Getting balcony plants through a Bengaluru summer

Bengaluru is known for mild weather, but from March to May afternoon temperatures can reach 35°C, the air is dry, and west-facing balconies get very hot. Many plants that grew happily through winter struggle, and this is when we get the most calls about scorched leaves.

Watch the afternoon sun first. Even sun-loving plants can scorch behind glass or against a hot west wall. Move tender plants like ferns, calatheas and peace lilies away from the railing, or hang a 50% shade net for the afternoon hours; a net costs a few hundred rupees and makes a large difference.

Water more, but in the right way. Check the soil every morning with your finger, and water deeply when the top 3 cm is dry, until water runs from the drainage hole. Water early in the morning, not at noon. Terracotta pots and small pots dry fastest; group them together so they shade each other, or stand them in trays of wet pebbles.

Hold off on feeding and repotting during the hottest weeks of April, unless a plant is badly root-bound, because stressed roots recover slowly. Wipe dust off leaves with a damp cloth every week or two, so they can breathe. If you are travelling, move plants indoors away from windows, water well, and ask a neighbour to check after four or five days. Plants that look tired in May usually recover quickly once the pre-monsoon showers arrive in late May and June.