Wednesday, March 4, 2015

By Leslie Ball


When you leave your home for a vacation you and you have pets it is important that you either board them or find someone to care for them while you are away. If you have house plants, you will need to make sure they do not go without water. You can keep your plants hydrated while you are gone by following these tips for automatic plant watering.

To help prevent house plants from drying or becoming damaged, replant them in larger nonporous containers. You will need more soil to fill the larger containers and the increase in soil will help hold moisture. The plants will be able to go for a longer period of time before they need watering. In addition, several products are available that can be added to the dirt to help retain moisture.

These are synthetic soil additive designed to improve the soils ability to retain increased amounts of water. These additives improve the amount of water the soil can hold by approximately fifty percent. There are some situations when the product improves the holding capacity by a larger percentage. Check your garden center for recommendations.

Give your plants a thorough soak before you depart on a vacation. You can best accomplish this by putting each pot in the sink or a bucket filled with water. The pots should be allowed to sit until the top of the soil is wet. When you do this, you help keep your plant soil moist while your are gone.

Next, buy a watering stake for every pot. You may need more than one stake for larger planters. The stakes will automatically releases water from its reservoir as the soil dries. You can purchase the stakes that come with reservoirs or you can attach one by using a bottle made of glass or plastic.

Folks can also make a drip system using plastic bottles. To do this, make a number of small holes in the bottom of the bottle. Place the bottle in the dirt next to the plant. Fill the bottle with water and monitor the distribution of the water to make sure an appropriate amount is being time released. Make sure to test the system out before you leave in case you need to make adjustments to the size or number of holes.

Another system that can be made at home uses yarn and water that wicks moisture to the plant. Place a container of water at a level that is higher than the plant. Thoroughly soak the yarn with water. Place one end of the yarn at the bottom of the water container and then bury the other end of the yarn in the soil in the pot.

If you follow these suggestions you will not need to ask anyone to look after your plants when you are gone. You can create your own irrigation systems to keep your plants healthy. If you would rather buy the watering stakes, you can choose from several decorative designs. No matter what you select, you will be able to keep your plants hydrated in your absence.




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