Last updated on May 31st, 2023
Are you a proud plant parent whose plant collection has only grown over the years? You love taking care of your plant babies and treating them with tender love and care. If you resonate with this, then you might also be a little anxious when it comes to leaving your plants for a few days while going on a trip or vacation.
Depending on how long you plan to be away, there are a few measures you can take. Here are five ways to keep your plants alive when you go on vacations.
Put all your plants together in one place
When you keep all your plants together, it creates a more humid environment, which is like a microclimate for them. Humidity ensures that your plants retain their moisture for longer and don’t dry up so easily. Before you leave for a holiday, keep all your plants in one area. This will help them keep their moisture intact. If you have someone who will be watering your plants while you are gone, it will also make it easier for them to water all your plants and not miss any. Plus, they won’t have to scour the entire house to keep track of all the plants they have watered.
Keep them away from direct sunlight
Plants love sunlight, but it’s not always the best for them! Long exposure to direct sunlight without receiving any water will likely cause your plants to dry out and shrivel. To avoid that, move your plants farther away from the windows. Keep them in a spot that gets light, but indirectly. This way they will still be able to thrive without drying up. Your drought-tolerant plants like cacti and succulents will be fine even in direct sunlight, but this tip is more applicable for all the other house plants.
Get slow-watering equipment
If you’re going to be away on a long holiday and don’t have anyone to water your plants for you in the meantime, you might want to consider plant-watering alternatives. Equipment like watering globes and drips are now easily available in the market. They also come in various sizes that can fit most of the pots. These drips and globes are very effective for plants that need a lot of water or thrive in moist soils. For longer vacations, try out these plants so that they are well-watered and still thriving when you come back!
Create a guide or reference sheet
If you’re planning on asking someone to help out with your plants while you are gone, you might want to create a guide or a reference sheet for them to follow. Most plant-lovers have a large variety of house plants that have their own watering requirements. Some plants need to be given more attention and care as compared to others. Create a reference sheet with all the necessary information about plant care so that your plant nanny can do their job well. In this sheet, you can include things like frequency of watering, moisture level of soil and any special care tips that need to be followed. You can also stick separate sticky notes on every pot with specific instructions for that particular plant.
Water your plants well just before you leave
If you’re leaving for a short trip and intend to come back in about a week, then you might want to take preventive measures. For shorter trips, you might not want to ask someone to look after your plants while you are gone. So, you can generously water your plants before you leave and then repeat this as soon as you come back. Most plants will be able to survive the week without being watered if they are well-watered right before you leave. In any case, an underwatered plant has a better chance of surviving than an overwatered one.
Summing Up
Keeping your plants alive can be tricky, even when you are present to take care of them. Try out these five methods the next time you plan your trip. For more articles on plant care and home decor, check out the Homebliss blog!
