How To Keep Houseplants Alive While You're On Vacation

Headed on vacation? If you don't have anyone to check on your houseplants, these tips from horticulturists can help.

Have a growing house plant collection and not sure about their care when you take off for vacation? The best way is to have a family or friend come over to help, but sometimes this may not be possible. Many indoor plants can survive a week without their parents' care, but you’ll want to consider some factors, such as lighting, and giving them a thorough watering before you leave. There are several tips and tricks to ensure your plants manage without you. We asked Southern horticulturists for their best plant care tips while you’re away

Meet the Expert

• Justin Hancock is a horticulturist for Costa Farms, one of the largest horticultural growers in the world, headquartered in Florida.

• Amanda Gillahad and Mark Waldroop are horticulturists for the Biltmore Estate Conservatory in North Carolina.

How Long Can You Be Gone?

The length of your vacation will influence how well your plants fare without anyone checking in on them and providing them with adequate water. “Most plants will typically be fine if you’re gone a week, but some may start to suffer if they go without water for two weeks,” says Justin Hancock, Costa Farms horticulturist. Plant types, potting mix, and whether the plant is new or has been around a while will all influence how well it will do when the watering schedule changes.

The difference between one week or two in terms of plant care, according to Hancock, “depends on factors such as the plant species–some are a lot thirstier than others, the type of potting mix–some retain moisture better than others, how established the plant is–the more roots there are in the pot, the faster they’ll suck the moisture out, as well as the growing conditions–warmer, brighter conditions cause plants to drink faster.” He offers up the example of having the same two plants but in different places in your home and how they can be affected. “You can have two Peace Lilies—one might be fine in a room where you close the curtains, but the other one might suffer in the same time period if the room is a lot brighter.”

Soak Your Plants Before Leaving

Before you head for the door, make sure to give your indoor plants a thorough watering. “One easy way to do this is to put the plant in a sink or bucket with a couple of inches of water,” says Hancock. “Leave the plant to absorb moisture for about a half hour or so. Then let any excess moisture drip out.”

But too much of a good thing can have negative consequences for your plants. Water your plants but don’t leave them sitting in H2O. “If the roots sit in saturated conditions for more than a couple of hours, that can encourage root rot issues,” says Hancock. You don’t want to drown the roots in too much water.  Most plants can handle dry soil rather than soggy and wet soil. “And for most plants, being too wet is more harmful to them than drying out a bit too much.”

Adjust Lighting

Each plant has its preferred lighting conditions, whether it’s direct or indirect sunlight. Sometimes adjusting how much light they receive daily while you’re away can reduce growth and water needs. Hancock says that moving your plants so they have less sunlight, “can certainly be helpful as light fuels growth and growth fuels water use.”

But you also want to avoid placing your plants in extreme situations, such as too much light or too little light. “You don’t want to keep your plants in pitch darkness—going overboard can be problematic for other reasons, but even just moving plants farther back from a window can help,” says Hancock.

Changing the lighting conditions a little can help if it’s going to be watered less often. “If a plant is used to being watered every other day or so during the growing season, it should be able to take one missed watering if you’ve moved it out of its more direct sunlight,” say Amanda Gillahad and Mark Waldroop, horticulturists for the Biltmore Estate Conservatory in North Carolina.

Avoid Moving Plants

Changing the location of your plants may not be the best idea right before you leave for vacation as this can affect how well they grow. “Generally plants should be left where they are doing their best,” say Gillahad and Waldroop. But if you have several houseplants, you may want to move them so they are all together.

Group Plants

Have several plants in your living room? Placing them next to each other can be beneficial to preserve and maintain humidity. “If you’re asking your plants to miss several regular waterings, grouping plants together in an area with less direct light for a few days will help keep the humidity up around each individual plant and reduce the need for water,” say Gillahad and Waldroop. “Grouping plants on a pebble filled tray that holds water will help add humidity around the plants.”

Hancock agrees and has used his bathroom as a place to keep his plants while he’s been away. “I’ve also grouped my plants together in a bathtub when I’ve been gone for a while and not able to find someone to come check on my plants,” he says. “Being all grouped together like that raises the humidity so there’s less evaporation, and a lower-light bathroom slows their growth.”

Consider Amendment

Adding amendment to the soil gives your plants a nutrient boost and can also retain more water and moisture in the soil. “Potting soils with lots of peat or compost will also hold water longer,” say Gillahad and Waldroop.

Another option is using a chemical polymer that you place in the soil to keep your plants hydrated and the soil moist. “One method is using a hydrogel product mixed in the soil that stores water and then releases it back into the dry soil,” say Gillahad and Waldroop. “[This is] appropriate for plants that like a more constant moisture level like African Violets and Abutilons.”

Use a Self-Watering System

Want to ensure your plants have access to water? Consider using watering wicks. “Water wicks are a good way to extend the time between watering,” say Gillahad and Waldroop. There are different systems you can buy or make yourself. Use a piece of cotton fabric or wick that sits in water and the other end of the wick is in the soil of your potted plant. “If you’re going to be gone for an extended time, watering with a cotton wick in a water reservoir can be a great way to keep your plants hydrated,” says Hancock. “The larger the reservoir, the longer the plants can go without water.”

When Should You Ask Someone To Water Your Plants?

If you’re gone for a long weekend or a week, you probably don’t need to worry too much about your houseplants. People often water once a week, but your watering schedule may be different if you have specialty plants that have specific watering and care needs.

Longer than a week will require ensuring that you have some plans in place to ensure your plants are managed. According to Hancock, “If you’re going to be gone more than that time, then you’ll want to do something, whether it’s wicking or decreasing light levels or finding someone to come and check, to ensure your plants stay healthy.”

Gillahad and Waldroop agree and advise, “If you’re going to be out for two weeks, it’s best to bring in a friend to water.” But if you want to be on the safe side, Hancock suggests always asking someone to check in your plants when you’re gone. 

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