How to Protect Your Balcony Garden in Summer

Check out our detailed guide on How to Protect Your Balcony Garden in Summer to make sure that your plants stay safe and healthy in the sunny season!

Most gardening enthusiasts pursue their hobby by creating a mini garden in their balconies. But, the intense and scorching Indian sunny season can be tough for plants. Don’t worry! We have some important pointers on How to Protect Your Balcony Garden in Summer to keep your green friends safe and happy.

Here’s everything you need to know about starting a balcony garden in India

---

How to Protect Your Balcony Garden in Summer

1. Direction of the Balcony Matters

Depending on the direction of your balcony, choose the plants accordingly. South-facing balconies get the most sunlight and choosing sun-loving plants like marigold, hibiscus, periwinkle, sunflower, succulents, or vegetables like tomatoes, chilies, and pepper.

The north-facing balconies get the least light and the west and east-facing get the moderate light. Impatiens, ferns, caladium, and coleus would be a perfect choice.

2. Cover the Balcony with Shade Cloth

Shade cloth plays the role of guardian for balcony plants, by providing some shelter from the intense sunlight. You can go for brown cloth for minimum light, or blue cloth for vegetative growth.

But as per the expert advice, use a white shade cloth, as it reflects away heat while rendering shade. It also helps in better ventilation, and reduces the amount of light, but not the quality of light.

3. Pay More Attention to Watering

During summers, the need for watering increases significantly, as the plants lose water from the soil and leaves quickly. Make a watering schedule and make sure you are watering your plants once in 2 days.

Also, water the plants only during the morning or evening. Avoid watering them in the scorching sunlight, else you will burn the plant.

4. Mulching

Due to excessive heat and warmth, the soil loses its moisture rapidly, so to prevent this you can put a wide layer of mulch. Use organic mulch like shredded bark, leaves, straw, grass clippings, aged compost, and hay. It will keep the soil temperature a bit cooler and will also prevent water loss.

5. Keep an Eye on Pests

Be it garden plants, or balcony potted plants, pest attack is a common problem in all. You can take care of them by the application of neem oil solution or using insecticidal soap.

6. Look for the Right Container

Plastic pots and dark-colored pots are the big no for the summers, as they absorb more heat and increase the temperature inside the plant soil. Ceramic and terracotta pots. especially blazed. are good choices, as they allow breathability to the plant.

Thick and glazed concrete pots are touted to keep the plant roots cooler for a long time. Avoid using the unblazed terracotta pots as the water dries out quicker in them.

In case of extreme heat, you can save your delicate plants by lining the pot with a waterproof insulating material-like form. Alternatively, you can wrap a wet cloth around the terracotta or ceramic pots as well.

7. Save from Dry Winds

On the higher storeys, balcony plants are more susceptible to the dry winds in summers that can cause sudden wilting of plants. So, in such cases, tie the wind barriers along the railings and, arrange wire trellises for the climbing plants as the winds can break the delicate vines.

To protect plants from dry air, you can also put pots on top of a tray filled with pebbles and water for adding humidity.

8. Recognize Stressed Plants Before its Too Late

Check if the plants look droopy, wilting, or whether their foliage has turned pale yellow from green – it may be due to excess heat or water stress. Shift them immediately at any cooler or shady spot, prune back the affected parts, and water regularly.