How to leave flowers at home while on vacation. How to organize watering indoor flowers during the holidays

With the advent of summer, every year comes the time for holidays. People leave their apartments and houses and go on vacation. Houseplants are left unattended in housing. If the trip does not take many days, then nothing terrible will happen to them. The situation is worse when a person goes on a long-awaited vacation for a month, and there is no one to ask to look after the flowers.

Now on the Internet there are many ways to help keep flowers from drying out. Each hostess can choose any one that she likes the most. You can also use multiple options.

How to water flowers when you go on vacation for a month: elementary ways to keep plants moist

Houseplants during the absence of the owners will need mostly only moisture. There are elementary ways that will take a minimum of time and will help keep the flower alive without watering.

1. Before leaving, you need to pour plenty of water on the plants and spray them well.

2. It is worth ridding the plant of buds and extra leaves, so that it would be easier for the flower to survive the lack of moisture.

3. If the flowers are on the windowsill, then you need to move them to another place where the plants will be as far as possible from the sun's rays. This will help them retain moisture longer. But this method will practically stop the growth of the flower.

How to water flowers when you go on vacation for a month: automatic plant watering systems

Scientists took care of the plants, and came up with automatic watering systems. They can be easily found in any city. They are perfect for those people who often go on business trips or travel, and are worried about their plants. These systems can be used not only during the absence, but also constantly. There are various types.

All plants are individual, some need moisture more and more often, others less and less. AT automatic system watering, the hostess herself will be able to choose the time and volume of water for each flower.

There are also devices that need to be connected to water. This option is suitable those people who do not block the water supply during the departure. For those who turn off the water, they came up with systems with containers for it. A person can choose the required volume at the time of purchase.

with system automatic watering a person will be able to enjoy the rest without worrying about the life of their plants.

How to water flowers when you go on vacation for a month: other options for moisturizing plants

For those people who leave their apartments unattended not the same and often, and do not have extra money for automatic watering systems, there are other options for caring for plants:

1. The use of plastic bottles in the household is not new. You can even make a drinker out of them, which will water the flowers on time. You need to make two holes in it: at the bottom and in the cork. Then you should fill it with water and bury it in a pot so that the cork is as close to the roots as possible. Before leaving the craft in a flower, it is better to check its effectiveness in an empty pot and correct any shortcomings.

2. Many in their lives have met hydrogel in stores. It can also be used to water plants in the absence of tenants. On the upper ground in a pot, you need to put these balls and cover with moss. The hydrogel will give moisture to the flower and save it from drying out.

3. To moisten the flowers, you can use a cloth called a "capillary mat". It is very easy to use. It is necessary to wet and put on a surface that will not allow water to flow out, and put flower pots on top. They will receive the necessary moisture for the roots.

4. For this craft, you will need a bottle of water and threads that absorb moisture well. You can use a thin tube. The bottle needs to be filled with water and placed a little higher than the pot. From the neck and to the roots of the flower you need to stretch the thread. It will stay constantly wet. This method will help the plant get the right moisture and protect it from drying out. However, you need to choose for crafts appropriate place and keep out of the heat. Because the thread can dry out.

There is such a thing as plant turgor. Turgor is the fullness of plant cells with water. If the plant does not have enough water, the leaves and branches droop, become lethargic, then they talk about the loss of turgor. If the plant was not dehydrated for a long time, then it is enough to thoroughly soak the soil with water so that the turgor is restored. But if the roots are very dry, watering will no longer help, the plants will die.

Probably everyone had to leave the house for a while, leaving flowers and even animals. During our absence, we worry about our pets - how are they without supervision. Everyone is looking for their own way out of the situation, depending on the timing of the business trip or vacation. Someone will leave the keys to the apartment to a neighbor or relatives with an order to water on time, but many do not have such an opportunity or simply do not trust an inexperienced person in such a delicate matter.

You need to prepare for your vacation in advance, while you are choosing a swimsuit for yourself or just looking at the colorful illustrations of travel agencies, you should not only take an interest in ways to automatically water plants, but also try them in practice, spending at least two days in advance.

