How To Water Plants While Away On Vacation

It’s time to enter vacation mode and forget about your duties! However, before you depart, double-check that your plant kids are OK — you’ve taken such good care of them and would hate to see them wither away upon your return. There are rapid, cost-effective, and long-lasting answers to this. We’re here to demonstrate that your plants do not require a babysitter, since we have six self-watering solutions that will take care of even the most delicate plants! Each vacation plant watering system will provide you with peace of mind while you are at the beach.

Method 1: The Glass Bottle Solution

Once your bottle of sauvignon blanc is finished, save it – bottles are ideal for caring for plants that require daily watering while you’re abroad. Alternatively, employ this strategy on a daily basis to alleviate some of your watering work. If the bottle is designed well, it can also serve as a creative and exciting addition to your planter or pot. Use a bottle with a cap rather than a cork. Additionally, this solution may be reused by simply refilling the bottle once your plant has consumed all of the water.

  • Advantages: Ease of installation Ideal for: Plants that require a great deal of attention
  • Duration: around 5 days
  • Time required: Less than ten minutes

Required materials and tools:

  • Hammer
  • Nails
  • A bottle with a cap made of aluminum
  • Pliers

Step 1: Puncture holes in cap

Remove the plastic film from within the cap using pliers. Then, using a nail, hammer it through the aluminum cover five times to create five small holes. To avoid warping the cap, begin by nailing the hole from the inside.

Step 2: Fill the bottle with water

Remove the cap from the bottle and fill it to the brim with water. Replace the cap on the lid.

Step 3: Bury the bottle in the ground

Create a hole in the soil of the plant you’re going to water. Place the bottle in the hole you dug, cap side up. Recharge your batteries after a long weekend!

Method 2: Houseplant Bath

You bathe, and you may have bathed a pet previously, but did you know that you can bathe your plants as well? Yes, you may absolutely soak your plants in bath water while you’re gone for the week. Bear in mind that this strategy works best for plants that demand a lot of water, such as tropical plants, and plants that do not require much daylight, as the bathroom is typically the area with the least amount of natural light.

  • Advantages: Long-term solution
  • Best for: Tropical plants and those that do not require direct sunlight
  • Duration: 1 week
  • Duration of the project: 5 minutes

Required materials and tools:

  • Towel
  • Bathroom sink or bathtub
  • Potted plants that drain well

Step 1: Fill your bathtub or sink halfway

Fill your bathtub or sink halfway with water (depending on how many plants you need to care for while you’re gone).

Step 2: Spread a towel over the tub or sink to protect it

Arrange a towel over the water to prevent the plant pots from scraping the tub or sink.

Step 3: In the bath, arrange your plants on the towel

Place plants in the tub or sink, ensuring that they are in well-drained pots that allow water to seep into the roots. This strategy should be sufficient to maintain the plant for up to a week.

Method 3: Water Wicking Drip System

Using a simple cotton string, this method connects your plant to a water supply. Wick watering is excellent for prolonging the life of your plants – the more water you give in the external bucket or vase, the longer your plants will be cared for. Additionally, the method is ideal for individuals who have more than one plant, as it allows for simultaneous watering of numerous plants.

  • Advantages: Long-term solution
  • Recommended for: Indoor plants and non-succulent plants 6-8 months
  • Duration of the project: five minutes

Required materials and tools:

  • Cotton cordage
  • Vase or pail

Step 1: Cut the cotton ropes in half

Ensure that you get cotton rope because it is the most absorbent material and will quickly transfer to the plants’ soil. You want the rope to have some slack at the end inside the vase of water and to be able to reach several inches beneath the soil. Cut a rope long enough to reach each plant that requires watering.

Step 2: Bury the rope ends in the earth and water

One end of the rope should be pushed several inches into the soil of each plant, then covered with earth to ensure it stays. Additionally, you can shove each rope into the earth using a pencil. Place the other end of the rope in the vase or pail of water, leaving enough slack on this end.

Step 3: Water the plant and replenish the vase with water

To begin, fill the vase halfway with water and then water the plants. This is an excellent approach for folks who have several plants and want a centralized arrangement.

Method 4: Plant Saucer Configuration

While this is one of the simplest methods, you should certainly avoid it for plants that require specific care. Saucers not only assist retain water for your plants, but also prevent soil from leaking out of the bottom of your container, keeping things neat and clean while you’re away.

