How do you vacation-proof your plants before going away? The holiday season is fast approaching, which means many of us have already booked out-of-town trips that would require us to be away from home for a longer period of time. So how would you keep the plants back home alive while on vacation? It's not like we could water our plants while away, right? So in this episode, I want to make sure that stress never happens to you. I'm going to set you up with all that you'll need to know so you know your plants are content while you enjoy your holiday.

In this episode, we learn:

[02:01] Join my Patreon for amazing goodies
[02:38] How to holiday proof your plants
[03:34] What’s your magic number? (the number of days you’re gonna be gone)
[05:57] Plant care tips for short trips (7 to 10 days)
[10:30] Why self-watering planters would be perfect for you
[11:30] Some DIY water-wicking system
[12:11] Try watering globes/stakes
[13:11] Plant care tips for longer trips (over 10 days)
[15:25] Give your plants the light they deserve this winter with Soltech!
[16:59] Gift peace and joy this season with personalized Wind River Chimes!
[19:32] How to prep your plant sitter

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Know Your Magic Number

First, you've got to understand what your magic number is—the magic amount of days that you can leave your plants and have them be okay.

Your magic number will depend on your plants and your plant-parenting style. I’d say mine is around 7 to 10 days, but I keep it low-maintenance with hardy plants like monsteras and pothos. If you’re more of a mindful plant parent and have ferns, calatheas, or other high-maintenance plants, your number might be closer to three or four days.

Basic Plant Care for 7-10 Day Trips

If you're taking a week to 10 days of vacation, you're probably better off than you think. Here are the key steps to take before you leave:

Deep Watering: Sometimes we're giving a little bit less water because we know that we're going to come back to them, but that shouldn’t be the case. Give your plants a deep watering before you go.

Moss on Top: I like to dampen some moss and place it on top of the soil. This helps slow down water evaporation and keeps the soil nice and moist for way longer.

Move Away from Windows: If you give plants less light, they will use less water, so placing them away from windows can keep them from drying out too fast. Plus, it prevents any shock from drafty holiday weather.

Group Your Plants: Put all your plants together in one general place to create this little microclimate as they transpire. (I swear by this trick!)

Prune Before You Go: Cut off any yellowing or browning leaves before you leave. This way, when you get home, if you see leaves that have yellowed or browned, you know it happened while you were gone and can troubleshoot accordingly.

Self-Watering Hacks

For those longer vacations or if you’re someone who travels a lot, here are a few self-watering options that are game-changers:

Self-Watering Planters: These are a lifesaver! I used Crescent Garden TrueDrop planters for my outdoor herbs this summer, and they made it so much easier to enjoy my travels without constantly thinking about my plants.

DIY Water Wicking: Grab some cotton rope, put one end in a water glass, and the other end in the soil. The string absorbs the water and slowly releases it into the soil.

Watering Globes and Stakes: These are little ceramic or glass stakes that slowly release water into the soil over time.

For Extended Travel (10+ Days): Should You Get a Plant Sitter?

If you're traveling for longer than 10 days, don't just abandon your plants! A lot of us have invested hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars into our plant collection. So it makes sense to pay a plant sitter $20 a week to come in and water.

Here’s what I’ve learned about prepping a plant sitter:

Be Clear About Watering: Explain the difference between plants in cachepots and those with drainage holes. I had a friend overwater some of mine once because I wasn't able to point out the difference.

Group the Plants: This simplifies things for the sitter. Put all your plants in one spot, so they’re easy to find and water.

Create a Simple Guide: You don’t need a whole manual, but leaving a few basic notes can really help. Label plants by care needs if that makes it easier for your sitter.

After Care: What to Do When You Get Back

If you've grouped your plants and covered your plants in moss, you're going to undo whatever you did before your vacation and check for any signs of stress (yellowing/wilting/etc). Put them back in their original spots and make sure they’re back in the light if you reduced the light while you were gone for them to start photosynthesizing again.

Also, trust that if you have a plant loss, life goes on. You can take cuttings. You can ask for cuttings of plants you've lost from plant friends, and know that it's important to get out there and enjoy a vacation and travel. Plants are amazing additions to life, but if you have to choose between living your life and keeping your plants alive, I hope you choose the former. And I hope wherever you're going, it's filled with so much love, so much joy, and so much support.

Vacation Proof Your Plants, Ep 264

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