How to tend your garden in the midst of the rainy season

The rains came, which is a good thing. But with good things always come garden chores. Here are some things you might need to pay attention to now that we’re officially in the rainy season.

• Most plants can weather our storms, but if you have especially fragile or young plants, you’ll need to provide some cover or protection. If they are in pots, move them to sheltered areas. For inground plants, cover them with a tarp or plastic, but don’t leave the cover on during sunny days.

• Rain can batter down taller plants. Check your garden and support plants that seem to be having trouble remaining upright. Slouching isn’t necessarily bad, but it can put strain on the main support and cause breakage.

• After a heavy rain, check the roots around your trees and plants to make sure the rain hasn’t washed away topsoil, exposing roots. Recover any that have, and put down a thick layer of mulch to protect the soil and what lies beneath.

• Keep an eye out for pooling water. Even if you have good drainage — and most of us don’t — the ground can become saturated in heavy or prolonged rains, causing water to pool around plants. Those puddles can cause root and stem rot. Dig small drainage tunnels as needed.

• If you have plants in pots, check that they haven’t become waterlogged. You’ll need to tip them over to remove the water, then check that the drainage holes are open, allowing the water to move through and out.

• It’s easy to ignore your compost pile, but if you’ve got a good batch cooking, you don’t want it to drown. Turn often and keep it covered to prevent it from getting too wet.

• Avoid walking on wet soil in planting beds, which can cause compaction.