How Can I Keep My Plants Watered While On Vacation – Holiday watering can be easier than you think. Caring for houseplants while traveling doesn’t have to depend on your neighbor.
I’m going on vacation for 4 long weeks and I have indoor plants that need watering,
How Can I Keep My Plants Watered While On Vacation
Outdoor plants that need to be watered to survive. Since I have no neighbors in this country, and hoping for rain is not a good option, I had to take matters into my own hands. Fortunately for me, there are many methods to help plants during the holidays.
How To Water Plants While Away For 2 Weeks Or More
Indoor plants usually have different needs to stay alive and thrive than their outdoor counterparts. But don’t worry! Below I share some great ideas for indoor and outdoor plants.
Now, what we really want is for our plants to thrive while we’re away, not just survive. So I recommend giving them a good feed a month before and cutting the leaves off your existing plants just a week before you leave so they use less water.
First of all, be sure to try these methods a few weeks before you go on your trip. It is important to
Remember to water your plants well before you leave, even if you use one of these methods.
How I Keep My House Plants Alive • Honey We’re Home
Place gallon jugs or jars of water (size depends on how long you expect) next to your plant with a piece of wine or wire in the water and the other end around the soil for the plant. Water will flow from the pitcher to the plant, keeping its soil moist while you’re gone.
Check if this works before you go. Sometimes the thread or fabric you’re working with will only be partial…you may need to change the type of fabric (check for natural fibers) or reposition the jar so it’s taller than the plant with a shorter stem.
This is the easiest and most effective method I have found. It works for a wide variety of potted plants, both indoors and outdoors!
Thread the cotton string through the drainage holes in the bottom of the planter and place the planter in a deeper/larger container partially filled with water. The idea is to nest a smaller planter in a taller container…it helps to choose one of the same width, but one deeper than the other.
Elements Of Plant Care: Watering — Stamen & Stem
Or simply, a plant that nests with holes inside a container without holes. If you can’t find one with a rim that will allow it to hang from a larger planter, use something (brick, jar, smaller planter) to raise it high enough.
Best for: Moisture-loving indoor and outdoor plants. This can be used long term for most medium sized plants. I use this as my regular way of watering my plants so I only need to water once a month.
Caution: Larger plants cannot absorb the amount of water they need with this small thread method. Increase the thread size for larger plants and monitor to see if it works as you like. Beware of this for plants that are prone to root rot or need dry or sandy soil.
You can buy self-watering pots as an investment if you travel a lot, OR you can make them yourself! I’ve shared a full tutorial for turning an existing planter into a self-watering pot.
How To Water Plants While You’re Away On Vacation
Best for: Outdoor plants, but can be substituted for indoor plants. Especially plants that like to be watered from below.
Even your gardens can be designed to be “self-watering”. You can use sub-irrigation methods to water your plants from below. Here you can learn how to build a garden bed with irrigation and use a similar methodology for gardens in the country.
This is especially great if you’re a low-maintenance gardener but want a high-maintenance product. This takes a little effort at first, but once it’s done, you’ll never have to worry again!
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Some of my native tropical plants love moisture and need a terrarium-like environment to thrive while I’m gone.
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Simply place the plant in a large, clear garbage bag (like this one) doubled over, water the plant well and tie the bag over the plant. Poke a bunch of holes in the bag near the top so it can breathe and you’ve just made a makeshift terrarium!
An attractive version is a bell jar that can cover the plant and a saucer with a centimeter or two of water that the plant can absorb from the bottom.
Warning: Keep these “terrariums” out of direct sunlight or you’ll end up roasting your plants. To prevent water from leaking, you can place them on a cookie sheet or something else to collect excess water.
No doubt you’ve seen a variety of watering bulbs and terra cotta + jar watering systems. They work pretty well if you’re out of town for a week or two, and they can be cute, decorative, and useful!
When Traveling, A Hack To Keep The Plants Hydrated
Warning: If the top of the watering can is blocked, it will not work. Wrap the end in some cheese before putting it in the mold to prevent this from happening.
Hydration crystals are more of an extra measure and should be used in conjunction with another hydration method for best results. Add moisture-locking crystals with an additional hydration system when you plan to be out of town for a month or more.
I have been using Miracle Gro Water Storage Crystals and it seems to work pretty well and I don’t have to water the houseplants as often as I used to.
I’m sure you’ll immediately think of a complicated and expensive drip system when you read this. Well, adding a timer is definitely a good way.
How To Stop Your Plants Dying While You’re Away On Holiday
Water your houseplants! It can be set according to a schedule or use an application for on-demand watering.
For your outdoor plants, this is self-explanatory. A few inches of mulch will help retain moisture in your garden and is great for extra hydration.
However, you can also “crush” your houseplants by adding layers of well-drained peat moss or placing a very damp cloth around the base of the plant and covering it with a plastic bag.
Warning: moss can stay still and be a very nice addition to your potted plant! However, you don’t want to leave rags or plastic out for more than a few weeks or you’ll introduce mold.
How To Water Your Plants — Euny And Burke
A reader suggested this method to me and I have to say it’s great! By far the simplest and most effective method I’ve tried.
Place the plants in pots with holes in the bottom in a shallow dish of water or if you have a bathtub or sink that gets tons of indirect light, that’s even better. Don’t add more than a few inches of water, just enough to prevent evaporation and still have enough to water the plants while you’re gone.
Warning: stagnant water can attract flies and insects, spraying the bathtub with mold and mildew water if you are away for more than a few weeks. Buy natural plant-friendly ones at the grocery store, or mix 1 tablespoon of 3% hydrogen peroxide in 1 cup of water and add 3 drops of Dawn dishwashing liquid. Shake and spray the container filled with water before adding the plants.
Warning: some plants hate too much moisture and need to dry out between waterings…this is a temporary measure for those plants, and you want to let the soil dry out after transplanting to prevent root rot.
Will My Prop Keep Growing While Kept In Water?
When dealing with outdoor plants without a drip system, a soaker hose is another great option for keeping your garden moist. You can buy a timer (just like a drip system) that turns your water on and off every day, or you can set the hose to drip slowly.
Find out how to best grow an avocado plant from seed! Forget the old toothpick method, find the waterproof method here.
Ursula Carmona is the creative mind behind Home Made by Carmona, where she shares her expertise in decorating, DIY, planning and gardening. Ursula is also a public speaker, host of HGTV’s digital series “Table Wars: The Look For Less” and appears frequently in print and online. We are sisters with a passion for travel and fashion. We love sharing our tips on hidden gems and the latest fashion trends.
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Keeping The Plants Alive While We Are Away. They Water Lasts For Five Days In Some.
I travel a lot and needed a way to water all my plants while I was on vacation for 2-3 weeks. I now have about 10-15 indoor plants and my collection continues to grow. Plants make me happy.
I have had most of my plants for about 2 years now and most of them survived my absence
