Vacation planning should include plant care

By My Courier-Tribune

After a wonderful vacation, it’s never fun to come home to dead plants, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist Michele Warmund.

Before the trip, homeowners should arrange for a reliable neighbor or plant sitter to water indoor and outdoor plants, she said. To help reduce the workload, homeowners should group plants together with easy access to water, if possible.

“It’s always a good idea to ask your plant sitter to take a tour of the plants that need to be watered and review the watering needs of indoor and outdoor plants,” said Warmund. “Also, before you lock the door, give your plants a deep, thorough watering as a kindness to your plant sitter.”

Place indoor plants out of direct sunlight, states a release from the University of Missouri Extension.

“Put saucers under the plant containers and provide a watering can. For containers with a fast-draining potting medium, consider placing them in a sink or bathtub to avoid damaging surfaces below the containers,” reads the release.

For large potted plants that are not easily moved, owners can add mulch to the potting medium surface to help water retention.

“Avoid turning up the indoor thermostat to delay more moisture loss in container-grown plants,” reads the release.

Indoor plants

In the absence of a good neighbor, owners can use plastic water bottles to irrigate indoor plants for a short time.

“Use a thin nail or other sharp implement to poke a few small holes in the lid. Also, puncture a small hole in the base of the bottle to avoid forming a vacuum. Next, fill the bottle with water and insert the lid in the potting medium to keep the plastic container upright, or use a small stake to hold the upside-down bottle in a vertical position. Alternatively, you can purchase watering spikes and decorative vessels that are inserted into the potting medium,” reads the extension release.

Water-retaining crystals or hydrogel products are marketed for use in container-grown plants. Over time, the crystals degrade, slowly releasing water. However, these products are not always reliable and do not conserve water, said Warmund.

Outdoor plants

For outdoor plants, containers should be moved to a shady location. Providing a hose or watering can with easy access to an outdoor spigot will ease the burden of watering, states the release.

“Mulch will help retain soil moisture and moderate the root zone temperature in vegetable gardens or landscape beds. A soaker hose or a simple drip irrigation system with a timer can be effective,” reads the release.

For small, young trees, owners can use tree-watering bags, which are filled with water and placed around the trunk at the soil surface to slowly irrigate the soil. However, these watering bags only wet the soil in a 1- to 2-foot radius around the base of the tree and must be refilled periodically. Large trees are best irrigated when the water is applied at the drip line, directly below the branch tips.

Automated sprinklers are ideal for irrigating lawns. However, lawn sprinklers that attached to a hose and strategically placed with good coverage can also work.

“When hot, dry conditions are forecast, ask your neighbor to turn on sprinklers to apply 1 to 1 1/2 inches of water per week if a green lawn is desired. Otherwise, cool-season grasses, such as turf-type fescues, Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass, will go dormant when moisture is limited. However, most lawns will regreen when adequate rainfall occurs or water is applied,” reads the extension release.