  • Advantages: Economical and straightforward solution
  • Best for: Succulents and other low-water-requirement cacti
  • Approximately 2-3 days
  • Duration of the project: one minute

Required materials and tools:

  • Saucer
  • Drainage vessel

Step 1: Select a saucer

When selecting a saucer for your pot, you want to ensure that it is approximately the same size as the pot, or slightly larger, so that the saucer has enough space to hold water while yet touching the entire bottom of the pot.

Step 2: Insert the plant into the pot

Utilizing a drainage pot ensures that the plant has access to the water contained in the saucer.

Step 3: Soak the saucer or fill it with water

Submerge the saucer in water or fill it with water to provide more water for the plant to drink while you are gone.

Method 5: Miniature Plastic Bag Greenhouse

This method does not require the construction of walls or a roof; it is relatively easy and provides an excellent long-term solution when you are away from your plants. Take care to follow the guidelines on this technique to avoid destroying the foliage of your plants. Avoid direct sunlight or using this strategy with succulents, as plants may overheat or shrivel.

  • Advantages: Long-term solution
  • Recommended for: Indoor plants and non-succulent plants
  • 6-8 months
  • 15 minutes for the project

Required materials and tools:

  • Four stakes made of wood
  • Bags made of clear plastic (large enough to fit over the plant)

Step 1: Insert the wood stakes in the ground

Place four wood posts in each corner of the pot. This will serve as the foundation for the greenhouse’s plastic bag tent, preventing the material from wrapping around the leaves.

Step 2: Water and position in a location that receives indirect sunshine

Water your plant normally — avoid overwatering. Allow indirect sunlight to reach your plant because direct sunshine will overheat the plastic bag and will most likely kill it.

Step 3: Wrap your plant in the plastic bag

Locate a plastic bag large enough to completely encase your plant. Wrap your plant in the plastic bag, ensuring that the stakes are positioned so that the leaves do not come into contact with the bag. It is acceptable if the leaves make a tiny contact with the bag. The tiny greenhouse will collect water as it evaporates and reintroduce it to the plant via water droplets.

Method 6: Planter Made of Plastic Water Bottles

Not only humans, but also plants, drink from water bottles, and this is an excellent way to recycle plastic water bottles. While this system is not extremely durable, it is one of the simplest to set up and utilize. Simply top off the bottle as necessary!

  • Advantages: Long-term solution
  • Recommended for: Indoor plants and non-succulent plants
  • 6-8 months
  • Duration of the project: five minutes

Required materials and tools:

  • Water bottles made of plastic (size varies due to plant size)
  • Nails
  • Hammer

Step 1: Punctuate the bottle with holes

Prick approximately six holes in the water bottle’s sides and approximately three holes in the water bottle’s bottom.

Step 2: Dig a hole in the soil and insert the plastic container

Water your plant’s soil beforehand to ensure that your plant does not drink all of the water in the bottle, extending the life of the self-watering method. Insert the plastic bottle into a hole in the dirt, leaving around an inch or two of the water bottle exposed.

Step 3: Fill the water container to the brim

Fill the bottle halfway with water and close it tightly to prevent the water from evaporating and instead draining into the plant. This method is ideal for plant owners who are away for an extended weekend or who do not water their plants daily. This approach may be repeated by simply refilling the water bottle.

Plants That Require Little Maintenance

If setting up an automatic watering system is not your cup of tea, here is a list of plants that will remain vibrant and cheerful after being neglected for a few weeks. Even though these plants do not require watering for extended periods of time, it is safer to keep them out of direct sunlight to extend their life. Certain plants thrive in low light. These plants have been shown to be tolerant of persons without green thumbs.

  • Aerial Plants
  • Anthuriums
  • Bamboo
  • Bromeliads
  • Kalanchoes
  • Tree of Money
  • Orchids
  • Lily of the Peace
  • Pothos Species
  • Cacti
  • Succulents

After determining which DIY self-watering planter is the greatest match, you can finally relax and enjoy your vacation without worrying about how to water your plants. Do not be alarmed if one of your plants appears droopy upon your return; there are methods for reviving houseplants, ensuring that you do not lose any of your plant buddies for good!