How to water plants while on vacation [Detailed Guide]

In this article, I will share with you what I do to water plants while on vacation. So if you are looking for how to water houseplants while on vacation, this article is specially made for you! Depending on how long your trip is, you may want to try one or various of the tips that I give here.

Tips to water plants while on vacation

Follow these 2 Steps Before leaving for your trip

1. Check all of your plants

The first that I do is before we go on the trip. And this is to check all of my plants and see which ones need water and the ones that need water, I water them thoroughly. This is usually about two or one days before our trip.

So one day during the week before my trip, I also check the leaves and the stems, and this is to check that they are healthy and there are not any bugs hiding anywhere, because we don’t want to come back to an infestation.

So I usually do this one day during the week before my trip just to make sure.

2. Move away the plants from places where they get too much light

The second thing that I do is move out the plants from places where they get too much light. This will help the soil stay moist for a little bit longer.

Of course, you want to make sure that your plants are getting the right amount of sunlight. So don’t put her in a very shady place, if she likes bright sunlight.

But you can move her away from the window just a little bit so that she doesn’t get intense sunlight. Especially if you are leaving on a trip during the summer for example.

Use Watering Stakes to water plants while on vacation

If you have plants that are big drinkers, or that like the soil to stay moist at all times, I would recommend that you use Watering Stakes to water plants while on vacation.

Watering Stakes are super easy to use. These usually last for one to two weeks, depending on the plant, the sunlight of course, and the general conditions at your house.

So I would recommend that you try these maybe two weeks before your trip. That way you make sure that your plant is happy, and that they actually are going to last. They are super easy to use.

All you have to do is to untangle the plastic tube and take off the cap. Pour water into a bowl, and submerge the ceramic part of the stake in the water.

Leave it there for about 15 minutes, so the ceramic part can absorb some of the water, and then take it out. Once you take it out, fill it up with water and close it with the cap, and then you can stick it in the soil.

Now, you will need a bottle or some container to pour water in, and then you submerge the end of the plastic tube in the water. Make sure that the ceramic part of the stake is higher than the end of the plastic tube, and it should work perfectly.

Again, I strongly recommend that you try this two weeks before your trip, and just make sure to observe how your plant is reacting, as well as how long it actually lasts. Because this will depend also on the conditions in your house; humidity, light and different things. So yeah, always try it first.

Use watering globe or bottle

As an alternative, you can use a watering globe or a bottle to water plants while on vacation. These are also great for plants that love to have the soil moist at all times or plants that you usually water every day.

Generally, we don’t water our plants every day but I can tell you, I have one exception. My plants in the balcony need watering every day and this is because the balcony is a south-facing balcony, so they get lots of sunlight and the soil tends to dry really quickly especially in the summer.

So in that case you can also use a watering globe or a bottle. This one is also super easy to use. All we have to do is to fill it up with water and then we stick it in the soil. And the water will be released into the soil gradually.

Again, just like with the watering stakes, I recommend that you try this method may be two weeks before your trip. That way you make sure that your plant is happy and then you also know how long it lasts.

Also to check that it actually works, you can actually mark the watering globe with a marker may be where the water is standing, and then you stick it in the soil and come back in a few hours, about three to four hours, just to see if the water is actually going down.

Use terracotta watering globes

Alternatively, I found terracotta watering globes and they are really nice, I really like how they look. And also they are very good because terracotta is porous so the water is going to come out through the terracotta into the soil.

The watering globes may last a little bit longer because it is plastic, but if you want to avoid plastic this is a very good alternative to water plants while on vacation.

How to water plants while on vacation for a month

Now, if you are going away for longer than one or two weeks, I can tell you this is our case because when we go to Canada we like to go for longer periods of time just to see the family and really enjoy them.

In that case, I would recommend that you ask a friend or a neighbour to help you with the plants. This is of course if you don’t have too many plants.

If you have many plants, this may be a lot of work for your friend, and you may not want to ask them that. But of course, it depends. Maybe some of your friends, actually like to do this. So that would be great.

So we used to do this before we had so many plants, and our friend would come maybe every week or so. We would also leave the watering stakes, for example; and she would just make sure that they have enough water to last for another week. And then water the plants that need watering every week. So that can be a good idea.

Another very good thing about asking a friend or a neighbour is that you make sure that your plants are going to be looked after by someone that you trust. And this is especially good when they actually really like gardening or taking care of plants.

To thank them, you can always invite them for dinner and of course, you can also take care of their plants when they go on a trip.

Hiring someone to water plants while on vacation

Now that we have many plants, we are hiring a person to come and take care of them. We found this website, it’s called helpling.com and you can hire people to clean your house but you can also hire people to take care of your plants while you are away.

It is actually not so expensive, so I really liked the service. We already had it once, and she was amazing with the plants so that was a relief. And it’s also great because sometimes I feel bad asking a friend to come and water so many plants.

So now I feel better just to hire someone and we can compensate her and also we make sure that the plants are happy and healthy.

Making it easier for the person who will water your plants

Now, whether you ask a friend or a neighbour, or hire someone, there are some things that you can do to make it easier for them to water your plants.

The first thing that I do is I always leave a paper with all the instructions.

So for example, I leave water in a bucket already for them, and I let them know “OK, for these plants, for example, Calatheas or Marantas, please use the water in the bucket” because I know that that water is not so hard and it’s actually better for these specific plants.

If I have watering stakes or watering globes I also tell them “OK, please can you please check the watering globes and the watering stakes every week” just to make sure that the plants have the water that they need, and she just has to refill the bottle or the watering globes.

Another thing that you can do to make it easier for the person that is going to come water your plants is to group them all together.

You can group all of your plants together so that it will be easier for the person that is coming or if they have different light requirements, you can just group your plants by light requirements.

But that way all the plants will be together and the person doesn’t have to go all around the house looking for the plants, they are all going to be in a group and it’s going to be easier for them to water them.

So what’s your favourite way to water your plants while you are away? I would love to know so make sure to comment below I can assure you that the whole community will appreciate it and I will appreciate it as well. Thank you for reading. Happy gardening!