Leaving for a big trip and can’t find a plant sitter who would water your plants regularly? Well, we understand!
Going on a vacation is exciting and all. But, one thing that often holds us back is our plants. If you are an avid gardener, leaving your plants for days could be haunting.
But the good news is that there are enough easy and simple DIY gardening tricks that would keep your plants hydrated while you are away. Thus, when you return back, you will still have a green and lush container garden at your place.
In this article, we will have a look at a few simple ways which would ensure that your garden stays alive even when you are away for a long time.
Let’s get started.
Table of Contents
Taking Care of Your Container Plants While You’re Away
1. Keep them in a bright or sunny place
First things first, reposition your container garden such that all the plants receive enough sunlight. Since you would not be at home, you won’t be able to take proper steps if a certain plant starts wilting.
The best practice here is to keep your plants in a way that they are neither in direct sunlight and nor in shade. This would keep it balanced. If you have indoor plants, you can keep them near the window behind the sheer curtains where they can get adequate sunlight to produce their food through photosynthesis.
Before you leave your house, also make sure that you keep your curtains open so that lights can enter the house and reach your valuable plants.
2. Use manure and plant nutrients
As the plants in your container garden have limited space, their roots cannot find appropriate nutrients to survive. Thus, before you leave your home, it is highly recommended to add manure to your plants.
This would provide them enough nutrients and would keep them alive while you are away.
3. Use drip irrigation
Drip irrigation can come to your rescue if you are worried about watering your plants. While this might sound like a tough task at first, installing this using the DIY method is pretty easy.
Put simply, it is a process by which you can water your plant, drop by drop, with the help of a water pipe or by hanging a small bucket above your plants.
All you need to do is adjust your water pipe in such a way that it releases water drop by drop, say, at an interval of 2 to 3 seconds. Put the other end of your water pipe in a tub, adjust the pressure and you are done.
Additionally, you can also use a plastic bucket for this purpose. Simply, make a hole at the bottom of a bucket, and hang it at the top of your plant.
Make the hole in such a way that it drops only one drop of water in every two or three seconds. Thus, fill the bucket with water and keep it hanging above your plant, and you are sorted for a few days!
4. Use a sponge to keep your plants wet
If you are planning to stay away from your home for a week or so, then using a sponge to keep your plants wet can be a good idea as well.
This trick might not work well for large containers but can effectively benefit the smaller plantings. All you need to do is place a sponge soaked in water at the bottom of the container.
This way, you would be able to keep your plant wet for a longer period of time. The sponge will hold the excess water, and the roots can drink from it whenever dirty.
5. Spray some pesticide
If pest infestation is a common sight in your area, and if your plants get easily devoured by the insects and bugs, then it is highly recommended to spray pesticides a week before your leave. Make sure that you use a limited quantity as too many chemicals can impact your garden adversely.
6. Clean your plants
This goes without saying. If you love gardening, checking your plants and removing dried and old leaves from them would definitely be your favorite pastime.
Make sure that you remove such leaves and clean your plants before going on a trip as well. This is because the dried and fallen leaves might attract insects and might affect your plants while you are away.
7. Cut off any affected limbs
Make sure that your plant does not have any affected or diseased limbs as this could hamper the growth of the whole plant. If you find any such limbs which you think can affect the plant, then it is highly recommended to cut off such limbs.
Latest Post:
- The Best Flowers to Attract Bees and Save the Pollinators: Easy Picks for Your Garden
- Want Butterflies in Your Garden? Transform Your Yard with These Butterfly-friendly Plants!
- Hummingbirds LOVE These Plants: Attract Them to Your Garden!
- The Beauty of a Garden isn’t Just in What You Grow, But in How It Makes You Feel
- The Best Time to Plant a Tree Was 20 Years Ago—Why Today is the Perfect Moment to Start!
Other Tips To Keep Your Container Plants Alive While On Vacation
In addition to the above-mentioned steps, here are a few simple tips that could be of great help:
- Keep your containers close together. This way your plants would provide shade and humidity to each other.
- Keep outdoor containers away from the winds such that they are able to conserve water.
- For large plants, stacking several layers of damp newspaper over the top of the soil could also help
Now, It’s Your Turn!
These were a few ways through which you can ensure that your container garden stays alive even when you are away for a long time. However, if you do not want to take risks, and want to be cent percent sure, it is always best to ask your friend to take care of your garden for you. Or else, hiring a plant sitter is not a bad idea as well.
What are your views on this? How do you take care of your container garden while you are away? Do share with us in the comments below!
