Going away for work or a nice holiday is exciting, isn’t it? But what on earth can you do to keep your houseplants alive while you’re gone? If you are due a trip away and want to know how to leave houseplants for a month, you’re in the right place! Read on, for all the best ideas on how to do this.
What You'll Learn Today
How To Leave Houseplants For A Month?
Leaving your plants for a month is not as heart-wrenching as leaving your pets – but houseplants will still need to be taken care of when you’re away.
Plants need water; without enough to drink they will die and you will return to a very sad plant collection.
Most plants can go a month without a feed, though you may find that you have to give them an extra dose when you get home – but water is an absolute must.
Keeping their preferred conditions going while you are away can be tricky, if you don’t have someone going in to turn them and check them.
If you’re going to be away for a long time, you will need to either find yourself a good plant sitter, ask a neighbors to check them, or work out a self-watering system.
Obviously, having someone water your plants while you’re away is the best idea. If you don’t have someone to do this then you’ll have to think again!
As long as you plan ahead and make sure that your plants are kept watered, warm enough but not too hot, and they have light, they should be fine.
How To Keep Your Plants Alive While You’re On Holiday?
Being honest, you will definitely need some sort of intervention if you are leaving your plants for more than a week or two.
The best way to do this is to hire a plant nanny – someone who knows houseplants and will come in and regularly check and water your green babies.
A friend or neighbors popping in to give everything a drink is also a good idea – they may not know as much about plants, but at least they should be able to keep them alive.
Failing these things, a self-watering system should be put in place so at least your plants will not die of thirst while you are away.
As well as the watering, you will need to keep an eye on temperature. Many plants will not survive if they get too cold, and some cannot tolerate being too hot!
For either type, you should ensure that they are kept out of the direct sunlight and away from any sources of draughts.
This video is filled with tips to help keep your plants alive while you’re on holiday:
How Long Can Most Houseplants Go Without Water?
Water is one of most plants’ absolute necessities; with the exception of orchids and some succulents, most will turn up their roots and die if they do not drink for a month.
In some cases, even a fortnight without a drink is too much – most plants need fortnightly watering, at least.
The type pf plant dictates how much water it will need – some are thirstier than others, while some can go for longer.
In general, 4 days to 2 weeks is about all most plants can handle without a drink. This may be increased slightly in the winter, and reduced in the summer.
How Do You Make A Self Watering System For Indoor Plants?
If you have no one to keep your plants hydrated while you’re away, a self-watering system may be the answer.
- Self-watering pots are gaining in popularity, and this may be a solution for you. Just remember to fill the water container up before you leave!
- Watering globes are another option – these tend to hold slightly less water, but they will still provide enough for your plants to drink.
- Reticulation systems are very useful for timed water delivery – you can set up you watering system to only release water at certain times.
- Water wicking is a simple solution – all you need is a bowl filled with water, and a piece of rope leading to each of your plant pots.
- Plastic bag greenhouse is another simple solution – this one is best used for plants that like to be kept warm and humid, or it can cause problems with the foliage.
Here is an article, with explanatory pictures, showing you how to make a few different types of self-watering systems.
What Indoor Plants Like Self-Watering Pots?
The best plants to use self-watering systems on are those that are pretty easy going and do not need a tight watering schedule.
- Cactuses and succulents are good bets; these do not need a lot of water so it will not be the end of the world if they don’t get as much to drink as they need.
- Air plants and orchids are famous for not needing much water, so these are prime candidates for a self-watering pot.
- Peace lilies are an easygoing plant that will happily thrive in a self-watering system without any trouble.
- African violets are a plant that will actually start to rot if it is watered too much from the top, so a self-watering pot while you’re on holiday will be ideal for this one.
- Pothos/Devil’s Ivy is another plant that does not like to be overwatered, so it will take very happily to being left in a self-watering pot.
- Cherry tomatoes, if you like to keep your vegetables alive while you’re away, will be very happy watering independently – too much water will cause the fruit to split.
You can, of course, use self-watering pots for any of your plants, but these are some of the ones that will benefit the most.
If you have to go away for long periods and want to make sure your houseplants are still alive when you get back, you will need to make arrangements for them.
Whether you go for a “plant nanny”, a self watering system, or just leaving them to it and hoping they’re ok, we wish you the best!
