Preparing Houseplants for Your Vacation
TIPical Mary Ellen : Episode TIP-461 -- More Projects »
Gardening expert Ardith Beveridge offers advice on how to prepare houseplants to be left alone while the family's on vacation.
- Plants cannot be left alone and ignored when the family's away on vacation. It is not enough to simply over-water them or turn down the temperature in the house before leaving.
Make a self-watering system by putting a few unglazed bricks in a large container and adding a few inches of water (figure A). Plants placed on top of the bricks will absorb moisture.Use a self-watering wick to help the plants draw moisture from the tub. These can be purchased at most plant stores and will provide water to plants for several weeks. Another option is to make one at home by threading a long piece of felt through the bottom of the plant (figure B).Fill a plastic container with pebbles and fill the bottom with water, then place the plants on top of the pebbles. The plants will absorb the water. For extended vacations, have a friend come in and add more water to the pebbles, but not to the plants themselves.Do not cover plants in plastic, or they will get moldy and die.Stop fertilizing plants a few weeks before leaving on vacation. Growing plants require more fertilizer than dormant plants.Lay pine cones or moss on top of the soil to keep the moisture in. Pine cones will also discourage housecats from digging in the pots.Plants that are too large to place in a watering tray should be mulched with damp newspaper. This will prevent a rapid loss of moisture. A dampened towel also works well.Group plants together and they will share humidity.
Resources Designing With Fresh Flowers
This is one in a 12-volume series of videotapes.
Floral Communications Group, Inc.
13200 Lincoln St., N.E.
Minneapolis, MN 55434
Toll-free: 888-757-5776
Website:
www.floralcommunications.com
Guests Ardith Beveridge
Floral Designer and Teacher / Director, Koehler & Dramm
Minneapolis, MN
Phone: 612-362-3102
E-mail:
Abeveridge@koehlerdramm.com
Website:
www.koehlerdramm.com Also in this Episode
