Off to summer vacation, but what to do with the plants at home? If you want to enjoy a green oasis even after your trip, here are some valuable tips for plant care during the vacation season.
Before going on vacation, there are a lot of things to prepare: The trip needs to be planned and the suitcase packed. But also, the green protégés at home must be cared for. Without regular watering and care, you will quickly return home after the vacations to a dreary plant graveyard. Here’s how to properly prepare your plants for the time without daily care.
Prepare for the vacation season
Before you leave your plants alone at home, give them another all-around cleaning: Dust them off and remove damaged leaves. It is best to place the plants in a place where they get plenty of light – for example, in front of a window with open curtains, but not in direct sunlight. Also, the plants need enough fresh air with high humidity. The ideal place: the bathroom. Because this also reduces the need for water. Shortly before departure, the plants should be given plenty of water – but only the usual amount. If you mean it too well, the plants can literally “drown” or the roots can become moldy.
Caring for plants during the vacations
The ideal solution, of course, would be to hire a temporary gardener from friends or family to take care of the plants regularly during the vacations. But even without help, plants don’t have to dry out. If you provide it with the right resources, the plant can take care of itself to a certain extent. For example, you can put your green charges in the bathtub, line it with plastic wrap and put the plants in water about one inch high. This way, they can take as much water as they need themselves.
If you do not have a bathtub, you can work with water reservoirs. For example, in the form of a bottle that you fill with enough water. You poke small holes in the top of the bottle and then stick the bottle upside down in the plant soil. In this way, small amounts of water gradually flow into the soil. This works especially well for balcony plants.
Another option that has proven successful is to place a water container next to the plant and tie it to the plant soil with a thick cord of natural material. This is another way for the plant to draw as much water as it needs.
And after the vacations?
Before going back to the routine, the plants should first move to their usual environment. If the plant looks dry, you can give it some life again by “dipping” it: To do this, simply place the pot in a sink filled with water for an hour. Another first aid tool for dried out plants is cutting: About a third of the leaf area should be removed.
