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If you’ve put hours of time and effort into cultivating your gardens this year, the last thing you want is for them to be neglected while you’re away on vacation. During the hottest part of the year, it can be disastrous to miss even just a few days of tending — plants can run out of water, go to seed, or get scorched by the sun!
That doesn’t mean you should abandon your vacation plans to stay home with your plants, though. You just need to properly prepare them before you leave.
To help set up your houseplants and gardens for success this summer, we spoke with a gardening expert for tips on “vacation-proofing” all your beloved plants. Here’s what she recommends doing before you jet off on your next trip.
Give plants a ‘spa day’ before you go
For indoor plants, set aside time before vacation to ensure they’re healthy, in good condition, and have everything they need to survive a few days on their own.
“I would start by pruning and giving your house plant a good spa day — dusting the leaves and repotting if necessary,” says Virginia Hayes, indoor plant expert and showroom manager at Westerlay Orchids. This is a good opportunity to switch to self-watering planters, too.
It’s pricey, but this ceramic planter is a game-changer if you’re often gone for long periods of time. The self-watering design can last up to four weeks without any maintenance — I have one that I keep in a hard-to-reach area of my home, and it’s one of the healthiest houseplants in my collection.
There are also plenty of smaller (and cheaper) self-watering pots out there. This set of three includes 8-, 10-, and 12-inch planters, and they’ll keep your plants hydrated for up to 10 days.
Place plants strategically
You may also want to move plants around before vacation — this applies to both houseplants and outdoor container plants.
“As far as location goes, you’ll want to group all your plants together to create some humidity,” says Hayes. For indoor plants she recommends “slowly moving the plant away from the indirect lighting to get it acclimated to darker areas if you don’t plan on keeping the shades or blinds up.”
A humidifier can be beneficial for house plants while you’re gone, but you’re going to need one with a large water reservoir. This model from Levoit can hold up to 10 liters, and you can also put it on a smart schedule using the app — that way, it only turns on for a few hours a day, ensuring the water tank lasts the whole time you’re gone.
For outdoor plants, you might want to move them under a large tree, awning, or other source of shade, especially if it’s going to be hot. This will prevent them from drying out too quickly while you’re enjoying your vacation.
Invest in a watering system
Hayes recommends deeply watering all your plants right before you leave for vacation and ensuring they have appropriate drainage. (Root rot is a thing!) However, in the hottest months of the year, additional watering will likely be necessary.
“Plan to purchase an indoor watering drip system or watering bulbs to keep your plants from drying out,” Hayes recommends. “Watering bulbs and wicks are great! If you have a large collection of houseplants, an indoor drip system might be worth it.”
If you just have a few houseplants that need tending, these self-watering globes will do the trick. You simply fill them with water and insert them into the soil, and they’ll provide moisture to your plant for up to a week. Going to be gone for longer? Look for larger globes or even put multiple in each pot.
Alternatively, you can invest in an indoor watering system — this one can maintain up to 15 plants at once. You can create custom watering schedules, and it comes with little watering nodes that you insert into each plant.
Automate outdoor beds
Your outdoor garden beds will also need water while you’re away, and if you don’t have a neighbor who can stop by, there are plenty of options for automating outdoor watering.
This water timer connects to your outdoor faucet and can be programmed to automatically water garden beds, trees, shrubs, or even the lawn. It includes two separate zones, and you can use it with soaker hoses or sprinklers, depending on your needs.
If you want a full irrigation system, this kit includes everything you need to water up to 10 outdoor plants. It comes with a timer, feeder lines, connectors, and more, and Amazon reviewers say it’s a “tremendous value” for the cost.
Explore More Buying OptionsHire a plant-sitter
All the preparation in the world won’t be enough if you’re going on an extra-long vacation. The maximum time you’ll want to leave your plants unattended is probably two weeks, according to our expert.
“If [your vacation] is longer than a few weeks, I suggest someone come and do a check-in,” says Hayes. “If you have an excessive collection, you might want to have someone check in after the first week.”
Airtasker
If you don’t have a neighbor or relative who will check in on your plants, there are apps like Airtasker where you can hire a designated “plant sitter.” It’s free to post, and you can designate what services you need and for how long.
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