Heading on holiday? Many houseplants will tolerate a few days without water, however you may want to consider some alternative watering methods if you are away for longer periods.
From asking neighbours to buying a self-watering container, keep reading for all you need to know about holiday-proofing your plants...
Do a health check before you leave
Check if your plant is healthy before you leave. The roots, leaves and soil are vital indicators to determine whether your plant is in good condition. Look for any discolouring on the leaves, pick it up to see if the roots are rotting, and check it isn't wilting. A plant in good health is more likely to be alive once you get home.
Cover plants with a bag
According to the RHS, covering plants with a bag is an effective method for short-term absences only.
"Place a clear plastic bag over your plant and seal it closed. This allows water vapour to be collected and recycled by the plant. Keep the sides of the bag out of contact with the plant by supporting the bag with canes," says the gardening charity.
Consider self-watering containers
Giving your plants the necessary water isn't always possible, especially when you're on holiday. Another option is to purchase a self-watering planter — a clever device which uses a reservoir and irrigation to give your plants access to water at the roots. These are best suited to plants that need moisture year-round and do not mind permanent moist conditions, such as tomatoes, snake plants, and African violets.
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Try the wick method
The wick watering method is simple: you use a soft string fabric (a shoelace will do) to water your plants so they don't dry out. In this system, a cotton wick will then absorb water and nutrients from a solution and supply it to plants in containers or trays.
"To effectively work the mouth of your container needs to be higher than the compost level in the plant pot. This method works well for shorter periods although longer periods will require a larger water container."
Move houseplants to a shady spot outside
If you have a garden or balcony, consider moving your houseplants to a shady spot outside to expose them to regular rain showers. Some tender plants can scorch during summer, so keep them out of direct sunlight.
Buy a capillary mat
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A capillary mat — usually made of felt — absorbs and holds water which can be drawn up by soil in pot plants positioned on the matting. Easy to use, simply soak the mat in water and place your houseplants on top.
The RHS advise: "Plants should be grouped on the wet matting, ensuring they make good contact with it by pressing them down slightly. Clay pots need a thorough watering first for them to start drawing up water from the mat."
Ask a friend or neighbour to water them
One of the easiest ways to keep your precious plants blooming is to enlist the help of a trusted friend, family member or neighbour. Before you head off, make sure you tell them in detail about the various houseplants that need watering — and how often they need a top-up.
Water them before you leave
Give your houseplants a good soak before you leave, but try not to overwater. If your potted plant is facing direct sunlight, the experts suggest moving them to a shadier corner.
"If plants are on a sunny windowsill, move them into the shade to reduce transpiration. This may well be enough if you are only going to be away for a few day."
16 great books for gardening and indoor plant inspiration
RHS How to Create your Garden: Ideas and Advice for Transforming your Outdoor Space
Adam Frost's practical, no-nonsense approach will help you plan and build a garden that works for you. The Gardeners' World presenter takes you step by step through the whole process, from simple garden design ideas to a full garden makeover.
Modern Container Gardening: How to Create a Stylish Small-Space Garden Anywhere
Isabelle Palmer shows you how to make the most of every little space with a series of projects for small gardens, singular containers and window boxes, that can be completed in a day or weekend. Perfect for novice gardeners, Modern Container Gardening offers beautiful photography and clear step-by-step instructions.
National Trust School of Gardening: Practical Advice from the Experts
The National Trust employs over 500 gardeners with an extraordinary wealth of expertise. And now, in this in-depth guide, they pass on their wisdom and provide the answers any new and seasoned gardener is looking for. This book is intended to give you inspiration and confidence to make the most of your garden, without being overwhelmed with unnecessary technical detail.
Veg in One Bed: How to Grow an Abundance of Food in One Raised Bed, Month by Month
Veg In One Bed explains how to build your bed and grow from seed, as well advice on planting, feeding, and harvesting. YouTube gardening star Huw Richards shows how to guarantee early success by starting off young plants on a windowsill and suggests what to grow in each part of the bed.
