Keeping Your landscaping Healthy While on Vacation

Top Tips to Keep Your Plants Healthy When You’re Away

August is one of the busiest months for travel, which means many of us will be leaving our homes for extended periods of time. The last full month of summer is also one of the hottest, with direct sunlight beating down on your new flower garden all day long.

If you’re worried about how to keep your flowers and shrubs alive when you’re gone, there are a few tricks from the landscaping experts at DiSabatino Landscaping on optimal plant survival:

Water Rope Wicking

Take a bucket and cut a piece of clothesline that’s long enough to reach from the bottom of the bucket to the bottom of your plant’s pot. Fill the bucket with water. Making sure the clothesline touches the bottom of the bucket, run the rope to the base of the plant near the roots. The rope will slowly water the plant, keeping a consistent moisture level for more than a week.

Globe Watering System

Similar to the painted glass globes, you can make a DIY version with a plastic bottle that’s simple and inexpensive. Clean and dry a plastic water bottle. The size depends on the plant – use a plastic water bottle for small to medium plants, and a liter bottle for larger plants. Drill a few drainage holes in the bottom. Fill the bottle with water, turn it over and plunge it into the first few inches of soil. The water will slowly leak out as you’re away.

Give Your Plants a Bath

If your plants have good drainage, simply fill your bathtub with a few inches of water and lay a towel down to prevent scratching. Rest your plants in there for up to a week. If you only have a few plants, you can also use the kitchen sink.

Enlist Help

Is there a teenager in your neighborhood? A recently retired friend? Ask them to come by and water the plants every other day. You can pay them or reward them with a gift card. It’s also a nice gesture to move all the plants together so they can water them more easily. 

All of these tips will help keep your plants and flowers healthy when you get back from your vacation. And don’t forget about your pets too!