Holiday Plant Care guide
It’s finally the summer holidays and for many of us that means taking full advantage of our free time and treating ourselves to a wee adventure! Whether your destination is close to home or a plane ride away, here's 3 of our top tips to make sure your plants survive a little holiday neglect.
1) Water before you go
Give your plant the best chance of survival by giving them a thorough watering before you leave. We recommend allowing the soil to dry out at least 7 to 10 days before your departure date. This will allow you to fully saturate the compost and will ensure there is enough water for the roots to take up during a short period of drought.
Alternatively, why not try one of our House of Thol watering globes? When left full these will slowly release water into the compost and can last about 7 to 10 days before empty. The diameter of these fit most bottle tops so you could even add a larger bottle onto the terracotta cone for longer stints away.
For smaller plants, another great self-watering solution are our selection of Plant Straws. Simply place one end in a vessel of water and another straight into your plants compost to allow the soil to slowly soak up any moisture. They are the perfect balance of functional and aesthetic. Available in natural brass, pigeon blue, brick red and matte black.
If you have a succulent, cacti or ZZ and you can still feel some moisture in the soil these will be happier left dry for an extra week or two!
2) How to keep the leaves from drying out
Unlike the tropical rainforests our favourite houseplants are native to, Scotland has very dry air and to combat this we mist (using water in a spray bottle) to replicate a humid environment. For many plants a lack of misting for a week will only result in a couple of brown leaf tips. However, for certain humidity lovers - such as Calatheas, Begonias and Palms - full leaves can quickly become brown and crispy if left without humidity. For any holiday lasting longer than a week we recommend using a pebble tray. This is made up of a tray full of pebbles or grit. Add water until it reaches just below the surface of pebbles and place your plant on top. Make sure the water level does not hit the base of the plant pot to ensure your plant does not sit in water. For a longer lasting holiday why not try a deeper tray so there is more water to evaporate? This a simple way to ensure the leaves stay lush in periods on neglect.
3) Time for a change of position
Remember the warmer the spot, the quicker the compost will dry out! We recommend moving your plant slightly further back into the room to avoid any hot spots close to the window. Plants on higher shelves can be brought down as there is an increased likelihood that they will dry out faster due to the heat rising in our homes.
It’s important to remember that plants are living things so try as we might, we can’t always guarantee they’ll be as healthy as we left them. When you return if any leaves are looking dry or crispy simply cut them off with clean, sharp scissors. Over time they will produce new leaves and you won’t notice those you lost!
There you have it! These are our best tips to eliminate any plant stresses and ensure your holiday stays care-free.