Fiddle-leaf fig (Ficus lyrata)
Holiday watering
A lot of people ask what I do when I’m away from home. Who looks after my plants then? Here are six simple tips to help your plants survive while you’re away on holiday.
Ask a friend The simplest approach is to ask another plant enthusiast to look after your plants. In my experience, there are a lot of people who like to look after other people’s plants, and if you’re away for a long time, you can of course foster them out for a while – or do like I do, and get someone to take up residence in your home while you’re away.
Sun-screening Move your plants out of brightly sunlit windows into shade or half shade so that they need less water.
Wet newspaper Put some newspaper in the bottom of the sink or in a roasting tin, pour in plenty of water so that the newspaper soaks it up, and put your plants on top. They can now drink as much as they want. From experience, this method will keep your plants hydrated for up to two weeks. If you’re away for longer, use a thicker layer of newspaper and drench accordingly.
The bottle trick Fill a large bottle with water, turn it upside down and push the open top into the compost. This also allows the plant to drink just as much as it needs. On average, this trick will water your plants for up to one week.
The bucket trick Fill a bucket with water and put it somewhere higher than the pots. Run lengths of thick twine from the bucket and down into the compost, using a pen to poke it down. Pack the compost around the twine, et voilà! You’ve made your own watering system. This method will keep your plants hydrated for up to two weeks. If you’re away for longer, use a bigger bucket or container.
Self-watering pots These are an ingenious idea for when you’re away travelling, because they make sure that your plants get exactly as much water as they need. On average, these will keep your plants hydrated for about a week or two, although different models may provide water for longer periods.
HANDY HINT
Potting compost can become hard and full of roots. As a result, the plant has difficulty absorbing water, which instead just runs through. When this happens, use a pen or a stick to dig around in the compost to create new “channels” for the water and for ventilation.