Summer is about the warm luxury of relaxing, maybe even doing some traveling. Your plants are practically children. You can’t just leave them at home and hope for the best. You certainly can’t bring them with you on vacation. Can you imagine a Philodendron in a bikini? Yikes!

Sometimes putting your plants in the care of friends or neighbors isn’t the best option either, so here are some tips for plant care while you go on vacation:

Taking Care of Your Outdoor Plants.

Garden plants need a lot of water during the summer. The best option to water your plants while you are gone is a water timer. All you have to do is set the timer for when you want to water and for how long. The best time to water is always early morning before it gets too hot and the water evaporates. Plants are more receptive to water during the morning dew and the heat throughout the day will help evaporate what water is left.

Before leaving on vacation, check the weather. Based on the weather, you may want to set the timer to water your plants longer. If it will be very hot and sunny, set the timer to water your plants for longer. If it will be cloudy and cool, set it for a shorter time.

Note: Just be sure to turn on the water, so the timer will release water when the timer goes off.

Now that you have the timer, it’s time to choose your water irrigation system of preference.

• Soaker hose: Connect a soaker hose to your timer.  Water seeps from tiny pores along the length of the hose to soak the base of your plants. Line your entire garden with a soaker hose and even hide it beneath your mulch.

• Drip Irrigation: A drip irrigation system, like Proven Winners’ WaterWise, is great for outdoor containers, but you can also use it to line your garden beds. Each connector can be placed in your containers and around the base of your plants. The timer will release the water and the irrigation connectors will drip water into those areas.

Houseplants Need Water Too!

Your indoor hanging baskets and other houseplants also need some care when you’re away.

Try these products:

• Glass Plant Quencher.  These are colorful globes with spike ends.  Simply fill up with water and stick it in your pots and hanging baskets. Water will slowly drip into the pot as the roots need it. This will last at least a week.  

• Plant Pals: These terra cotta spikes allow you to use a wine or long-neck bottle to water your plants. Fill the bottle with water, rest the neck of the bottle in the top of the spike, and push the spike into the soil. The spike is designed to release water to the roots of your plants as needed. This will also last at least a week, depending on the plant’s needs.

• Blumat: Is a unique watering system that uses a carrot gauge and tube to water plants as needed. The carrot goes into the soil of your plant, while the tube goes into a container of water. The carrot will pull water from the tube as needed to water your plants. This system will work both indoors and out, and doesn’t require batteries or electricity of any kind.

For more information about any products to use while going on vacation, come by any English Gardens location and talk to our experts! They will be happy to assist you in any of your gardening needs.