After all, improperly organized automatic watering can lead to disastrous results when the plants turn out to be dried out or, on the contrary, flooded. If you leave the care of plants to a neighbor or friend, at least take care of the exact instructions in this regard. Any person may have concepts of measure different from yours, and if for you abundant watering means a glass of water per pot, then someone may mean 2-3 glasses of water by abundant watering.

The frequency of watering, as you know, depends on the type of plant, air temperature and season. Therefore, it is impossible to give an unambiguous answer as far as it is possible to leave a plant without water without referring to its physiological state. Since cacti and some succulents are in a state of growth in summer and will painlessly endure the lack of watering for about 2 weeks. In winter, during the dormant period, this period can be up to 1 month.

Plants with leathery leaves, such as ficus or scindapsus, will survive without water for about a week in summer, 10-14 days in winter. But plants with thin and velvety leaves, such as Calathea red-bearded Calathea rufibarba, survive without water in the summer for 4-5 days, depending on the temperature, and in winter for about 7-10 days. Bulbous and tuberous plants during the growth period will withstand without watering for about a week.

More and more ways of automatic watering are being invented, in large flower shop you can even buy special devices and entire systems for providing plants with water. Many indoor plant lovers who have to leave the house quite often for several days solve the problem radically - they switch to hydroponics, which greatly simplifies the task (but does not deprive them of care problems in general).

Automatic watering of indoor plants

If we talk about plants planted in the soil, there are several ways to provide plants with water:

Feodor: system - " smart pot", appeared recently, but I already have a lot of plants growing in them. Its great advantage is the ease of planting and care. I add water 1 time for 3-4 weeks and the plants feel great. Fertilizers are added along with irrigation water.

Method one - Plants are watered abundantly, so that the earthen lump is completely saturated with water. If the pots are clay, then it is advisable to wrap each pot with moss, which is also thoroughly moistened. You can also place a clay pot in a plastic one, bigger size, and fill the space between the walls of the pot with moistened expanded clay. In plastic pots, the soil is covered from above with wet moss or expanded clay. Watered plants are placed on pallets or in wide basins with water, without saucers, so that Bottom part the pot was in the water. Plants that categorically do not tolerate when "feet in the water" are left on saucers, and the water that has drained after watering is drained. This method is effective if the plants are left for 7-10 days and if there are many plants.

Method two - Useful if there are not many plants, and also if the plants are very sensitive to excessive moisture (both soil and air). The plant is watered so that the earth ball is saturated with water. A plastic bottle with water and a thin knitting needle (or vice versa with a thick needle, you can also use an awl) heated over a fire is taken, a hole is made in the cork, then the same hole must be made at the bottom of the bottle. The bottle is dug into the pot with the neck down to a depth of 2-3 cm. Water, flowing out drop by drop, moistens the soil. There is very important point- you need to practice on the bottles in advance in the size of the holes. After all, it may turn out that the water will flow out too slowly, or vice versa too quickly. It is best to try this method some time before departure on a pot without a plant filled with dry earth.

Watching for several days how the soil is filled with moisture, you will determine for yourself whether such a hole in the bottle is suitable or you will have to change it. When you are able to optimally "tune the bottle" - then the problem of watering during your absence will be solved once and for all. The duration of such watering depends on the size of the bottle.

Third method - A wick is twisted from a bandage or strip of fabric, one end of which is placed on the surface of the earth in a pot, and the other is lowered into a container in water, which should be located above the pot. Here you should provide for the number of wicks for a certain size of the pot. So for a pot with a diameter of 10 cm, one wick is enough, and for a pot with a diameter of 25-30 cm, 3-4 wicks are needed for an adequate supply of water. This method is effective if the plants are left for 7-10 days.

Method four- If your plants are grown in pots with good drainage holes in the bottoms, then this method will work for you. An oilcloth is spread on the table (so as not to spoil the furniture), on it - a wide strip of any dense wool fabric(cloth, felt, an old baby blanket, batting folded in several layers, etc.), previously soaked in water. Pots with already watered plants are placed on the fabric (of course, without saucers). The end of the cloth should hang down from the table and fall into a large container of water placed slightly below the level of the table with the plants. The fabric is kept moist all the time and the plants receive water through the drainage holes in the pot. This method is effective if the plants are left for 10-20 days.

