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Worried about your herbs, vegetables, and houseplants needing a lot of water while you’re on holiday? Relax, there’s no need to stress over leaving them unattended. We’ve got plenty of solutions in place to make sure they remain well-watered while you’re not around.
Sometimes if you are a forgetful gardener, you might forget to have a watering schedule for your plants. This scenario remains worse if you are in the middle of packing and planning a holiday. Just like pets, your plants also rely on you for water, especially if they are indoors.
Therefore, you must ensure they get regular watering even when you are on vacation, or they may not survive.
Fortunately, our ultimate guide to maintaining beautiful houseplants and a healthy garden include many ways to water your plants while away. This article will explore methods such as wicking that will help keep your plants healthy no matter how long you stay on holiday.
Most of these methods will keep your plant healthy using recycled materials in your storeroom. In addition to vacationers, forgetful gardeners can utilize such techniques to keep their plants healthy.
13 Ways to Keep Your Plants Watered While You Are on Holiday
If you are planning a summer vacation, you may need a better plant hydration plan, mainly because water evaporates faster during this season. The house plant’s healthy vegetables you have worked hard to maintain can quickly dry out unless you know the tricks to keep them hydrated when you are not at home to care for them as always.
No matter the method you choose, always water your plants thoroughly before you leave. Using hanging baskets or plant pots, ensure you soak the soil until the water rises above it. Use the following top 12 methods to water your plants while on holiday:
1. The Old-school Water Wicking System
This mechanism is best when you have large, unmovable plants. Gardeners with too many plants that cannot move can also use this technique. You will need a long and absorbent wicking material from the bottom of the water vessel to some inches beneath the surface of your plant potting soil and a container that can hold enough water for your plants.
Some suitable wicking materials include cut costumes, cotton, nylon, or yarn. You will begin by having the water container filled with water and positioned next to the pot away from direct sunlight to avoid evaporation and raised so that its mouth remains higher than the base of the plant.
The wicking materials are cut into ideal lengths for each pot, and gently one end is placed into the plant’s soil to be watered, about three inches deep. The other end is put into the bottom of the water container making sure it reaches the bottom.
The plant will receive water slowly and consistently from the source, ensuring the soil remains moist while on vacation.
2. Making use of a Plastic bottle
This method works best for plants in large containers or a garden bed. It is a great way to reuse plastic water bottles. The use of plastic bottles remains beneficial to plants that need water frequently.
Make sure to saturate the soil thoroughly before leaving. Then open a few holes at the bottom and the sides of the plastic water bottle using a hammer and nail. Open a hole in the pot to cover the water bottle up to the neck region. Fill the bottle with enough water for your plant.
Besides, you can add some fertilizer to nourish your plant before placing it into the hole in the pot. Remember to gently pat the soil around the bottle to ensure no ground gets into the bottle. Tighten the bottle’s lid to slow the water flow rate.
3. Use a glass bottle
Empty glass bottles of drinks such as wine remain helpful in the house. For instance, they become beneficial in this watering exercise. This mechanism is simple to use and best for plants requiring much care. Besides, gardeners can add interesting bottle design decorations to the glass bottles for watering the plant pot.
Before heading out, make sure your soil is watered to avoid incidents of soaking up from the water in the bottle. Use a nail and a hammer to poke small holes in a cap, fill the bottle with water, and put the cap back on the lid. Dig a hole in the soil and bury the bottle in this hole.
4. Making a Small Greenhouse at Home
You will need a water recycling terrarium with a large clear plastic bag. Open the bag and put it on a waterproof floor in a room with moderate temperature. Spread the moist piece of fabric along the bottom of the bag.
Arrange your watered plant pots and pull up the sides of the bag over the plants while blowing air to puff the bag and close it on top. This method is best for gardeners that have a manageable number of plants.
Alternatively, four wood stakes and a clear plastic bag will be helpful when watering individual plants. Place the four wooden stakes in each corner of the pot to form a base for your small greenhouse. Then, water your plant and leave it in indirect sunlight.
Finally, wrap your plant inside your plastic bag while ensuring the leaves’ tips do not touch the bag.
A small greenhouse conserves moisture in your plants by trapping water that evaporates from the leaves of the plants. The condensed droplets will fall back into the plant roots. Gardeners with non-succulent plants and house plants can use this method for at least three years if they preserve the plastic bag.
Suppose you don’t have any idea about a small greenhouse. I wrote an article on what you must know about it. You can read it here.
