Seasonal Maintenance Guide
Pre-Monsoon / Spring (February-May)
- Prune lavender back by one-third by 28 February before summer heat accelerates growth — avoid cutting into old wood
- Move all lavender and rosemary containers to covered position before first monsoon rain (typically 15 June in most zones)
- Apply gravel mulch (5-8 cm, 10-20 mm particle size) to all Mediterranean beds before April — reduces evaporation by 60%
- Increase drip irrigation frequency to daily on sandy-soil Mediterranean beds when temperatures exceed 38°C
- Inspect and clear all drainage channels and soakaway beds before 1 June — blocked drainage is fatal to Mediterranean plants in monsoon
- Harvest rosemary and thyme heavily before monsoon — plants need to be cut back to reduce fungal surface area
Monsoon (June-September)
- Move all lavender, rosemary, and thyme containers under a covered roof immediately at monsoon onset — 3 days of standing water kills them
- Inspect drainage channels after every rainfall event exceeding 25 mm — clear sediment within 48 hours to prevent soil waterlogging
- Apply copper oxychloride fungicide to Bougainvillea and Plumbago every 14 days in high-humidity zones
- Reduce irrigation to zero for Agave, Adenium, and Olive from June-September — monsoon rainfall is sufficient
- Check gravel mulch areas for monsoon soil deposition — sediment fills voids and causes waterlogging if left
- Rajasthan and Kutch: lighter monsoon (June-August) allows Mediterranean plants to remain in ground with drainage monitoring only
Post-Monsoon (October-November)
- Return container lavender and rosemary to outdoor positions once last rain has passed — typically mid-October in Deccan, early November in Kerala
- Plant new Mediterranean specimens — October-November is the optimal Indian planting window for drought-tolerant species
- Harvest pomegranates when skin colour deepens and fruit sounds hollow when tapped — typically October-November
- Refresh gravel mulch areas after monsoon deposition — top up to restore 5 cm depth
- Prune Bougainvillea to tidy form — triggers the dry-season flowering flush that lasts through April
- Divide and repot container aromatics that have become root-bound over the growing season
Winter (December-February)
- Peak garden season for Mediterranean plants in India — enjoy the garden in its best condition
- Prune lavender to shape after peak November-December flowering; do not cut below green growth
- Hill stations and north India: protect frost-sensitive plants (Adenium, Bougainvillea) with horticultural fleece when night temperatures drop below 5°C
- Harvest olives (if established in Rajasthan garden) when berries turn from green to yellow-green
- Deep water olive and pomegranate trees twice monthly in December-January if rainfall is below 10 mm/week
- Plan and source new plants for October planting — design improvements are best executed in January when the garden is most visible