Method five - If you are leaving not for 7-10 days, but for 3-4 weeks, and more than once a year, then it would be advisable to purchase an automatic watering system. Now they are sold in any major city and represent a container with water, a set of thin tubes and program control, providing the inclusion of water supply at certain intervals, for example 2 times a day.

If you are going on vacation and rejoice in the upcoming pleasant days, then your indoor flowers are unlikely to rejoice the same way as you, because they will face hard trials and suffering from thirst! Therefore, take care of their well-being in advance.

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Of course, you can ask relatives or neighbors to look after the plants. But what if you don't have any? Then let's resort to the automatic watering system! There are many ways to save plants.

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But first you need to prepare the flowers for your departure:

1. Remove the flowers from the windowsill or close the curtains more tightly. The less light, the slower the life processes in plants, which means they will need less moisture.

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2. Water the soil well so that it is saturated with water. The pot can be wrapped with a damp newspaper, and on top also with cellophane. This will reduce moisture loss.

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3. Small plants should be covered with plastic or glass caps, bottles, but so that they pass air from below. Evaporating water will condense on the walls and drain back into the ground.

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4. 5-7 days before departure, carefully check if the plants are affected by pests and diseases. Remove from the plant all dried and disease-damaged shoots and leaves, as well as large buds and flowers. Treat diseased plants with the appropriate preparations.

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5. It is better to cut too large leaves.

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6. Plants should be placed in a lighted place, but not in the sun.

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7. Close both doors and windows so that there are no drafts in the room where the plants will remain.

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8. 2-3 weeks before departure, stop all types of top dressing.

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9. If you leave the plants in a tray of water, place the flower pots on a raised rock or wooden coasters so that their roots do not freeze.

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10. Flowers in ceramic pots tolerate "separation" better than those that live in plastic containers.

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Most simple ways how to keep soil moist

If you keep indoor plants in clay pots, then each pot can be wrapped with moss - both the moss and the plant are abundantly moistened. If there is no moss nearby, place the clay pot in a larger container. Expanded clay should be poured at the bottom, and the gap between the walls of the container should be filled with the same expanded clay. This will maintain a more or less constant soil moisture. Upper layer earth in a pot or container can also be sprinkled with expanded clay, it will prevent drying out.

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This method is effective if the plants are left for 7-10 days.

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Drip irrigation

A plastic bottle is taken, depending on the volume of the pot, filled with water, a small hole is made in the cork (with a hot gypsy needle), you pre-water the flowers and stick the bottles into them with the cork down. As the soil dries, the flower will absorb water from the bottle. It is not bad to fix it on both sides with chopsticks (for example, from ice cream).

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This dropper is valid for 5-7 days. Several bottles are placed in large flowerpots and the stock will last longer.

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Watering through the "wick"

It can be ropes, laces, woolen threads of different diameters, twisted bandages, and so on.. One end of the wick must be lowered into a container of water (for example, a basin), and the other end must be attached to a pot (for reliability, it will need to be fixed, for example, with a peg). Water will flow to the flowers due to the difference in capillary pressure.

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One 10 l container is enough for 7 days for 6-7 plants

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Moisture-loving plants can be placed on pallets, deep trays or in wide basins of water. so that the bottom of the pot is in the water. The soil from above is covered with wet moss or expanded clay.

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Hydration through fabric

Lay on kitchen table oilcloth film(you can also put the pots in the bathroom if the plants are not whimsical to the light), lay a fabric soaked in water on the oilcloth (cloth, felt, an old baby blanket, batting folded in several layers). Place pots with already watered plants on the fabric, dip the end of the fabric into a container of water. Pots should have drainage holes, saucers are not needed.

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This method is suitable for a period of 10-20 days.

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Watering through the "wick" at the bottom of the pot

You will need your flower pot and another container to put under the pot. Make holes in the pot and thread the string as shown in the picture. Place a pot on a vessel with water so that the end of the rope falls into the water. Water along the rope will rise up and moisten the ground.

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For a pot with a diameter of 10 cm, one wick is enough, and for a pot with a diameter of 25-30 cm, 3-4 wicks are needed for an adequate supply of water.

