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Our 12 Top Tips for Plant Care During Vacation
With Covid more manageable, many are starting to think about summer vacations. You make detailed plans, then remember that you need to think about your plant care, too. We help with these top tips for plant care during vacation. Whether you are planning a long weekend or a month-long tour, So make those plans, knowing your plants continue to stay healthy and happy awaiting your return.
Although houseplants do not need a full-time babysitter like pets or infants, many plants do need some water and care while you go on a long trip. Many houseplants can live without water for a few days. However, if you leave for more than a week, you will find your plants wilted or dead when you return.
With these plant care tips during vacation, you can keep your plants alive and ensure they get what they need while you’re away.
Some factors to consider
Plant types
The kinds of indoor plants you keep can have a significant effect on the amount of water they need to stay safe when you’re gone. Succulents and cacti are low-maintenance plants that tend to be left alone.
Your indoor herb and vegetable garden, on the other hand, would take more maintenance than others. Orchids cannot be self-watered; their roots need to dry out between watering. However, so you’re better off leaving them with a mate when you’re away.
Short trips
First and foremost, time is everything; even if you’re going away for less than a week, there’s no reason to panic. If you give all of your plants a good drink before you leave, they should be fine before you return.
Don’t go nuts on the watering–too much water can be almost as bad for potted plants as not enough. Different plants necessitate different amounts of water. Succulents, unlike herbs, do not require nearly as much irrigation daily.
Location
If it’s summer, any potted plants in sunny, south-facing windows will need to relocate to a shadier location. Because water evaporates more quickly in high temperatures and intense sunshine, if you’re worried that it’ll be too hot and sunny for the plants to remain hydrated indoors, consider moving them to a garage or basement.
Top tips for plant care during vacation
Below are some of the tips for plant care during vacation. Let’s have a look.
1. Long bath
The long bath is the most low-tech approach to the issue of plant watering when you’re gone. However, this form of plant treatment necessitates no special equipment or installation. To cover the tub’s surface, put an old towel in it, then place the pots on top. Now add a couple of inches of water to the shower, and you’re good to go.
Notice that this approach is only helpful if the pots used have drainage holes. Moreover, the bathroom has adequate natural light to fulfill your plants’ needs.
2. Mini Greenhouse
It is an excellent remedy for plants in small pots or plants left alone for a long time.
- 1) Place a towel inside a giant clear plastic bag to cover the bottom.
- 2) And then place your plants on top of it.
- 3) To inflate the bag, gather the top of the bag and use a vacuum in reverse or manually blow into it
- 4) Don’t make the leaves hit the plastic.
- 5) Using a zip knot, secure the bag.
What you’re building is a greenhouse and is more like a water-recycling scheme than an irrigation device. This bag must keep away from direct sunlight.
3. Watering Spikes
Ceramic watering spikes are handy little devices designed to use for empty wine bottles and are incredibly effective at evenly distributing moisture on a need basis. The only thing to look out for is the porous terra cotta can shatter by the glass bottle. The porous terra cotta can only release water to the soil as it dries out, meaning that its water levels remain stable. Watering globes, like watering spikes, work on the same premises but are more appealing. Moreover, often people use them to assist in watering both indoor and outdoor plants.
4. Self-Watering Pots
These are planters designed to supply water to plants from the container they are in daily, and they perform exceptionally well. There are also kits for turning standard pots into self-watering pots, which will keep your plants happy when you’re gone.
5. Drip System
A drip system constructed from repurposed plastic water bottles is another tips for plant care during vacation.
- 1) Drill or hammer and nail a few holes in the lid of a plastic water bottle to use it.
- 2) Load the bottle with as much water as your plant needs.
- 3) Then turn it upside down and bury the cap in the potting soil, careful not to damage the roots.
- 4) Water can now steadily leak out of the soil as it dries.
6. Plant Saucer system
It is one of the easiest methods, but it’s certainly not the best choice for plants that need special care. Saucers not only help your plants conserve water but also prevent dirt from leaking out of the bottom of your tank. Moreover, keeping it neat and clean while you’re gone.
