Coming back from an awfully good vacation to your favourite houseplants drying up is really one of the worst things to come home to isn’t it? If you do not have a dedicated gardener it can be quite worrisome. With the growing pollution levels we all are habituated to keeping some plants in our home to keep things fresh. A lot of people are a bit hesitant in keeping plants due to their travel schedules. Well, we are here to help you out with this problem!
It is important to take necessary measures in order to ensure healthy life to the plants in your absence. We all want to return home to fresh and green plants, just the way we left them!
If you are out only for a couple of days, you need not worry much. We have some nice tips to make sure things don’t get out of hand in the hot Indian summer!
- Water all mature plants and seedlings thoroughly the night before leaving.
- Remove dead and decayed leaves and then soak the plants with water. Cluster the plants on a layer of plastic, and cover them with wet newspapers. The entire plant can be covered to maintain humidity and help recycle the water into the soil after evaporation.
- Mulch thoroughly with organic mulch material such as grass clippings, dry leaves and fine bark trimmings. This will help keep the soil moist for a longer period, as the amount of evaporated water will be lesser.
- Pruning is essential for flowers and fruits that are about to blossom. Pruning will mitigate the water requirement of the plants. You can even prune the buds
- Trim foliage of mature plants the day before leaving so they will require less water during your absence.
If you follow these 5 easy steps, your plants will not face any dryness over the weekend. But our vacations are not limited to weekends right? What if you are going out for an entire week you ask? Well we have some innovative solutions for you keep your plants fresh and healthy for that too!
DIY Watering wick method
An alternative of drip irrigation method, watering wick is ideal. Set a large container of water next to your plants, and put one end of a wick in the container, and the other in a portion of the soil next to your plant. Multiple wicks can be used for multiple plants. This simple, yet efficient method makes sure that the soil takes up just as much water as it needs until the water in the container is exhausted.
Tip : Moisture can also be provided by keeping pebbles as the base for your plants as it maintains a cool atmosphere for plants in their vicinity.
Image source : Houselogic
Upended Bottles
- Prepare two-liter plastic bottles by making holes in their caps. Hold a small nail so that its tip is at the center of a bottle cap. Tap the head of the nail with the hammer to drive the nail through the cap. Pull the nail out and repeat the process with your other bottles. Alternatively, replace the caps with screw-on funnel-shaped irrigation spikes, available from your garden center, that slow down the release of water from the bottles.
- Fill each bottle with water. Screw on either its punctured cap or one of the irrigation spikes.
- Water the soil thoroughly before inserting the bottles. Turn the bottle upside-down and push it into the soil beside the plant you wish to water. Make sure the bottle is stable enough that it won't tip over. Repeat the process with your other bottles.
Sunlight
Make sure to move your plants out of direct sunlight. If they are planted in a flower-bed with direct sunlight access, then set up an artificial shade using a cover of thin white sheets, making sure air is circulated throughout the garden. The white sheet should be a translucent material so that there is indirect sunlight available for the plants.
Well, these were the tips and hacks you can try out to make sure your plants remain healthy and awesome! You can get your favourite houseplants from here.
