You love your plants, but you also want to enjoy your vacations? It is possible to preserve your plants in spite of a more or less long absence.
Indeed, the kitchen garden, as well as house plants and window boxes, suffer from heat. A prolonged absence and a lack of water can then be fatal for the vegetation. In order to take care of your plants even from a distance, you should put in place solutions before going on vacation. In this way, our favorite plants will be able to benefit from the necessary water supply and hold on until our return.
Contents
Before packing your suitcases, prepare your plants!
It is obvious, but it is better to remember that healthy plants are more resistant. So before preparing your vacations, and in the 15 days before your departure, pamper them!
Remove dead leaves that have been lying around for weeks, and treat healthy leaves against insects and possible diseases by spraying black soap (liquid soap or soap powder diluted in water) or nettle infusion on your plants. In a word, make your plants feel good!
Light: essential to keep your plants beautiful
If the first reflex before going on vacation is to close shutters, blinds and shutters, there is nothing worse for your plants! The absence of light for several weeks can be fatal to them. If possible, leave one or more shutters open or half-open. If you have roof windows or skylights in your house, you can place your plants underneath them so that they have a minimum of light.
Another solution, for summer vacations: install your plants outside, on a balcony, in a garden or a veranda. It is even beneficial for most plants!
But beware! Plants should not be directly exposed to the summer sun: you could find them completely dehydrated, yellowed leaves… or even worse. In a garden, prefer a shady spot.
And if your balcony faces south, it is better to leave the plants inside your apartment, leaving a shutter open if possible to ensure enough light. It is advisable to have a transition period: a few weeks before going on vacation, take your plants outside for a few hours a day, then gradually increase the duration.
You will thus accustom them gently to the outdoor climate.
2 Tips to water your plants during the vacations
Let’s get to the facts: how do you water during the vacations? Your neighbours are not there or can’t take care of your garden? Don’t panic, there are solutions for watering your garden “remotely”!
For plants that require regular hydration and a high humidity level, there are planters equipped with a double bottom. Thus, the plants will draw the necessary water from this small reserve throughout your absence. To avoid rotting roots, it is still advisable to pour clay balls in the bottom of your pot.
Another tip for those who do not have a radish. You can make a drip watering system using recuperation. Here are the steps of fabrication :
- Using a knife or a pair of scissors, create a ventilation slot in the bottom of the bottle.
- Remove the plastic cap and create some small holes with a needle for example
- Fill the bottle with water and screw the cap back on.
- Plant the bottle in the ground, neck down.
- Block the bottle against the foot of the plant with wire or string.
Count a 0.25 galloon bottle for about 10 days of absence.
You have just come back from vacations and your plants couldn’t resist the heat despite all your efforts? Don’t panic, you still have a small chance! Know that it is always easier to save a plant that has run out of water than a plant that has had too much. Soak your plants immediately in a tub of water until the soil is completely wet. In the following days, leave your plant in the shade until it comes back to life.
10 others tips to find your plant more beautiful than ever when you return home
Do not put your plants near a window.
During your absence, be careful not to expose the plants behind a bay window or a window, letting too much sunshine in. They run the risk of dehydration, to dry the soil as quickly as possible.
Put your plants in a cool place
The best would be to place your plants in a cool room. The garage is a solution, as long as it is bathed in enough natural light to keep your plants alive.
Get water retentive products
In supermarkets, you can buy granules called “water retainers”, which are to be mixed with potting soil. When you water your plant, the granules absorb the water and then slowly release it back into the plant. You can save 8 to 10 days of non-watering, depending on the plant.
Use a measuring cap
To do this, you attach a measuring cap to the end of a bottle of water. Then, you turn the water bottle over at the foot of the plant, through a support that should hold it. This cap will release the water into the plant via an adjustable variable flow rate.
Use the drip
This method is very simple to apply and very effective for watering your plants. All you have to do is drill several small holes on the cap of a plastic water bottle. Then you fill the water bottle with water and plant it, cap down, in the soil of your plant. The water will be distilled little by little, during the whole time you are away.
Water your plants well before leaving
To do this, you must wet the soil of the plant well. In this way, you water little in several times, so that the potting soil can rehydrate properly.
Can you keep your plants on your balcony?
In order for the plants to remain on your balcony, it should not be exposed to direct sunlight or in a place that is too windy. This will dehydrate your plants.
As a tip, put a net of onions or potatoes on your plants. The net will only let 40% of the sun pass through, so that you don’t have any unpleasant surprises when you come back from your vacations.
Put a saucer under your plant
It is unavoidable to put under each plant a voluminous saucer. It constitutes a good reserve of water for the plant. This council is as much valid for the plants of inside as those which remain in outside.
Ask a neighbor to keep an eye on your plants
If it is reliable and if you practice good neighbourly relations, you can give the keys to your house to a neighbor to check and water your plants.
Drop off your plants at a relative, friend or acquaintance’s house.
You ask one of these people to take care of your plants while you go on vacation. A few recommendations for the maintenance and you are at peace!
Summary
In the vegetable garden, an automatic watering system is chosen, more precisely drip watering. This is an autonomous watering system, directly connected to the water tap. By adding a watering timer, you can adjust the frequency and duration so that your plants get the daily amount of water they need to grow. In addition, with the multi-channel watering timers, you can water each planting area at the same time.
Indoor plants can be watered in different ways during a prolonged absence. For a short period of time, clay beads may be sufficient. They provide very good drainage, lighten and aerate the substrates. They capture water during watering and release it gradually, as soon as the plant dries. For a longer stay, you can install an inverted water bottle. This is a homemade watering technique that guarantees a moist soil for about ten days.
The planters keep a constant humidity thanks to the pots and tubs with water reserve. Equipped with a double bottom that serves as a water reservoir, the plants draw from it according to their needs.