DK The Complete Gardener: A Practical, Imaginative Guide to Every Aspect of Gardening
Monty Don offers straightforward gardening advice in this book, revealing the secrets of growing vegetables, fruits, flowers, and herbs, while respecting the needs of the environment by gardening organically. You can also enjoy a tour of his Herefordshire garden, including his flower garden, herb garden, kitchen garden, and more.
The Practical House Plant Book by the RHS contains a dozen step-by-step projects to help you assemble an eye-catching terrarium, create a floating kokedama 'string garden', or propagate succulents. Complete with 175 in-depth plant profiles, this is an essential practical guide for indoor gardeners.
Ten Speed Press Small Garden Style: A Design Guide for Outdoor Rooms and Containers
A small garden space – an urban patio, a tiny backyard, or even just a pot by your door – doesn't have to sacrifice style. In Small Garden Style, garden designer Isa Hendry Eaton and lifestyle writer Jennifer Blaise Kramer show you how to use good design to create a joyful, elegant, and exciting yet compact outdoor living space.
No Dig Garden Charles Dowding's No Dig Gardening: From Weeds to Vegetables Easily and Quickly: Course 1
Charles Dowding, innovator of no dig, teaches you everything you need to know about this method of organic gardening. With 19 chapters, you'll learn how to use no dig on different soil types, recognise and massively reduce the different types of weeds, know the difference between soil and types of compost, and grow an abundance of vegetables using the no dig method.
Kyle Books In Bloom: Growing, harvesting and arranging flowers all year round
Get all the inspiration you need for planting cut flowers, and fill your home with colour and the gorgeous scent of the garden year-round with In Bloom. Clare Nolan reveals her secrets for growing a bountiful harvest as well as styling spectacular homegrown displays in this beautifully designed book.
The RHS' Complete Gardener's Manual will help you choose plants that will thrive in your space, design a border for year-round colour, grasp different pruning techniques, discover how to protect your veg patch from pests, and make the best compost.
Do you want to attract more bees, birds, frogs and hedgehogs into your garden? In Wildlife Gardening for Everyone and Everything, Kate Bradbury teams up with the Wildlife Trusts and the RHS to help you discover how you can make your garden, balcony, doorstep or patio a haven for garden wildlife. You'll find handy charts, practical projects and fact files.
Gardener and TV presenter David Domoney is a firm believer that indoor plants can make 'a practical and emotional contribution to our wellbeing'. In this book, David explains the hard science behind the positive effect of the humble houseplant on wellness, and provides expert tips on how to keep your plants thriving, plus shares his top 50 life-enhancing houseplants.
DK RHS Encyclopedia of Garden Design: Planning, Building and Planting Your Perfect Outdoor Space
If you're looking for new garden ideas, the RHS Encyclopedia of Garden Design will guide you from planning to planting, such as choosing the correct materials for your structures and assessing your drainage, to laying patios, making ponds, and planting perennials.
Lorenz Books How to Create an Eco Garden: The practical guide to sustainable and greener gardening
This planet-friendly book is filled with ideas for creating your own eco garden on any scale, from a small courtyard to a large garden or allotment. Discover organic techniques that improve biodiversity, learn the value of using recycled and reclaimed materials for landscaping, and take on simple projects such as making a pond and a wildlife hotel.
Drawing on expert advice from the RHS, this best-selling reference book – organised by colour, size, and type, rather than as an A-Z directory – will help you select the right varieties for your outdoor space.
Frances Lincoln Publishers Ltd Build a Better Vegetable Garden: 30 DIY Projects to Improve your Harvest
Joyce and Ben Russell have devised 30 kitchen garden projects, devised to either extend the season, protect crops from pests or improve yields. These projects transform your vegetable plot into somewhere more productive, more attractive and more secure.
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Lisa Joyner is the Deputy Daily Editor at House Beautiful UK and Country Living UK, where she's busy writing about home and interiors, gardening, dog breeds, pets, health and wellbeing, countryside news, small space inspiration, and the hottest properties on the market. Previously, she has written for Conde Nast Traveller, House & Garden and Marie Claire magazine. Lisa studied at University For The Creative Arts, where she completed a BA in Fashion Journalism.
