Heading out on a well-earned getaway? Before you zip that suitcase, take a minute to prep your leafy roommates – or risk thinning out your indoor jungle! 🌿✈️
Here’s how to look out for your houseplants while you’re away:
🚿 1. Water Wisely
Give your plants a deep, thorough watering right before you leave. Water until it runs out the drainage holes (unless it’s a succulent—go a lighter on those if you’re watering a little earlier than usual). For plants you know like moisture I like to also bottom water, meaning I leave them in standing water for about 5 minutes or so to really give the soil time to absorb.
☀️ 2. Turn the Sun Down a Notch, or Two
Plants in hot, sunny windows usually dry out quickly. Shift them a few feet back or place them in a spot with bright indirect light to help them conserve moisture. If you have blinds, bring those guys down a bit to filter out a little sun.
💧 3. Boost Humidity
Consider grouping similar plants together so they create a mini greenhouse effect and hold humidity longer. If you’d rather not group plants together, try placing few small bowls of water nearby. For plants in nursery pots inside staging pots, you could also put them on a tray filled with water. If your plants are living their best life in their nursery pots alone or the decorative pot has drainage… skip the tray of water, don’t want their soil soggy the whole time you’re gone! With these options, as the water evaporates, it’ll help keep the air moist—a perfect idea for tropical plants that love humidity.
💡 4. Try a DIY Watering Hack
For longer trips (7+ days), poke a small hole in the cap of a water bottle, fill it, and stick it upside-down into the soil for a slow-release drink. There’s also great terracotta spikes for bottles! Or use a cotton string wick: one end in a water container, the other buried in the soil. Your plant will “sip” as needed! My nerve plant would have appreciated one of these options!
🕺 5. Recruit a Plant-Sitter
If you’ll be gone for more than 10 days or have lots of finicky plants (cough, cough, ferns and calatheas 👀), enlist a friend or neighbor to swing by once or twice. Leave simple instructions and maybe bribe them with a plant cutting or two!
With a little prep, your plants will be just fine while you’re off adventuring! 🌎
