Whether you are going on vacation or simply need to leave your home for a few hours, caring for your indoor plants can be challenging. Fortunately, it is not impossible! With a little bit of planning and knowledge, you can leave your plants with trusted friends or family members and return to thriving green friends. In this blog post, we’ll cover some tips for how to care for indoor plants while you’re away. Your plants won’t think you forgot about them; they’ll be happy that you came up with a plan before leaving. Keep reading to discover how you can easily take care of your indoor plants while you are away.
Plan Ahead
Before you even leave the house, you’ll want to make a plan for your plants. You can’t just leave and hope for the best; your plants will suffer. Instead, you’ll need to have a plan for their care before you leave. You can either make a schedule for your plants or find someone you trust to check in on them while you are gone. Whichever you choose, make sure that you plan ahead. You’ll want to avoid panic when you get back and find your plants aren’t thriving.
Find a Trustworthy Caretaker
As we mentioned above, you’ll want to find a trustworthy caretaker for your plants while you are away. Why? Because you can’t just leave your plants to their own devices and assume they’ll be okay. Indoor plants need to be watered, they need light enrichment, and they need to be repotted as they grow. If you leave your plants neglected, they’ll quickly die. To avoid this, you’ll want to find a trusted friend or family member to care for your plants while you are away. You can easily find someone to care for your plants by asking a few friends or family members if they would like the job. Let them know how often you need your plants watered and what kind of light they receive. You can also leave a list of instructions for each plant. This way, even your less plant-savvy friend or family member can look after them properly.
Drip Irrigation
If you have a plant that requires frequent water, you’ll want to implement a drip irrigation system while you are away. A drip irrigation system allows you to add water directly to the soil of your plant without having to water the entire pot. This is ideal if you have a potted plant that needs regular watering such as a ficus or other tropical plant. You can install a drip irrigation system in any pot by placing a few small holes in the bottom of the pot and connecting it to a water source. This way, water is added only to the soil and not to the entire pot, preventing your plants from rotting. If you want to add a drip irrigation system to your pot, you can buy a kit at any gardening supply store. Make sure that you install the drip irrigation correctly so that your plant doesn’t grow mold or rot.
Light Enrichment
Not all indoor plants need light enrichment, but if your plants do, you’ll want to make sure they receive it while you are away. If you are unsure if your plant needs light enrichment, check the tag that came with the plant when you purchased it. On the tag you will find information on the plant’s lighting needs. If you don’t have the tag anymore, you can also check online for the plant’s needs. If your plant needs light enrichment, you can either use a light bulb or a light box. A light bulb should be placed about 12 inches above the plant at all times. You can do this by hanging the bulb above the plant or finding a lamp that can accommodate the bulb. A light box should be placed about one foot from your plant at all times. Be sure to check the box to ensure that it is the correct distance from the plant at all times. You can also use a combination of bulbs and a light box; this is ideal for different stages of growth.
Repotting Plants
If your plant has outgrown its pot, you’ll want to repot it while you are away. This will ensure that the plant is healthy and doesn’t overgrow its current pot. Repotting is simple; all you need to do is remove the plant from its pot, remove the old soil, and add new soil. Make sure that you use the right ratio of soil to water; you don’t want the soil too wet or the roots to rot. You can easily repot your plant while you are away by placing it in a bucket or a tray. This will make it easy for you to water the plant and will contain any mess. Be sure to check the soil of the plant regularly; if it is too wet, you can place the plant in a tray or plate with a few holes in the bottom.