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Soil moistening systems

Let's say the Archimedes system, which consists of a glass flask - a reservoir for water - and a ceramic cone, which is immersed in the ground. Water oozes through the capillary-porous ceramic walls drop by drop and constantly moistens the soil. You will have to put several of them in a balcony box or a large pot, of course. It looks very cute, by the way! From an aesthetic point of view, this is perhaps the most glorious option. They cost about 180 rubles a piece.
cone in flower pot Enough for 5-7 days

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Or here are the Blumat cones, only in addition to the cone, some kind of remote container with water is also required.

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The cone itself is installed in a pot, and the tip of the hose with a weighting agent is lowered into a container of water. These devices draw water "on demand" - as the soil in the pot dries out, the cone gradually releases water to the surrounding earth.

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Inconvenience in that the water container should be above or at least on the same level as the pots. You don't always get along, to be honest. Well, the price is not very happy - about 4 thousand for 25 cones.

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Automatic watering systems

Remember that all of the above methods are designed for a maximum of three to four weeks of your absence.. If you have to leave for more long term, here you can’t do without complex store-bought automatic watering systems.

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The most popular thing is Gardena, which is capable of watering, according to the manufacturer, up to 36 plants at the same time. Sold in OBI and other large shopping malls. The kit includes a pump with a filter, a transformer with a timer to power the pump, a supply hose, three distributors (each with 12 outlets), a capillary hose, holding pegs, end caps and plastic container for water, 9 liters.

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One or more branches can be connected to each plant - find out right amount will have to be experienced. If, for example, 60 ml of water per day is not enough for plants in a large container (namely, that much has time to flow out in a minute), the amount of moisture supplied will have to be increased by installing additional capillary tubes. The hose is attached to the pump, the pump is immersed in the above tank, the system starts to work.
If the water in the tank suddenly runs out, the pump will turn off automatically, and when water is added, it will continue to function.

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Inconvenience- an outlet is required to which the system will be connected. It costs from 3 thousand rubles per set

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Do you know?

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... that tradescantia, begonia, dracaena easily tolerate a temporary lack of moisture (up to 7 days)

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... that aloe, agave, euphorbia comb well tolerate temporary "droughts" and love sunlight, so it is better to leave them in a room on the windowsill, having previously watered well.

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... that palm trees and ficuses that live on the balcony are better to bring into the room during the holidays. They are also unpretentious to moisture, but they can get sick in three weeks of your absence.

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Preparing plants for vacation

There are two weeks left before departure. Completely stop feeding plants with various additives. This will help your indoor flowers slow down their rapid growth, and, therefore, reduce the appetite and need for your presence.

There are 7-10 days left before departure. Remove all affected and diseased leaves, shoots, buds. If necessary, treat diseased plants with medicinal preparations, and healthy ones for prevention with herbal infusions.

Three days left before departure. Cut buds and flowers without regret. You still won’t be able to admire them, and this will significantly save the plant’s strength and resources.

The day before the trip. Water and wash each plant, place all flowerpots on the floor, away from scorching sun. In this case, the rule “together is more fun” works: put the pots as close as possible to each other in order to keep the humidity of the air longer. You can build a polyethylene cap on top, but be careful: plants with succulent leaves can rot, become moldy.

Flowers during the holidays - care

Consider the option in which a nanny for your flowers could not be found. So, how to provide flowers with watering without your participation? In this case, preventive measures are taken.

Method 1. All plants in clay pots can be buried shallowly in peat or expanded clay. To do this, you can use old basins and even a bath. Peat or expanded clay should be well watered, watered separately and each flower.

Method 2. Put pots with flowers that are in great need of regular watering in a container of water (basins, bath), but remember that for some flowers, waterlogging is just as harmful as drought.

Method 3. My mom did in the following way: all the flowers were put in one place on the floor, between them on a stool, my mother put a large pot of water. Then we cut an ordinary bandage into long strips, each of which was dipped with one end into a pot of water, and the other into a flower pot. For large flowerpots, you need several of these strips.

Method 4. If there is no one to leave flowers for, my friend does this: she puts an ordinary dropper in each pot, which are sold in every pharmacy.

