How to Keep Plants Alive While on Vacation - Tips and Tricks

Are you wondering “how to keep plants alive while on vacation? When you are on vacation or are planning a trip, it’s only natural to worry about your plants and how they will surive. After all, some plants need more watering than others. Some plants need humidity, and others prefer to be in an area with a few hours of sunlight.

So how do you keep your plants healthy and strong while you are away on vacation? Are there any cheap and easy DIY projects you can do to give them water while you are gone? Should you ask someone to help watch the plants for you?

So, “how to keep plants alive while on vacation” getting you nervous? Here is the complete breakdown to make sure they are happy while you are away!

Table of Contents

Have a Plant Sitter Help You

Having a friend maintain your plants is one of the best options to keep them alive while on vacation. Chances are you have different plants in your home, which means they have different requirements. To help your friend, you should group certain plants with clear instructions on watering and any minor things they should be familiar with, like brushing away spider webs or cutting away yellow or brown leaves from healthy plants.

Above all, you shouldn’t make taking care of plants difficult for the plant sitter. Even if the plant sitter is familiar with plants, you don’t want to overload them with special requirements. Having them stop by every few days to check up on the plants and give some water is excellent plant care.

Create a Microenvironment for Plants

Tropical plants like to be humid environments in your home. While you are away on vacation, you should group plants that enjoy humidity. Grouping plants creates a mini microenvironment and helps them create a small ecosystem of humidity through water evaporation.

One tip is to place these tropical plants in a bathroom with a window and keep the door shut after watering them. Keeping these plants together in a closed room with a window helps create a more humid environment, which these plants will enjoy while you are gone.

Use Clear Plastic Bags

Consider using a clear plastic bag around plants that need extra humid environments to survive. To use this bag effectively, you first water the plant and then cover it with a bag to make a mini greenhouse. Next, you can create a few slits in the bag to allow the plant to breathe and allow most humidity to stay within the bag.

Place the Houseplants Over Rocks

Consider placing a pebble tray underneath the indoor plants that would like some humidity throughout the day. To start this process, fill the pebble tray with water and place the plants either on top or next to these trays. As the water evaporates on the rocks, it gives off humidity, which works perfectly for plants that require some moisture.

Place the Houseplants in a Tub with a Few Inches of Water

If you are looking for a cheap and easy DIY project to give plants consistent water, place them in a tub with an inch or two of water. Placing the plants directly on top of the water in the tub allows them to drink the water at their own pace. This form of watering is known as “bottom watering” since the plant receives the water from the bottom of the pot, not from a traditional topsoil watering.

Some plants prefer bottom watering. These plants include Peace Lily, Snake Plants, succulents, and African Violets.

Shower the Houseplants Before You Go

Depending on how long you will be away from your plants, you should consider giving them a hard shower before you leave. A hard shower works by placing the plants in a sink or shower and letting the excess water run through the soil and out the drainage holes. Getting water through the entire plant system will give the plant the water it needs for at least a week or so, and then you don’t need to worry about watering it while you are away.

Use Self-Watering Globes

Watering globes are a great idea to help give a slow and steady amount of water to your indoor and outdoor plants. To help preserve the water from flowing out of the globe, put a coffee filter at the opening, which creates a funnel. Next, you can submerge this glove into the mulch or soil, and then it will slowly give water to the plant.

Create a Self-Watering System with Cotton Rope

If you want to create a DIY watering system for your plant, all you need is a cotton rope, a glass jar, and your plant. This process is known as water wicking, and it works by submerging one end of the string into a jar of water and then having the other end into the plant’s soil. Over time, the water will transfer from the glass jar of water and go into the plant’s soil.

DIY Water Drip System

One way to water plants at a slow and consistent level is by using a plastic bottle. First, you give the right amount of water to the plant that it usually gets from traditional watering. Next, you fill up a plastic water bottle and then drill one or two holes at the top of the bottle. Note you want to keep the cap on the plastic bottle during this entire process.

Next, plunge the water container with water and the cap into the soil. Make sure that you don’t disturb the plant’s roots when you do this. Once the bottle is in the soil, you are all set, as the tiny holes will provide consistent drip irrigation of water to the plant while you are gone.

As a note, you can use a wine bottle for this instead of a plastic bottle, but if you are new to this drip system, opt for the plastic bottle. The plastic bottle is easier to use since you can drill one or two holes at the top of the bottle, which you can’t with a glass wine bottle.

Don’t Use Fertilizer Before You Leave for Vacation

One tip before you go on vacation is not to fertilize the plant. Fertilizing the plant, especially during the spring and summer, can kickstart new growth. While you are away on vacation, you can’t adapt to the plant requiring more direct sunlight or water, so it is best to hold off on fertilizer until returning from vacation.

Move the Plants Away from Direct Sunlight

While some of your plants might enjoy direct sunlight, like cacti, you should move these plants into an area with indirect sunlight while you are on vacation. Leaving plants in direct sunlight can cause damage if the sun is too intense, which can cause problems for them.

In addition to the damage that direct sunlight can create, it also causes the plant to drink more water. You don’t want the plant to drink too fast, even with a self-watering system you make while on vacation. One way to limit how fast they drink is with less direct sunlight, so move them to an area in your home with a bit more shade to protect their leaves and have them not drink as fast.

Conclusion: How to Keep Plants Alive While on Vacation

In summary, going on a short vacation shouldn’t create any issues for your plant with these tips in the post. The main thing to remember is to water your plants before you leave, group plants that enjoy humidity, and create a DIY water drip system to give plants water over a long time naturally. In addition to that, you want to move plants away from direct sunlight to protect them and have them conserve their water while you are gone.

While the best option is to have someone come over to your house to maintain your plants, you also have plenty of DIY options to consider to keep them healthy and strong while you are gone!