No matter whether you have an indoor or outdoor garden area, all plants need a consistent caring method to thrive well. Adequate watering is one of the crucial requirements of keeping a plant alive.
But what if you can’t reach home every day due to your work schedule? Or what, if you are going on a long vacation? That doesn’t mean you should keep your plant thirsty and let them die inattentively.
How to water plants during vacation: Best ways to water when you want to go for a short vacation 1. Thread/fabric wicking method (capillary action) 2. Plastic bottle dripping 3. Self-watering reservoir 4. Greenhouse with a plastic bag and finally 5. bathtub or saucer method.
Out of these the plastic bottle method and wicking method will continue to drip water even if it’s not needed and results in overwatering, so choose it for only hardy plants while you are away from your plants.
And if you travel very often it is recommended you buy an automatic watering system to fit it and forget it way.
Watering outdoor plants while not at home
To water your outdoor plants you can choose the top 4 methods and do heavy mulching to prevent evaporation and keep the soil moist. Also, ask your neighbor or friend of yours to keep an eye on it and help you water it while you are away.
A self-watering system can save us wonderfully in such a matter. Here we come up with the best and probably the easiest way of such watering methods for your lovely plants, while you are a bit away from your home-
Water-Wicking Drip Process:
Supplies You Need:
- A large jug of water (longer than the planter)
- A piece of twine or yarn or any string that can be wet
- And some distilled water
How to Do The Process:
- Place the jug or water jar beside the planter
- Fill it up with distilled water
- Place one end of the twine or a piece of yarn into the jug
- Put the other end on the soil of your plant
- The water will wick from the longer jar to the shorter planter through the vassal of twine and keep the soil moist enough.
Self-watering with threads -> Youtube.
Placing your plant in a saucer with water ->youtube
Slow-Watering with Plastic Bottle:
Supplies You Need:
- Plastic bottles
- Their lids with a hole on the top
- Irrigation spike
- A thread
- And filtered water
How to Do The Process:
- Fill bottles with filtered water first
- Screw one bottle over another one with irrigation spikes
- Now water your plant thoroughly with at least 1-2 inches of deep watering
- Then, set the bottles one above another like you screw them by keeping them upside down
- Tie the set with the plant properly with a thread
- Don’t forget to lid up the bottle with the holed caps before setting them up
- You can set the bottle separately if you want
- Now you can take a break from watering for almost 2 -3 weeks without any worries (depends upon the plant and bottle and hole size).
Drip irrigation with a water bottle and thread -> Video
Use Self-Watering Pot:
Supplies You Need:
- A self-watering pot
- And a watering can or sprayer
How to make a self-watering pot with a water reservoir at the bottom to save weeks of work -> Youtube
Sample store-bought self-watering pot -> Youtube
How to Do The Process:
- Sow our plant in a self-watering pot instead of a normal planter
- It has a water reservoir at the end section of the tub
- This reservoir works as a sub-irrigation system for your plant
- Now water your plant thoroughly before leaving your house
- The planter will store the excess water in its reservoir
- Later it will supply that water to the roots when they seem thirsty
- You can stay free for 3-4 weeks without worries by using a self-watering planter for your plants.
Greenhouse Method with Plastic Bag:
Supplies You Need:
- A clear plastic bag
- Some trails
- And a watering can
Simple plastic bag greenhouse for vacation and for winter frost -> Youtube
How to Do The Process:
- Put some trails or stalks around your plant carefully
- Now, water your plant thoroughly with a watering can
- Let the excess water drains well from the bottom
- Finally, cover the entire plant with the plastic bag
- Make sure that bag doesn’t cling to the plant and prevent this possibility with those trailing supports
- Make a hole into the bag and blow some air through that hole
- Now, seal that hole rightly to make it secure tat the plastic bag won’t press up over your plant
- Place the planter in a low-light or indirect-light area and you are done here!
Bathtub/ Kitchen Sink Method:
Supplies You Need:
- Your Daily bathtub or large sink
- A towel
- And a good water source
How to Do The Process:
- Firstly, fill the sink or bathtub up with some freshwater about 3-4 inches in depth
- Lay a towel on the tub or sink with a single layer
- Put your planters over the towel carefully in a row
- Now you can go on your vacation freely
- Whenever the soil of your planter would turn dry, they will draw up their needed water from the wet towel through the drainage holes.
Tips On Watering Your Plants While Away:
- Always use fresh and filtered water when you use them for storing and slow-watering purposes
- Normal tap water may turn bacterial while staying in storage for long
- Keep your plant away from direct sunlight while you are setting a slow-release water plan for your plant
- Make sure you don’t set a fast-releasing water method while setting a long-lasting watering process for your plant
- Otherwise, it will make the root waterlogged or soil soggy unknowingly and will end up your initiative in a fatal way
- And remember that plants with big or medium-big foliage are more capable of adapting such watering methods than tiny shrub-like plants.
FAQ:
How Long Does A Delay Watering Plan Work?
A self-watering plant could work up to 1-2 weeks and sometimes even longer, with proper execution. You can arrange a local supervisor if you want in this attempt. He or she will only inspect once in a while, whether your method is working well or not.
Is It Safe to Set a Self-Watering Method For Your Plant When You Are Away?
It is safe for any type of growing plant, whether it is a thirsty one or a plant with moderate water needs. You just need to make sure that you set the watering plan properly, without failure possibilities.
Can Plants Go without Watering for 3 Weeks?
Well, different plants have different watering needs. So, some plants could stay without watering for weeks, especially, which are not that much thirsty. On the other hand, some plants couldn’t survive even 1 week without water. We usually need a self-watering plan for such plants, while going out for a vacation.
Consider Giving a Complete Bath to Your Plant
Supplies You Need:
- Large Sink or tub
- Water pipes
- And a speedy water source like tap line or else
How to Do The Process:
- Put your planter in a tub
- Now set one end of the pipes to your tap faucet
- Then, turn on your faucet and wash your plant thoroughly
- Give a stream of water for at least 3-5 minutes continuously
- Make sure you wash your plant entirely, from top to bottom, from leaves to stem, and from undersides to below sides
- Let the water drain out entirely from the bottom of your planter
- Saturate the soil until the drainage system is done entirely
- Now, your plant is all ready to stay hydrated for a few days (if you cant follow any of the above this is an alternative.)
Terrarium Style (Like a Greenhouse w/o stakes):
Supplies You Need:
- Large clean garbage bag
- It must have doubled up the layer
- A sharp object
- And some clean water
How to Do The Process:
- Sow your plant well in a lightweight planter first
- Now, put the plant in a clear and large garbage bag carefully
- Water the plant thoroughly and then, tie the doubled-up bag above
- Keep the exactly over the plant and poke some holes at the top
- This way, your planter can breathe and keep the soil moist both efficiently.