Vacationing Your Houseplants-MG

It's summertime and you are going on vacation, so what to do about your houseplants to keep them from dying while you are away.

Don't despair--there are several ways you can keep them hale and hearty, and here are some suggestions to consider before leaving:

Best of all, of course, is to have a friend, neighbor or relative care for your plants while you are gone. If you do ask someone to come into your house during your absence who may not be familiar with your plants, he or she may tend to overwater them. This probably happens because the caregiver worries that the plants may dry out before the next visit. It may be preferable, therefore, to take your houseplants over to the friend, neighbor or relative's house while you are away.

Another way to make sure your houseplants will be alive when you return is to set them outside in a shady area, under a tree or on the north side of the house. Place them in a child's wading pool with an inch or so of water in the bottom. Make sure the plants are in containers with holes in the bottom so they can take up the moisture.

You can also use self-watering wicks, which are available from some nurseries, or you can make your own using absorbent material cut in strips and placed in holes at the bottom of pots. Set the pots around a water source, letting the wicks trail into the water so that it is absorbed into the soil of the pots by osmosis. Your soil mixture will determine just how far from the source of water your plants should be placed. The finer the soil mixture, the greater the pull on the water. Just make sure your plants are well established with this system before leaving on vacation.

Many people prefer to place houseplants in the bathtub before leaving for a period of time. This is an effective approach. Water the plants well and cover the bathtub with a sheet of clear plastic. They will survive on their own in the tub for a couple of weeks or longer. It will be helpful if you can place a light source on a timer so they can receive as much light as normally--14 to 16 hours, if possible. Fill the bathtub with approximately 1 or 1-1/2 inches of water and set the plants above the water on boards or containers.

Another method of keeping plants watered is to use clear plastic bags, since this will retain moisture for a long time. Cut a few slits or holes in the bag, then seal it with a twist-tie. Be sure, however, not to leave your bagged plants exposed to direct sunlight.

If you are leaving the plants inside, it is well to reduce the temperature of the house, or else place them in the basement area. Since there is reduced light in this area, plants will require less water than those in bright sunlight, and can survive without watering for a longer time.

When you return home you should, hopefully, find your plants alive and healthy, and can be returned to their normal places.


		University of Missouri Extension Jasper County jasperco@missouri.edu Web site maintained by: Virginia Bryan bryanv@missouri.edu Last updated: 09/02/2009