Vacation Care for Houseplants
by Pamela Kock

It’s summer vacation time once again; the beach beckons. You’ve stopped the mail and newspaper delivery, secured care for your pets in a kennel or with a friend, bought travelers’ checks, and finalized your itinerary. There’s just one more thing to do – take care of your plants!

Depending on how long you’ll be gone, you’ll need to devise a way to keep your houseplants happy during your absence. This can be accomplished in many ways, and it’s usually not as complicated as it seems. Most varieties of houseplants can survive quite well without any care for a week or longer, as long as they are healthy and moist when you depart.

If you’re lucky enough to have a trusted friend or relative who’s able to stop by every couple days and check your houseplants, take advantage of it! Be sure your “plant sitter” knows what to do, though. Make it easy for her by labeling the plants she may not recognize, grouping similar-care plants together, and putting together a simple care guide.

Self-watering pots can be a great asset to vacationers, but they’re not for every variety. Since moisture is constantly wicked up to the roots, plants that prefer to dry out a bit between watering may suffer. These pots are great for flowering plants and some foliage varieties, and should be used even when you’re not on vacation. If you don’t have self-watering pots for your plants that like constant moisture, you may be able to create the same system by setting the plants in a tray of water while you’re gone. Be careful, though – not all plants are happy with “wet feet” (roots sitting in water). If your plants are in unglazed clay containers, you can self-water them by placing bricks in a tray of water or bathtub, then put the plant pots on the bricks. The clay pots will absorb the water, and the plants will get moisture without being oversaturated.

Water delivery systems, or gadgets that gradually add water to the soil over time, can be another option. These can be as simple as those plastic vials that florists use. Whatever you choose, test them out ahead of time to see how well they really work.

Most houseplants, especially those that don’t require a constant level of moisture (most foliage plants are in this category) will do fine for a week or so if they’re brought into a shaded area. The lower light levels will slow their growth, so they need less water, and will also cut down on evaporation. Try placing moss or coarse pebbles on the soil surface to further reduce evaporation. Plants need air circulation, though, so try not to place them in an unventilated area.

If your houseplants have gone outside for the summer, you can keep them from drying out by sinking the pots in the ground up to the soil level. Pay attention to the light levels of the area where you plant them, though, so they won’t get too much sun. If no rain is in your forecast, water them well and place a mulch on top of the soil surface to retain moisture.

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