Do you want to know just How to keep your plants watered while you are away for the holidays? The whole activities associated with going out of town may be really stressful to even think about.
By the time you get your bags packed, pet care organized, travel plans sorted and the kids are in the car, you may have forgotten how you are going to water the beautiful house plants and the healthy vegetable garden you have worked so hard to grow.
How to keep your plants watered while you are away for the holidays
There‘s no need to worry as these four quick and easy methods will help you plan ahead and prevent your plants from suffering while you are away.
Note that these techniques should be used only for plants that require daily watering, like herbs, vegetables, and some houseplants. You can let your succulents be when you are out of town.
Old school water wicking method
Here, you will need a large water container (like a vase or bucket) and some cotton rope. Cotton clothesline, available at most hardware stores works great.
Cut a piece of cotton rope that is long enough to fit between the bottom of your water container and into your plant‘s soil.
Without disturbing the roots, take one end of the rope and push it several inches below the surface of the soil close to the plant.
Rest the other end of the rope in the bottom of your water container and fill it with water. Make sure the rope touches the bottom of your container.
The cotton rope will slowly wick water from the container into the pot, maintaining a constant level of moisture in the soil.
DIY drip system method
Start with a clean and empty plastic bottle. For a small to medium container, a water bottle will just work fine. Make several drainage holes into the bottle, close to the head.
After watering the soil normally, fill the plastic bottle with water and then quickly turn it over and plunge it into the first few inches of soil in the pot. Make sure the bottle is not too close to the root of your plant.
The water will slowly leak out of the bottle as the soil dries out.
Give your plants a bath method
This method will work very well for pots with good drainage.
Fill up a sink or bathtub with a few inches of water and lay a towel inside to protect it against scratches. Keep your potted plants in the sink and leave them there while you travel. The soil will draw water to the roots, keeping the plants hydrated while you are gone for up to a week. Make sure you do this in a place with good sunlight.
Plastic bag greenhouse method
Get a clear plastic bag big enough to cover your plant and its pot. Add stakes to the pot to prevent the bag from clinging to the plants. Some say that the bag should absolutely not touch the leaves, but a little bit of contact is OK.
Water your plants as normal, being sure not to over saturate them.
Place the plant into the bag, pulling the bag up and around your plant. Blow a bit of air into the bag before you seal it to help the bag balloon around your plant. It’s just more insurance that the bag won’t press up against the leaves.
Leave your plant in an area with indirect light (direct sunlight will heat up the bag and likely kill your plant). This mini greenhouse will capture water as it evaporates and drip it back into the plant.
The problem of sorting out your garden or bothering about who will water your plants is now solved. Use the methods recommended above for the best results. Further research can be done on Google.
