The monsoon is when most balcony gardens grow fastest, and also when many of them quietly rot. The southwest monsoon soaks Mumbai, Goa and Kerala hardest from June to September, reaches Kolkata by mid-June and Delhi by around the end of June, and Tamil Nadu, including Chennai, gets most of its rain from the northeast monsoon in October-December, while Bangalore gets two rainy spells. Wherever you are, the rules for potted plants are the same.
1. Drainage first
Every pot needs a drainage hole, and the hole must not sit in water. Raise pots on bricks, pot feet or a plastic stand so water runs away. Empty saucers after rain; a saucer of standing water for a week is enough to rot roots and breed mosquitoes. If a pot has no hole, move the plant into one that does before the rains, or keep it fully under cover.
2. Water by touch, not by habit
Push a finger an inch into the soil. If it's damp, don't water, even if it's been a week. On a humid, cloudy day soil dries far slower than in summer. Open-air pots may need no watering at all for weeks in Mumbai's July, while plants indoors, in window grills under a chajja, or in an enclosed balcony still need water, just less often.
3. Know the signs of too much water
- Lower leaves turning yellow and soft (not crisp and brown, which is thirst).
- Wilting even though the soil is wet: the roots have stopped working.
- A sour or rotten smell from the soil, or white fuzzy mould on top.
- Small black flies around the pots (fungus gnats), which breed in soil that stays wet.
If you see these, stop watering, move the pot under cover, and let the top few inches dry out. For a badly affected plant, take it out of the pot, cut off black, mushy roots, and repot in fresh, well-draining mix (see our potting mix guide).
4. Fungus and pests
Warm, wet weather suits fungal leaf spots and powdery mildew. Give plants space so air moves between them, water the soil rather than the leaves, and remove spotted leaves early. Mealybugs and snails also do well in the rains; check under leaves and around pot rims once a week.
5. Wind and heavy rain
On high floors and open terraces, monsoon storms knock over tall pots and shred large leaves. Keep tall plants low and wedged in a corner, tie climbers to their supports before the season, and move delicate plants inside before a heavy-rain warning.
Travelling in the monsoon
Don't leave self-watering spikes or drip kits running on open-air pots: they keep adding water to soil that the rain is already soaking. Water indoor plants before you go, move open pots somewhere sheltered but bright, and empty every saucer. For trips longer than a week, someone should check in to water covered plants, empty saucers and catch rot early. Our travel planning guide has visit counts by season.
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