Monsoon rains are expected to break out pan-India around 15th June and a bit before that in the costal regions. The period before that may see pre-monsoon showers. The IMD has also said the development of a weak and short-lived El Niño was likely to interfere with the rain pattern. The turning of another phenomenon, called Indian Ocean Dipole from neutral to positive may well compensate for the loss though. Temperatures are expected to drop by 10°c on average. This will be a boon for Haworthias and Gasterias which have been agonizing in the heat wave and loo winds, which are notorious for being strong, dusty, gusty, hot and dry summer winds. It blows from the west over the western Indo-Gangetic Plain region of North India in the months of May and June. The showers will be welcome by all our outdoor plants.
Due to their extreme nature, in general the Summers have been less conducive to the growth of most of our plants. For the past 4-5 years the weather trend has seen the summer climate get harsher every year. The weather for the past two months has similarly not been kind. Temperatures have averaged 40°c/104°f, and for a good chunk of this month, they were above 43°c/110°f. In other parts of India mercury breached the 45°c/113°f. All this played out as we eagerly awaited the onset of monsoon showers, which bring with them a promise of cooler weather.
Despite this being one of the worse summers, our casualty rate was the lowest compared to past summers! There were a few arrangements made this year which contributed to this. The insolation was drastically cut down with additional silver nets, and vetiver mats were installed around the greenhouse with a drip line. This works as a room scale evaporation cooler. On average the indoor temperatures were less by 5-7°c compared to outside. A couple of fans were put up which helped with air circulation. Ironically they have had to be turned off during the afternoon as it gets so hot that they become counter productive!
When dates of the oncoming monsoon were announced, it dawned on us that Summer is about to be over. One evening after the Haworthias were watered per their turn, their glow did not go unnoticed. It brought about a smile and a sense of relief to know that Haworthias have made it successfully through the summer.
