalis like to go from 8’’ to 10’’ to 12’’ but this time of the year one can trim the roots and put the plant back into the same size or even a smaller size if need be. Plumeria, Murraya, Raat ki Rani, Hibiscus, Oleander, Plumbago, Verbina, Chameli and almost all creepers like Clematis, Madhumalti, Allamanda, Cleodendron, Tichoma and Bougainvilleas will be flowering create a rich landscape of colour and aroma. To encourage more blooms, pruning is a crucial activity for flowering plants. The best time to prune is after the flowering stage but before the budding starts again. This is the time to propogate plants by taking cuttings, by root division or by layering. Use this month as an opportunity to plant bare-root trees and shrubs. Look out for diseases such as leaf spot, powdery mildew, and rust.

Move indoor plants away from the draft of air conditioners, coolers and fans. When its raining, put all your indoor plants out so they can get washed by the rain. Its extremely good for them. If you need to show light to the plants then put them out after sundown, leave them out the entire night and let them get the gentle morning sunshine. And be sure to bring the plants in before the burning heat of the mid-day sun. This is also a good time of the year to add to your indoor plant collection since the nurseries are well stocked with them this time of the year. The plants will need a little more watering than they did in the summer but please stick to the GOLDEN RULE OF WATERING PLANTS. Touch the soil with your finger. If it feels dry then drench the soil so water comes out of the drainage hole at the bottom. Best to water with a sprinkler, so the plants feel its raining on them. If you are in doubt as to whether the soil is wet or dry, then wait another day before you are completely sure and only then water. Spray the plants everyday. Wipe the leaves gently with a soft cotton cloth or sponge, while supporting the leaves with the palm of your hand. One can create and INDOOR GARDEN JUNGLE. Keep the humidity up round the plant and make sure plants are kept away from the draft of ACs, Air Purifiers, Coolers or fans.

Roses: Regular watering, deweeding and hoeing is important.

Chrysanthemums: Rooted cuttings can be transplanted into 9’’ pots in the first week of august. The tagging becomes extremely important as one would be planting 3 cuttings in one 9’’ pot and they all need to be the same variety. Keep in the sade for a couple of days, then in semi shade for 3 to 4 days and then in full sun. Add liquid feed to the chrysanthemums, once in 15 days. Protect from pests by spraying Nuan, once a week till the flowers come.

There is still time to plant Caladium and Cana. Look out for Alocasia and Elephant ears growing at friends and neighbours and beg, borrow or steal a small root or two. Caladium Easter lilies too are hardy and the leaves look fresh all the way upto winter. For a garden, one can mix-and-match of spider lilies and zephyr lilies (also called rain lilies for their spectacular show of flowers during the rains), ginger lilies, elephant’s ears, bird of paradise and canna. For a potted version, plants that lend well to a container can be handpicked, such as begonias, blood lily also called football lily, and tuberose.. Whether growing in a ground garden or pots, abundance works from the aesthetic point of view. It is ideal to grow a few or more bulbs together; it puts on a much more pleasing spectacle than lone warriors growing out of the soil. Less marks and injuries, big size and more weight is the key. An injured bulb has more chances of rotting in the soil, while a big size indicates a mature bulb and ensures more flowers.

Okra, Bittergourd, Tinda, Sponge Gourd, Tinda, Cucumber, Tomato French Beans and Sem seedlings can be sown

Saplings for summer flowers can be planted. Since I am a big fan of flowers that grow easily and last the longest, please grow Zinnia, Sada Bahar and portulaca. Sunflowers of all kind can be grown from seed, the Giant Sunflower and Teddy Sunflowers grow very well in sunny areas. The sunflowers face the sun at all times throughout the day, facing east when the day starts and facing west by the end of the day. Also the birds will come and eat the sunflower seeds so it’s a great plant to grow to attract bird and butterflies to your garden. Other flowers that can be grown are Cosmos, Zinnias, Marigolds

The only herbs that do well in the Delhi summer are varieties of Lemon grass, Basil, Tulsi ( which is also called Holy Basil) Chives and Rosemary. Its best to grow Tulsi and Basil in big open mouth pots. So the seeds fall in the soil and sprout in the monsoon. You will never be short of any.

A great time to take care of any bald patches or to plant new grass. If you have bald patches, loosen the soil, and take some grass roots out of the overgrown edges of the lawn. Plant it with a 2’ gap and watch the bald patch fill out in no time. Feed it with neemkhali and bonemeal and/or finely crushed Okhla khaad or Sieved patti khaad. Water and mow regularly. A note of caution: do not leave an open pipe on the lawn. Always sprinkle. An open pipe will nourish the deep rooted dreaded Motha and other weeds and will also make the grass grow needlessly long.

Please move your succulents under cover, where they can stay dry. While it’s a happy time for most plants, the succulents and Cacti are the most vulnerable in this season.