Learn a few tips and ideas on how to care for plants while on vacation, so you can relax and enjoy your trip.
It's Tuesdays in the Garden, and we are talking about summer gardening. Most people like to travel at least some time during the growing season if not several times. Often where I live we get at least some rain, but there is no guarantee. So what do you do to care for plants while on vacation?
5 Helpful Tips on How to Care for Plants While on Vacation
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Get Help
This is the most obvious answer. In the past we also had someone come and care for our pet. This person usually did not mind watering plants once or twice during the week we were away. Even if you don't have a pet, you can contact pet sitters or house sitters and see what they charge for a house visit. Also, if you have someone cutting the grass while you are gone consider offering them an additional amount to care for your plants.Friends and neighbors are great options too. You can pay a neighbor's teen a small fee for coming over to water your plants, or bring back a nice thank you gift.
Try a Watering System
I've been wanting to try Plant Nanny
for a while now and recently tried it while we were away for the week. The set I bought had four spikes but there are larger sets. I placed one in my maidenhair fern because it's the only indoor plant I have that really likes to be watered more than once a week. I used one in the moss globe planter, and one in each of the new trellis pot planters at my front door. Above is a picture of the trellis pot after one week. They are on a covered porch so the only way they will get watered by rain is if we get a very strong storm. As, you can see they look a little droopy, so maybe 2 stakes would have been better, but I am happy with the results.
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Drip Hoses with Timers
I have a drip hose in the front bed that I can turn on when it's been very dry. However, you can also attach a hose faucet timer
to use while you are away.
Cluster Plants in the Shade
If you are able, moving pots to a shady spot will help keep them from drying out. Preferably under something like a tree which will still allow rain to reach them.
Wait to Plant
New plants and transplants are especially vulnerable when they are first planted. Hold off moving or planting anything new until you have time to help them get established when you return from your vacation.
Following some or all of these tips will help your plants make it without you for a short time, and it wouldn't hurt to pray for a little rain.
lauren @ laurenalforddesign.com
one of the best side effects of having to arrange a pet sitter for our cat is the plant watering and mail pick up that comes with it!
Patti Estep
I know Lauren. I so miss that part.
Diane Williams
I love that you mention the automatic drip waterers with timers and give examples and links! Dave picked our up at our local farm supply store. They even helped him design the system for our greenhouse and garden. He says that one improvement in our garden really freed him up. Huge time save too. Heck yeah you can totally take a vacation if you set up the garden right and get good help!
Jami
I really want to try some self-watering systems for pots - I'll have to look into the plant nanny. I love the idea of self-watering pots, but they're not usually the style that I want, lol.
Michelle Marine
I got a new self watering pot from Crescent Garden last year that is amazing! They're pretty expensive so I only have the one, but I fill it water and it waters itself! Last year we were gone for over two weeks during a dry spell and everything that was planted in came out unscathed. The same can't be said for my other planters. Good idea to move them into the shade to slow the drying. Thank, Patti!
Patti Estep
My daughter bought one of those self-watering planters for her peppers last year. I don't know what brand it was but she said it worked out well for her too. Something I need to look into.
Carole West
These are great tips Patti, aA self watering system in addition to the rain sounds pretty sweet about now. Our Blackland soil only has to be watered about once a week, can you believe that? It's been pretty sweet and I can't seem to escape the trees which helps with the watering too. I decided to just stop cutting till fall because it has weakened the workload around here. Nice....
Patti Estep
Wow, Carole, once a week is so doable. Time to enjoy the lazy hazy days of summer.
Shelly
Great tips Patti. The Plant nanny system looks like it would work great for the hanging plants. Mine dry out so fast.
Patti Estep
The Plant Nanny system worked great for a week away in my hanging baskets. You can use 1 liter bottles according to the manufacturer which might be better when we go away later during the heat of summer.