How to Water Outdoor Plants When Away for a Month: Guide

Maybe you are wondering how to water outdoor plants when away for a month. Fortunately, there are solutions such as watering globes and bulbs, soaker hoses and some other methods.

Today, let’s look at some of the best ways to water your outdoor plants, even when you’re away for an extended time.

How to Water Your Open Air Plants When Away From Home?

To water your open air plants when away from home you should have at least a few self–watering systems in place. Watering globes, watering bulbs, soaker hoses, and irrigation methods may some of which you’ve heard of. But good old neighborly help or some DIY projects can also help you.

1. Ask a Neighbour

It’s ideal if you have a plant-savvy friend who can come over a couple of times a week while you’re away to help keep your outdoor and indoor plants watered. Even a cautious, non-plant-savvy person will function in an emergency if you do a little advance planning.

Try also keeping a check of how much and how often each plant requires water for a few weeks before you leave, and then leave specific instructions like: “Every weekend, give this plant 12 cups of water” for your plant sitter.

2. Set up a Drip Irrigation System

You can install a drip irrigation system, slowly and steadily delivering water directly to the plant roots. This system can be configured with a timer and a reservoir to ensure that your plants receive the water they require even when you are not present.

Automatic watering systems are very simple to assemble and need no special tools (other than a punch included with the kit), and you can arrange them to fit your garden’s layout or your containers’ needs. A simple drip system will cost around $100 but last for years. You can even change it up as your plants grow. Watering plants will have never been easier.

3. Build a Miniature Greenhouse

If you have a small number of plants, you can buy a water-recycling terrarium or make one yourself out of a large clear plastic bag. This is also known as self–watering planters – similar to those self-watering pots available in the market.

Place the open bag on a waterproof floor in a room with a moderate temperature and away from direct sunlight. This plant watering technique will water plants automatically.

To avoid tearing the bag, carefully place a moist towel along the bottom and place as many well-watered potted plants as will fit on the towel. Pull the bag’s sides up over the plant(s), blowing in the air to puff out the bag, and twist the top shut. Use a twist tie or a rubber band to secure it.

The surplus water will flow back down onto the potting soil, where it will once more be accessible to the roots, after being released from the plant’s leaves.

4. Make a Wick (Bottle Method)

You can set up an indoor and outdoor easy-wicking system if you have huge, immovable plants, dislike using plastic bags, or just have too many to move. You will require water-holding containers and absorbent wicking materials (such as thick yarn, leftover pieces of natural fiber rope, or cotton T-shirt strips) and containers such as plastic bottles, water bottles, wine bottles, bowls, or buckets.

Place a container of water next to the plant; if the container is large enough, it can serve multiple pots. Put one end of the wick into the water, ensuring that it can reach to the bottom of the container, and place the other end about three inches deep into the moist soil of the plant to avoid your plant from being left high and dry while it drinks. As the soil dries out, water will move up the wick to replenish moisture.

5. Put Plants in Bathtub While on Vacation

If you’re lucky, most of your plants don’t need a lot of light if you are wondering how to water plants when away for a week or more. For plants that don’t require a lot of sunshine but prefer humid settings, like tropical plants, keeping them in the bathroom is ideal. Note that this method may be suitable if you’re only going to be gone for a week. But, if you’re gone longer, the plants may suffer.

How to Keep Potted Plants Hydrated When Away?

To keep potted plants hydrated when away you can move your plants to a more shaded location, place pots together to form a microclimate – creating humidity and add mulch to help with water retention. These steps will go a long way towards ensuring hydration.

1. Provide Shade to Your Plants

Move pots and hanging baskets to a shaded location for most of the day, particularly in the afternoon. Move them into the garage if no other shade is available. A week or so of low light may cause leggy plant growth or less flowering, but plants will recover. However, removing planters from their usual location and accumulating newspapers or mail may indicate that you’re out of town.

2. Place Pots Together to Create Humidity

Group containers together to create a humid microclimate that aids in water conservation. A layer of bark mulch applied to the soil surface of containers also aids in moisture retention.

How To Keep Your Lawn and Garden Hydrated When Away?

To keep your lawn and garden hydrated when away there are two basic steps you can take: You should test out your systems ahead, for example, installing an irrigation system and testing out how the timer works beforehand. Additionally, you can also simply let your lawn go dormant.

1. Test Out Your Systems Beforehand

Install your irrigation systems and test out several timer settings ahead of time, ideally for a few days, to see what works best in each case. For instance, a row of freshly planted seeds could require a half-hour of watering every morning, whereas a row of mature blueberry shrubs might benefit from a deep, two-hour treatment once a week.

2. Let Your Lawn Go Dormant

While this may seem like the most counterproductive thing to do, letting your garden beds go dormant for a while can act as a coping mechanism. On the day before you leave, mow your lawn to the customary height. Always mulch your grass clippings rather than bagging them since they will rot and improve your yard while you are away.

Don’t worry about watering it after that; just let your lawn go to seed. For grass, it serves as a useful coping technique. As soon as you go back, give it a thorough watering, and as it starts growing again, feed it with your preferred lawn food.

How to Revive Plants Once You’re Back?

To revive plants once you’re back you should examine the plants – it may not actually be dead or that badly damaged – to see if they are salvageable. Thereafter, you should water them but do not overwater them. Trim dead leaves – be brutal – and watch as your plants recover!

1. Examine the Plant

The phrase “dead” is a relative one when referring to plants. As you look closely, it could not be the case that your plant is dead despite its appearance. You might still be in business if the plant still has some green on it. There is a chance you can revive it if the stem exhibits any signs of green.

2. Water

If you’ve been gone for at least a month, dehydration in plants may be bound to happen and, for many, a likely occurrence. What symptoms do thirsty plants exhibit? Leaves will begin to dry out and become brown at the tips before dying and falling off. Moreover, dirt in pots will split and pull away from the sides.

Of course, water is the solution here, but watering a dying plant properly is vital. Start giving regular plant watering sessions once you’re back to see if it does any better. Keep in mind this does not mean you should go overboard and over water the plants. Just water little by little and see how the plant copes each time.

3. Trim Any Dead Leaves

You must remove the dead leaves from plants that are decaying because they will most likely have them. Be brutal: If leaves are entirely brown, they won’t regenerate; instead, concentrate on new growth. Use a pair of plant shears, scissors, or your fingertips to gently pinch the dead leaves and remove them. Dead leaves usually fall off the stem without much effort, but if you must tug, use a pair of shears.

Conclusion

With the tips mentioned above, you will be able to relax on your time away from home, knowing the plants behind you are taken care of. Keep in mind:

• Before leaving, give your chosen method of watering while away a try to see how it does and whether it works properly for you.
• Asking your neighbors, friends, or relatives for a hand is always good. So don’t hesitate.
• Once you’re back, we recommend examining your plants properly to bring them back to routine. It may take some effort, but all will be well.

Now you’re all set to leave your plants in a cared-for situation even when you’re not around and you can relax!