5. Consider Getting a Plant Sitter
Assign a friend or neighbor who can access your flower garden or house if your indoor plants need frequent watering. Make it easier for your plant sitter by grouping your potted plants according to the watering needs and leaving behind clear instructions.
Water and check your plants for pests and diseases before leaving to reduce the number of visits your neighbor or friend makes.
Besides, you do not want your plant sitter to get worried if your plants die because of pests or diseases while you are away. Find a neighbor who likes plants or a friend from your place. Remember to return the favor when they are away; you may decide to gift them when you are back to appreciate the work done.
6. Giving Your Plants a Long Bath Before You Leave Your Home
This technique is useful when your plant pots have good drainage. Begin by filling the bathtub with water and laying a towel to protect the surface. Take the plant from the pot and place it on the towel. Your plants’ roots will draw enough water that will keep the plant hydrated while you are away.
Open the window for enough natural light to enter the bathroom to meet your plants’ photosynthesis needs. In large plants that can be difficult to move, water them normally until the water drains out the bottom of a watering pot before you leave.
7. Using self-watering bulbs/globes
These are cute small bulbs or globes of blown glass tinted in pretty colors with long thin necks. These little bulbs remain suitable for small and medium potted plants. Begin by filling these bulbs with water before covering the spout with a tiny piece of a coffee filter.
After that, open a little hole in the soil carefully not to destroy the plant roots. Finally, stick the spout deep in the ground to slow the water movement to the root ball. However, fill the globe with water for large plants and insert the thin neck into the soil.
8. Using self-watering pots
This is useful for planters with inner pots with extra drainage holes where water can be drawn from the reservoir using a thread up to the soil to keep it moisturized.
9. Use the Power of a shade to Keep Your Plants Hydrated
Move the pot plants into a shady area to keep them hydrated by reducing the evaporation rate. Move the house plants away from sunny windows to keep them hydrated while you are away. Ensure you group the outdoor and indoor plants while placing them in a shady area to reduce transpiration and evaporation while out.
A sheltered place will keep your plants safe from wind in your absence.
10. Mulching Outdoor Plants
This is useful when you will be gone for only a few days. Water your plants thoroughly and cover your garden bed with two to three inches of coverage to keep the soil and plant roots moisturized. Please do not add more coverage since it can block oxygen to plant roots.
Suppose you don’t have any idea about mulching. I have a video about proven mulch ideas you can do. Watch it below.
11. Setting an irrigation system for your outdoor plants
You can opt for an irrigation system for your plants if you got funds or will be out for a long time. You can set up a sprinkler irrigation system on a timer to ease your mind from worries. Use an automatic timer for the drip irrigation system and set it while considering your plants’ watering needs.
Besides, you can use technology in your smartphone to control your irrigation systems.
12. Moderating indoor conditions for houseplants
Group your plants on a tray and fill them with water to keep them hydrated. Grouping will reduce transpiration and evaporation, which are factored by temperature, humidity, and sunlight. Moderating indoor conditions, such as temperature, will favor your plants.
13. Moving outdoor plants indoors
Gardeners with smaller pots can move outdoor plants indoors to moderate the surrounding conditions. However, some plants may shed their leaves due to lower sunlight levels. However, do not worry because humidity remains ideal for keeping the plants healthy.
FAQs on How to Water Houseplants While Away on Vacation
How long can plants go without water?
Plants fully grown can go for a week without water before showing symptoms. Succulents can live for months without water and dormant plants for weeks, but fruit, vegetable, and blooming plants will only endure for 4 to 7 days.
How much water does a plant need per day?
This equates to about one tablespoon every day. Small plants used one tablespoon of water daily, while giant plants used less than two tablespoons daily throughout the research. Overall, there was a strong link between plant growth and water application.
Do outdoor plants need more water?
Outdoor plants demand more water than those kept indoors. This is due to the drying effects of rising temperatures and direct sunlight. This allows for gradual, even watering, with the water soaking into the soil before draining through the drainage holes in the pot.
Conclusion on how to water houseplants while away on vacation
Watering your plant while away should never worry you, thanks to the many methods you can use to keep you hydrated and healthy. These techniques work best for require daily watering. You may not need to water them while away if you have succulent ones.
You have worked all year round to grow those beautiful plants, but this should not deter you from heading out for a vacation. Explore new places, get the rest you deserve, or visit friends without worrying about your plants at home.
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