After a few days of tropical heat, the rain comes and the garden comes alive again. But that’s when many people make one of the most common mistakes, picking up garden shears and starting to cut. For some plants, however, wet cutting can be more harmful.
After long days of tropical heat and heavy rain. Many gardeners immediately head out to the garden with scissors in hand to trim overgrown plants. At this very moment, however, they can do more harm than good. Wet stems and leaves are more susceptible to disease and some species need time to regenerate after rain. For these five plants, it is therefore worthwhile to wait a few days before pruning.
Watch a video with tips on how to care for lavender in summer here:
Lavender
Lavender does not like to be cut when its branches are soaked in water. Cuts are more difficult to heal and fungal infections also increase.
Therefore, wait until the bush is thoroughly dry and sunny weather returns before shaping.
Tomatoes
After the rain, the plants tend to be weakened and the leaves remain wet for a long time. Plucking the carpels or removing the leaves at this time can facilitate the penetration of diseases into the plant.
It is better to wait one to two days until the leaves are completely dry.
Hydrangeas
Large hydrangea flowers often droop their heads after rain, which tempts you to remove them immediately. But many will straighten again after drying.
In addition, by cutting too early, you could deprive yourself of further flowering.
Sage and other Mediterranean herbs
Sage, rosemary or thyme come from areas with lower humidity. Cutting shortly after rain can slow down their regeneration and increase the risk of rotting.
Therefore, cut the herbs only when the stems are completely dry.
Ornamental grasses
After heavy rain, the stalks tend to be heavy and bent. Nevertheless, it is not advisable to shorten them immediately.
Once dry, most grasses will straighten out again and retain their natural shape.
Why is it worth waiting a while after the rain?
Wet plants are more sensitive to mechanical damage and open cuts are an easy gateway for fungi and bacteria. That’s why experts recommend doing most summer cuts only when the leaves and stems are perfectly dry.
“After the rain, on the other hand, is a good time to remove faded rose flowers, pinch off dry inflorescences of perennials, or harvest herbs when their leaves are completely dry. However, it always applies that you cut only in dry weather and with clean, sharp scissors, so that wounds heal quickly,” gardener Jaroslava Rubešková advises readers of iReceptáre.
After the rain, you don’t need to do everything right away. Many plants will recover on their own within a day or two of sunshine, straighten their leaves and resume growth. If you wait a while before pruning, the reward will be healthier bushes, less risk of diseases and more abundant flowering and harvest.
