How to keep plants alive while traveling
Planning a trip and worried your plant babies won’t survive? Nobody wants to come home from vacation to a houseplant graveyard. You might be lucky enough to have friendly neighbors or green-thumbed mates to take care of the watering when you’re away. But don’t worry if you can’t find anyone to look after your greenery – here are some tips for how to keep plants alive while traveling.
What to consider with vacation plant care?
First you’ll have to think about the needs of your houseplants. This will vary depending on the type of plant and how long your trip is. Succulents and houseplants that are adapted to dry conditions – such as ZZ plants and snake plants – can happily go for two weeks (or more) without a drink. To keep tropical plants alive while away takes a little more effort.
Not very thirsty: succulents.
How to set up your plants before leaving?
Before setting off on a trip, there are a few things you can do to give your houseplants the best chance of survival. Prune any sad-looking leaves and remove water-hungry buds and flowers. This will allow your plants to conserve water more effectively. Avoid fertilizing your greenery in the weeks before you go away – new foliage requires more water, so you want your plants to grow slowly when you’re on holiday.
Move your planters away from the windows and place them out of direct sunlight, to stop the soil from drying out as quickly. Plants release moisture into the surrounding air in a process called transpiration – grouping humidity-loving species together will help keep these plants alive while you’re away. And make sure the AC or heating is adjusted to maintain the right temperature for your greenery.
Give all your plants (including succulents) a good watering before you leave. You can put rainforest natives in the shower and soak them until water pours out of the drainage holes to make sure they’re thoroughly drenched. This will be enough water to keep succulents going – but to take care of tropical plants while on holiday, you’ll have to get creative with the watering.
If you put the work in before your trip, your green housemates won’t suffer while you’re away.
Which watering system to use?
There are plenty of gadgets available to care for houseplants during holidays, from glass watering globes to self-watering planters. You can also build your own DIY watering system using readily-available materials. Here are some of the best hacks for watering houseplants on holiday (plus in-depth instruction on how to do it).
One of the easiest options is the bathtub method. Simply sit your houseplants inside the bath – you can lay a towel down first to avoid scratches – and fill the tub with 5-7 cm (a few inches) of water. Make sure to use pots with drainage holes, so the soil can soak up the moisture from below. This works just as well in the sink, or with a watertight plastic tray.
For herbs and plants that need regular watering, the water wick system is a good choice. Cut a length of cotton cord and place one end in a container filled with water. Bury the other end in the substrate beside the plant, being careful not to damage the roots. As it dries out, the absorbent cord will allow the plant to soak up water from the container.
The plastic bag greenhouse technique works well for smaller plants. Cover your plant and its pot with a clear plastic bag, using stakes to stop the bag from touching the foliage. When water from the soil evaporates, the moisture is trapped and drips back down to the plant. Make sure there are a few holes in the plastic for air circulation, and keep the plant away from direct sunlight or the leaves could burn.
Another easy fix is to set up a self-watering system using a glass or plastic bottle. Poke a few holes in the bottle cap, then fill the bottle with water and replace the cap. Flip the bottle upside down and bury the neck in the potting soil, so the water slowly soaks into the substrate. Small bottles work well for medium-sized plants, and you can use wine bottles for large pots and trees.
Try these tips to keep plants alive while traveling, and come back from your vacation to a lush jungle.
No watering can, no problem: There are plenty of methods to keep your greenery hydrated without human intervention.
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