Method 5. The most reliable, but, alas, the most expensive way to save flowers for the holidays: buy special containers with an automatic watering system. Another option is capillary mats. These are special such rugs that work on the principle of the bandage method (see above). By the way, instead of capillary mats, you can use ordinary felt.

What plants will survive without watering? There are also such "persistent tin soldiers":

• cacti, aloe, cycads, spurges, which can go without watering for up to three weeks;

The problem of watering indoor flowers during the holidays is familiar to many. Going on vacation with your family, you need to entrust someone with the care of pets.

It’s good if there is one of the relatives who understands at least something in indoor plants and can water it properly. Or at least just water occasionally so that they don’t dry out at all.

But almost always, upon returning from a trip, you have to count the losses - it dried up without water, its roots rotted from excessive watering, something was broken, something was crushed.

And if there are no relatives or close friends ready to take on the responsible mission of caring for your indoor plants?

If you are leaving for a month or more, then without special system auto-watering is indispensable.

Now they are sold in any city and are a water tank of a certain size, a set of thin tubes and a control system that provides water from the tank at the right intervals. You set how often and how much to water, and you can safely leave. But in order to avoid unwanted surprises, it is better to try how it works before the holidays.

And if there is no automatic watering system, then you have to come up with different tricky ways to water the plants during the holidays. It should be said that all these tricky ways are good if you are away for 1~2 weeks. If more, then how lucky!

There are several ways to provide plants with water on holiday.

Method 1. Grandma's old way. Water the plants abundantly so that the earthen lump is completely saturated with water. Put the pots on pallets or in wide basins of water, so that the bottom of the pot is in the water (shallow). It is even better to pour small pebbles or coarse sand into the pan and place the plants, slightly deepening.

This method of watering during the holidays is suitable for unpretentious plants, which tolerate both excess moisture and overdrying (chlorophytum, geranium, balsam, chamedorea palm, sansevieria, crassula).

Method 2. Use plastic bottle. Water the plant well. Take a plastic bottle with a cork, heated on fire with a thick needle (you can use an awl, a knitting needle) to make two holes - one in the cork, the other in the bottom. Pour water into the bottle and secure it with the neck down. Water will constantly flow out drop by drop and moisten the soil. So it is better to water large-sized plants.

Be sure to try this method some time before departure: take several different bottles, punch holes, set the neck down in any tall dish (each separately) and see how much water drips from each of them per day. If you choose the right bottle for each plant, then the problem of watering during the holidays will be optimally solved.

Method 3. Wick watering. This is a common method constant watering for some plants, in particular Saintpaulia (violets). The essence of the method is that the pot with the plant constantly stands on a vessel with water, in the soil under the plant one end of a synthetic cord is laid in a ring, its other end is lowered into a vessel with water through a drainage hole. The cord should absorb water well. Water wets the cord along its entire length, rising from the vessel into the pot and moistening the soil.

This method of watering is suitable for small plants and requires them to be transplanted into a pot with a wick.

But this method can also be used for temporary watering for the holiday period. To do this, a synthetic cord that absorbs water well is taken or a tourniquet is twisted from a strip of fabric. One end is placed on the surface of the earth in a pot (preferably sprinkled with a little substrate), and the other is lowered into a bucket of water. It is better to place the bucket above the pot (then the wicks do not dry out). Usually plants are placed on the floor, and a bucket of water on a stool.

It is important to test this method on each plant in advance. Some plants need several wicks, others only one. This method of watering is good for 10 days of vacation.

The same method is used to moisten a pallet with pots placed in sand or peat.

Minus - sometimes in hot weather the wicks dry up and water does not flow to the plants.

On sale you can find ready-made wick systems for irrigation, consisting of a tank of water, a wick and a porous ceramic rod for immersion in the soil.

Method 4. Use hydrogel. Hydrogel is a polymer that can absorb water in a very large quantities and then slowly give it to plants. It is sold in granules.

The polymer is soft, colorless, absorbs water quickly and is designed to be added to the soil. Houseplants planted in a hydrogel substrate are rarely watered. It is good enough to water the flowers before the holidays, and you can not worry for a week or even two. They won't rot, and they won't dry out. Minus - plants must be planted in advance in such soil.

You can also use decorative Chinese hydrogel in the form of colored balls.