Watering flowers while on vacation

During the summer holidays, many lovers of growing plants in the apartment face a dilemma -what to do to prevent the potted plants from drying out during our absence ? This problem will occur less frequently in winter, because then the demand of most plants for water is much lower and they can withstand even a 2 or 3-week break in watering without any problems. Well, most of us go on holiday in the summer. Here are the7 proven ways to water your plants while on vacation !

Watering flowers during holidays
Fig. depositphotos.com

The easiest way to water flowers during your holidaythat comes to mind is to ask a loved one to look after our plants every few days. However, this is not always possible and then we have to provide the plants with good conditions until our return.

How to adapt watering to the needs of flowers?

Before I discussthe most popular ways to water your flowers during your vacation , please pay attention to the water requirements of each plant you have. If you have a collection of cacti and other succulents, the problem of watering during a vacation of several days does not exist, because these plants should not be watered too often. Therefore, it is enough to water them before leaving and then only after returning.

When dosing portions of water for individual plants, remember that for some of thema drought lasting several days may be less harmful than a long-term excess of water in the soil So remember not to overdo it in your concern about watering flowers during your holiday. Therefore, pouring a lot of water into the pots is not an option, as this can lead to rotting of the roots. Plants must be provided withwater, which they will use gradually "

7 ways to water your flowers while on vacation

1. Reduce water loss

First of all, reduce water loss that threatens plants. Perhaps then evenwill not be necessary to water the flowers during the holiday , especially not too long. For this purpose, do not leave the plants directly on the window sills and near very sunny windows, where the temperature can rise significantly and water from the soil will evaporate faster.Move plants to shaded areas or at least away from the windowAlso think about air circulation. The temperature can rise especially in sunny rooms that are not aired.I do not urge you to leave the window open, because in strong wind and heavy rainfall this idea may turn out to be deplorable. However, remember toleave the doors to rooms with vents open(most often it is a kitchen and a bathroom).

2. Apply TerraCottem

It is worth mixing a special preparation called TerraCottem with the soil in the pots. It contains a hydrogel - a substance that stores water in the soil. This preparationabsorbs excess water after watering and then gradually gives it back to the plantsThanks to this, it allows to significantly increase the time intervals between subsequent waterings, and the soil remains slightly moist all the time. A very important feature of this preparation is thatreleases water gradually, so there is no risk of overflowing the plantsThe soil will be moist only as much as needed.

Pour TerraCottem into the pot and mix it with the soil
Fig. © PoradnikOgrodniczy.pl

In addition, TerraCottem also contains a starting dose of fertilizers for newly planted plants and a piece of volcanic rock, whichloosens the soil in the pot and prevents it from clumpingTerraCottem is therefore a complete soil supplement for flowers thanks to which we will obtain the best quality substrate and at the same time provide moisture for a long time.
Of course, TerraCottem should be mixed with the soil before planting or transplanting them in the spring. However, if we haven't done so, nothing is lost!You can gently dig the soil around the plant and sprinkle TerraCott so that it is at least a few cm below the groundIn such situations, I often simply lift the soil on the edges of the pot with a spatula and sprinkle TerraCottem into the holes
In a similar waywith TerraCottem we can help plants in the garden , on the balcony or terrace: -)

3. Irrigate from a water bottle

You can also usea bottle of mineral waterFill it with water (but not completely), close it without tightening the cap completely (so that the water drips) and place it in the ground with the bottom up. This solution will gradually release water to the ground. You can also screw the cap completely on and punch small holes in it with a sharp tool (e.g. a pin heated above the lighter). However, it is worth testing it for a while before you leave so that the water through the cap does not leak out too quickly or too slowly. Make such an attempt, because unfortunatelythe risk of spilling flowers during your vacationis very high!

Watering from a bottle of mineral water
Fig. © PoradnikOgrodniczy.pl

4. Flower irrigation balls

Flower irrigation balls are a relatively cheap and practical solution. It is becoming easier and easier to buy them at various garden stores and florists.These are decorative colored glass plastic balls with a water supply tube, advertised as the perfectway to water flowers during your vacation

Pour water into the ball and put it in a pot
Fig. © PoradnikOgrodniczy.pl

After filling the ball with water, insert the tube into the ground in the pot and gathered in the ball the water slowly flows into the soil. To prevent the earth from clogging the outlet hole, first make a hole in the ground with a pencil or a stick and then insert the pipe from the ball into the hole. The balls are made in such a way that they provide water gradually, in the right amounts