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Pre-monsoon · 2026
Pre-monsoon · India · May–June

Beat the rains.

The first heavy rain catches most rooftop growers off-guard. None of this is bad luck — it's a handful of small jobs that most growers skip. Six guides, written for Indian terraces and small plots, with honest fixes and the prices to match.

Staked tomato plants in grow bags on an Indian terrace just after a pre-monsoon shower; cloth ties at three points and a yellow sticky trap visible above the canopy.

Why we wrote this

Last monsoon, our agronomists fielded the same five questions from terrace growers across Delhi-NCR, Lucknow, and the Mumbai corridor: "my pot is waterlogged", "why are the leaves curling", "is this blight or sunburn", "do I need a drip kit", and "what should I feed in monsoon". This cluster answers all five. The first guide is live; four more land between now and 12 June 2026.

The 6-guide cluster

  1. Step 01Live

    Monsoon prep for terrace tomatoes — 7 things to fix before the rains hit

    The fastest checklist. Walk your terrace tomorrow morning with this list and you'll find at least four of the seven need attention.

    Read the guide
  2. Step 02Live

    Drainage 101 — monsoon-proof your pots in one weekend

    How to test drainage in 30 seconds, what to do about the corner that always pools, and the parapet outlet most people forget.

    Read the guide
  3. Step 03Live

    Tomato leaf curl in India — what it looks like, how to fix it

    Curled leathery new leaves vs. yellow lower leaves with brown rings — they're different problems with different fixes. Photos and a yellow-sticky-trap routine.

    Read the guide
  4. Step 04Live

    Early blight, root rot, leaf curl — a visual diagnostic guide

    A side-by-side photo guide of the four diseases that take out terrace tomato + chilli + brinjal in monsoon. Tell them apart before you spray.

    Read the guide
  5. Step 05Live

    Drip irrigation kits for terraces — what to buy and what to skip

    ₹2,000 setup that saves you 3 hours a week and stops over-watering during the rains. Honest review of brands sold in India.

    Read the guide

When to do all this

South-west monsoon hits Kerala on or around 1 June, then moves north — Mumbai by 10 June, Delhi-NCR by end of June, Lucknow + the Indo-Gangetic plains by mid-late June. Work backwards from your city's onset date and aim to finish the seven jobs in Guide #1 10 days before the rain is due. Subscribe to the city-trigger email at the bottom of any guide and we'll ping you with a 7-day countdown.

Not sure which step matters most for your setup?

A 5-minute call with our agronomist. Tell us your city, pot size, and how many plants — we'll tell you what to do first. Free, no payment.

Start a free call

Related

Updated for the 2026 south-west monsoon. Last reviewed: .