Select a saucer
When picking a saucer for your container, make sure it is similar to the same size as the pot. So the saucer can retain water while still touching the whole bottom of the pot.
Fill the pot with your plant.
The use of a drainage pot is essential so that the plant can access the water in the saucer.
Place water in the saucer or soak it.
To have more water for the plant to drink when you are away, run the saucer underwater or fill it with water.
7. Water wicking
You’ll need a big water container (such as a vase or bucket) and some cotton rope for this. Cotton clotheslines, which sell at most hardware stores, perform well.
- 1) Cut a length of cotton rope long enough to pass between the bottom of your water jar and your plant’s soil.
- 2) Push one end of the rope quite a lot of inches under the soil’s surface, next to the vine.
- 3) Take caution not to damage the roots.
- 4) Fill your water container halfway with water and put the other end of the rope in the bottom.
- 5) Ensure that the cord reaches the container’s rim.
- 6) The cotton rope would slowly wick moisture into the pot from the container, keeping the soil moist at all times.
8. Mulching
Several inches of mulch can help your garden preserve moisture and is suitable for use as a secondary watering system. However, you can “mulch” your indoor plants by layering highly watered peat moss, wrapping a very damp cloth around the plant’s base, and covering it with a plastic grocery bag.
Caution
You cannot leave it like this for longer than a couple of weeks, or it will start to rot. It is a short-term solution to help reduce the amount of water a plant requires while on vacation.
9. Soil-Based Solutions
Using Terra-Sorb to potting soil is a simple way to help prolong the amount of time soil remains damp. When the soil dries out, the crystals accumulate 200 times their weight in water and eventually spill it into the ground. Alternatively, a coating of mulch on the top of the soil in a pot may help the soil retain moisture by slowing evaporation. Any of these options would suffice to keep houseplants alive for a week or less.
10. Cooling the plants
The sooner water evaporates, and the more water your plants consume, the colder it is. Outdoor potted plants should move into the shade, and indoor plants should move further from the sunniest walls. In the winter, shutting down the heat will help prevent the air in your home from getting too dry when you’re away.
11. Proper Sunlight
Make sure the plants are not in direct sunshine. If plants are in a flowerbed that receives direct sunlight, provide an artificial shade with a cover of thin white sheets. Moreover, ensuring that air circulates in the garden. Another solution is to carry the plants into pots and bring them indoors, where you can build a mini-greenhouse out of a transparent plastic bag with ventilation slits.
12. Humidity
Humidity is essential for the health of your plants. Plants can be clustered together in a smaller space or area that also absorbs some natural light. It creates a microclimate, and the plants provide their humidity. If your bathroom has a window that lets in light, this is a perfect idea. Create a pebble tray and fill it with water before leaving for better humidification.
Another Option- a Houseplant Housesitter
Yes, there are people who will come in and manage your houseplants while you vacation. Just like pet sitters, these houseplant sitters provide a useful service for those traveling. Consider using a trusted service such as Housesitter.com, especially if you have many plants and will be gone for more than just a few days.
Of course, if you have a sister or friend you trust with your beloved plants, ask them to step in for the duration of your stay. You might even trade plant sitting services for vacation trips to save both of you the heartache of losing a favorite plant!
In Summary, Our 12 Top Tips for Plant Care During Vacation
- Long Bath
- Mini Greenhouse
- Watering Spikes
- Self-watering pots
- Drip System
- Plant saucer system
- Water wicking
- Mulching
- Soil-based system
- Cooling the plants
- Proper sunlight
- Humidity
After determining which self-watering tips for plant care during vacation is suitable for you, you will unwind and not have to worry about your plants while you vacation. In fact, don’t be concerned if one of your plants seems floppy when you return; there are strategies for reviving houseplants. However, the above mention tips will help you in enjoying your vacations without any plant care stress.
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