How To Water Plants While Away: 5 Smart Watering Solutions

by John Griffith
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We’ve all been waiting for the summer holidays to finally roll around. However, now that the time to leave has come, there are some things you need to figure out before you pack your suitcase. Like whom will take care of your plants? You can’t just leave them! After all, nobody wants to come home after a restful vacation only to found all their precious plant babies wilted and withering away. If you can’t get a plant sitter in time for your vacation, don’t worry. You actually can leave your plants without a babysitter for a longer period of time, as long as you prepare them in advance. Today we will show you how to water plants while away with some simple techniques.

You actually can leave your plants without a babysitter

woman holding a plant

How To Water Plants While Away

Plants don’t need a lot of care once they have been established. However, even the toughest of plants still need some water from time to time. And it would be a real shame to find your plants ruined after spending so much time and effort tending to them. But having plants doesn’t mean you can take a vacation. Even if you don’t have someone who can come by to give them an occasional watering, there are plenty of ways to keep your plants happy and hydrated. Having some of these watering systems will put you at ease while you are enjoying your well-deserved vacay.

Plants don’t need a lot of care once they have been established

how to water plants while away woman watering plants

#Water before leaving

Depending on how long you will be gone and what the weather conditions are, you can simply give your plants a good watering before you go and let them be. Prioritize plants that are in the greenhouse and don’t have access to rain, houseplants, as well as really thirsty crops. Once you get back from vacation, you need to water them once again straight away. If you are leaving only for a couple of fays and you know your plants can handle, this is all you really need to do.

You can simply give your plants a good watering before you go

person watering greenhouse plants

#Make a DIY irrigation system

Buying or making your own DIY irrigation system is a great way to ensure your plants have plenty of water while you are away. You can buy fancy glass drips or use a water bottle. Get an old plastic bottle, remove the cap, and pierce a couple of small holes with a pin. Then fill up the bottle, put on the pierced cap, turn the bottle upside down and put it on the surface of the soil. You may need a stake to keep it up right. Then just leave it be. Ut will create a vacuum and slowly drip into the soil.

Make your own DIY irrigation system from a water bottle

water bottle in soil

#Use soil that retains moisture

Moisture-retaining granules and gels make an a great addition to your soil if you are a person that travels a lot or simply forgets to water their plants. These tiny little granules help to reduce the frequency of watering, as they hold onto water and release it slowly into the soil. This way your plant has plenty of water. These are super simple to use as you just need to mix them into the soil. They are effective both for plants in pots and garden beds.

Moisture-retaining granules and gels make an a great addition to your soil

plants in one place

#Mulch the plants

Mulch is great to have. Mulching your plants help keep them warm during winter, protects them from the scorching heat, retain moisture, stops soil erosion, and more! Simply adding a layer of mulch will prevent the sun from scorching your plants, will help lock in the moisture after watering and will stop weeds from popping up. This is a great long term solution. You can buy mulch or use organic matter like grass clipping, bark, wood chippings, compost, cardboard, and straw.

Mulching your plants will prevent the sun from scorching your plants

how to water plants while away mulched plants

#Move them into the shade

Unless you have plants that cannot tolerate shade, this is a wonderful idea. Grab all your plants that are in containers and bring them together in a shady space. This will not only make watering them easier, but since they are in a shady and sheltered spot it is less likely they will get sun damage. The lack of sun rays also ensures that the water won’t evaporate five seconds after you water them. When grouped together the plants will also create their own microclimate and will make the surrounding air cooler and damper, helping keep them healthy.

Grab all your plants that are in containers and bring them together in a shady space

how to water plants while away pots together in shady place

There are the smartest watering solutions when it comes to how to water plants while away. We hope you found this article useful. Now your plants can stay happy and healthy even if you are away for a while.

There are the smartest watering solutions when it comes to how to water plants while away

how to water plants while away watering a plant

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John Griffith

John Griffith is a young, passionate journalist. Writing has been John’s hobby ever since he was a boy. He has worked in some of the UK’s most successful news portals over the course of his professional career but found his forever home at Archzine.