It's vacation time. You're taking a breather from work, but all the container plants, flowerbeds and houseplants you've worked so hard to plant and keep beautiful this spring are staring you in the face. How can you take time away from the garden without disrupting all the progress your garden has made? Follow the tips below to make sure your garden thrives even without your daily TLC.
Tips on How to Avoid Dead Plants While You're on Holiday
- Water everything well before you leave. If you plan to leave for a week or less, this should be sufficient, depending on the weather. If it is abnormally hot you may want to take some extra steps.
- Move houseplants into a cool, dark place to slow down their growth temporarily. One way to do this is to line a sink (or a bath if you have lots of plants) with a few layers of damp newspaper and place your plants on it. Close the curtains or shutters to block out the light, and the plants will grow more slowly, absorbing enough moisture from the newspaper to keep them healthy for a few days.
- Create a wick using capillary matting (made of felt or other absorbent material) to provide individual plants with a water supply. Fill a bowl with water, then place a strip of matting so that one end is in the water and the other end is buried in the compost in the pot. The capillary matting will draw up water from the reservoir and allow it to soak gradually into the compost.
- Move outdoor potted plants into the shade and group them to create their own micro-climate, raising the humidity around them slightly. For a longer-term strategy for your potted plants is to gather plants together in an empty kiddie pool placed in a shady spot in the backyard. Add 1 to 2 inches of water to the bottom of the pool. Plants should do well for one to two weeks.
- To help retain moisture, add a layer of decorative pebbles or gravel, however, we highly recommend using NuseryLand Container Mix Soil - available here at LMG. It combines the sphagnum and sedge peats with composted bark fines for great water retention and a structurally strong organic base. Mixed in is a food-grade polymer for added water capacity, perlite to lighten the soil for younger and softer flowers, herbs, and veggies, and a slow-release fertilizer to provide the energy to make any plant happy! Add a layer of this over your containers and hanging baskets to keep your plants happy while your away!
- To make your own drip water feeder for a potted plant, take a large plastic water bottle and make a tiny hole in the lid. Fill the bottle with water and plant it upside down in the pot. The water will leak out slowly, providing a constant supply of water until the bottle is empty. It’s a good idea to do a few test runs before you go away to make sure the water won’t run out of the bottle too quickly.
- Deadhead everything, especially roses and sweetpeas, and pick any ripe vegetables like tomatoes, beans, and zucchini before you go. If you’re lucky, you may be able to get a friendly neighbour to water your garden in exchange for free vegetables while you’re away!
PRO TIP: If you occasionally use fertilizer, make sure to hold off on fertilizing your houseplants until you return from your trip. You’ll want your plants to grow as slowly as possible while you’re away, which will help your plants conserve energy and water.
Whatever solutions you need for your garden, you’ll find plenty to help at Little Mountain Garden Centre, so visit us soon. Our friendly staff are always happy to advise!
