The Choice to Let Them Get Rained On: Management Using Nature

Sometimes, I intentionally let my plants get rained on.

It is a management technique I can use because I grow them outdoors, but it is not neglect.
This is a deliberate choice.

There are several benefits to exposing plants to rain.

First, the cleansing effect on the leaves.

Rain falling from above with sufficient volume
thoroughly washes away dust, pollen, and fine debris.
It has a stronger "flushing power" than a spray bottle.

As a result, light reception efficiency is improved,
and the conditions for photosynthesis become closer to nature.

Next, pest control.

Spider mites and aphids prefer dryness and stagnation.
The water pressure of rain physically washes them away.
It is not a complete extermination, but it helps create an environment where they are less likely to multiply.

Furthermore, resetting the soil.

Rainwater is basically soft water.
It contains less calcium and magnesium than tap water.

Therefore, it has the effect of gently washing away
excess salts and fertilizer components accumulated in the pot.

And then, the components of rain.

Rain is not pure water.
It absorbs nitrogen oxides from the air,
and may contain trace amounts of nitrate nitrogen.

The amount is very small, but
in the natural world, this is also a legitimate part of nitrogen supply.

It is, so to speak, like a very dilute natural liquid fertilizer.

So, what about acid rain?

It is true that rain today is weakly acidic.
However, most of it is around pH 5,
and short periods of rainfall rarely damage plants immediately.

In fact, weakly acidic water
makes it easier for minerals in the soil to dissolve,
which can also have the aspect of increasing the availability of trace elements.

Of course, long-term heavy acid rain or
special environments like industrial zones are a different story.

But in a general environment,
I believe there is no need to be overly afraid.

And one more thing.
The rhythm of nature.

Water falling with gravity.
Combined with the wind, it hits, flows, and dries.

Letting them experience that series of processes
provides environmental stimuli that are difficult to reproduce indoors.

However, it is not unconditional.

When low temperatures persist.
When the soil is not completely dry.
When there is a forecast for long-lasting rain.

I avoid those days.

I only expose them to rain on days I choose.

I do not mist the leaves.
But I do use the rain.

Leave what nature can do to nature.
On top of that, humans intervene only where necessary.

That is the balance of my management.