When the holiday starts then what do you do with all your plants?

The best you can do is to have your neighbour irrigating while you are on holiday. Then you avoid moving around your plants or subject them to stress. Of course, you can also make your neighbour’s life easier by placing all your pots of plants in his or her garden. Then your neighbour can enjoy the plants while you are away. If your neighbour is also on holiday, there are more creative solutions. Remember, there is not just one solution but more, so pick the one that fits you. Here are some suggestions:

 

One-week holiday

In pots

Place all of your plants in the shadow, preferably in the north end of the greenhouse and give them lots of water by dipping them in a bucket of water. Let them soak in 10 minutes or more. For an extra sip, you can put a large bottle of water in the soil with the top down. Tie it up so it won’t fall over. When the soil dries out the bottle will drain quickly.

 

In the greenhouse

If you have capillary boxes or other self-irrigation boxes your plants can easily last for one week.

If you grow in beds, then irrigate with at least 50 litres of water. Cover the soil with cut grass or newspapers to avoid evaporation.

Get a drip irrigation system or use an irrigation clock connected to a soaker hose and set the clock to irrigate morning and evening.

 

2-week holiday

In pots

Place the pots in the shadow and irrigate thoroughly. Take a bucket and put a thick piece of oasis in the bottom, fill it with water until the oasis is covered and put the pots (with a drain hole) on top of the oasis.

You can also buy a self-irrigation cistern and put it at the bottom of the pot. A cistern is approximately 23,5 pounds or more. Otherwise, buy a mini drip irrigation system. It’s around 35 pounds.

Last, you can use an irrigation clock that’s connected to a sprinkler. Just place the pots under the sprinkler and set the clock to irrigate once a day for 10 minutes. (Try it out first to see how much water it brings.)

 

In the greenhouse

Beds: irrigate with 100 litres of water and cover the soil so the water does not evaporate. You can also get a drip irrigation system or use an irrigation clock for a soaker hose. Set the clock to irrigate morning and evening.

Capillary boxes: have your neighbour irrigate.

 

3-week holiday

In pots

Buy a drip irrigation system or an irrigation clock that is connected to a sprinkler and put the pots under the sprinkler. Set the clock to irrigate once a day for 10 minutes.

 

In the greenhouse

Capillary boxes: have your neighbour irrigating.

Beds: Irrigate with at least 150 litres of water before you leave and cover the soil for the water not to evaporate. You can also use drip irrigation or an irrigation clock connected to a soaker hose.