What do you do with plants when on holiday?

Pixiechic

Hi,

I am going on holiday for two weeks and I am worried about what to do with my plants and veg that are growing in containers. I will be away for two weeks and haven't lived where I live long enough to ask the neighbours to go round. What do you do? Will they be okay? Bf says that they should be fine as we go away in June and it will rain but I am not so sure. Any ideas? I know some have rigged up self watering things but I have quite a lot of pots and containers! Help!!! Thanks

Lotus-eater

Real gardeners don't go on holiday for this reason!

When I do, I get a neighbour to go round and I worry every day....

misskool

I don't plan any holidays from may to sept

otherwise, try an irrigation system or ask someone, perhaps you can pay for a man to come round and do the watering?

Orange_King

In the past I have put plants in an old paddling pool, washing up bowls, tubs, whatever would hold water and gave them a drenching before I left. Thing was weather was crap here anyway so the things were overflowing in August!

savemoney

I get a neighbour or a relative

One year I paid someone down my old street to do it even though I knew them

tanith

I find the most shady spot then do as Orange King has done.

Pixiechic

Eeek! I was thinking about asking the paper boy round our area to see if I could pay him to drop by but I am not sure if that's legal these days! I would have loved to say at home and tend my plants as am worrying about them already!!! Don't think bf would be too pleased though . Fingers crossed that there will be some rain. Do you think it would be okay to ask the paper boy? Not sure how much I should offer either? Thanks for any replies

SallyForth_2

Sounds daft, but would it be possible to drop the containers off at a relatives or friends house?

Might not be possible for everything, but it would mean less work for a neighbour to manage what has been left behind.

LJM

we stand ours in our girls old paddling pools and my sister comes everyday we do say if she is watering and checking while we are away she is welcome to pick some of the produce

Optimisticpair

Once I had the same problem. Small ie could carry upstairs without risking a back injury I put in the bath with water in on an old sheet / towel.

If bigger but will fit into a plastic sack roll em in and put tape round the rim to keep water in. As someone has said stand them in a shady spot, water well before leaving and mulch to retain moisture. I have used flat stones as a permanent "mulch." A carrier bag held down with stones should also stop water evaporating from the soil.

jjjme

Some fantastic advice there Optimisticpair - I shall give a couple of those a go myself this year.

Just to add I always bring hanging baskets in and place them in the bath for the week.

Smaller plants sit in my plant stand (cheap plastic shelving rack with shelves turned upside down so the grooves hold pots and water) which is moved into the living room from the patio window out of direct sunlight.

Last year I grew all my veg in the garden simply because of this very problem of having to leave my garden for a week. I 'overgrew' my tomato plants indoors so they were tall and leggy and planted them 2 - 3 times deeper than usual to establish better root systems. I have never seen tomatoes grow that well outside/in the garden whereas previously I grew them in pots which dried out while on holiday. I think the fact mid July was somewhat wet last year helped a great deal too

One other thing - water storing crystals - they do wonders in the bottom of pots before being planted. Use sparingly though as I found using just a few too many starts pushing plants out of the soil!