How to prepare plants when leaving for vacation

Discussion in 'HortForum' started by rfirestone, Jun 17, 2007.

  1. rfirestone

    rfirestone Member

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    Brooklyn, NY USA
    Hi, I live in NYC, and I have plants that I have in small greenhouse. Lots of cats in the area. I have strawberry plants, snowpeas, lobelias, basil, and chives. Most of them in the seedling stage. We're planning to go away for 10 days. I have no one to water them. What can I do to prepare them, so they won't all be dying of thirst while I'm gone? BTW, the vacation will be in September not in the heat of the summer.
     
  2. Daniel Mosquin

    Daniel Mosquin Paragon of Plants UBC Botanical Garden Forums Administrator Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    It shouldn't be a problem for some of them, as they will be starting to senesce above-ground and not putting on any more growth.

    For others, you can consider a reused pop bottle drip watering system, like so. At that time of year, you likely wouldn't expect much heat, so a slow drip should be good enough for more than a few days - at least enough so that when you return, the plants aren't wilted. As I mentioned, your plants will likely not need a lot of water at that time of the year, in any case.
     
  3. rfirestone

    rfirestone Member

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    Thank you, Daniel for your tip and link. I think I will try my own drip system using bottle, as I had not much luck with commercial ones. Someone also suggested, I put the plants in water tray with a bed of gravel so roots will seek water. I wonder if this will rot the roots or will be OK for 10 days. rfirestone
     
  4. malcolm197

    malcolm197 Active Member

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    Unconventional answer. Put a couple of centimetres of water in your bath and put your pots of plants in there. The combination of water and a cooler environment should feed your plants and check their growth ( reduce their requirement for water ). I do this for my house plants every year with complete success. Mind you this year it was unnecessary - we had no sun and torrential rain ( and Spring not Summer temperatures) for the entire 2 weeks I was away!!! I came back to find 10 centimetres of water lying in my garden. A fair pecentage of my plants were ruined.The garden press here in the UK is urging us all to espouse drought gardening( global warming) and yet flooding and bog gardening appears to be what is required this year - and no end in site for the rain - we have had about 3 days of sun in the last 2 months.

    Malcolm
     
  5. Liz

    Liz Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    Malcom we are still short over here. (rain) even tho we are having a proper winter for the first time in 10 years. However saw my first swallows today and my first jonquil is out.

    Liz
     

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