Your collection of plants probably includes a few that will notice when you go away for a while. To minimize the fallout, here are some sensible ideas.
1. Choose your plants with your travels in mind. This sounds obvious, but a house full of what we call "unforgiving" plants is useless for plant owners who are travellers.
What to buy?
Here is a list of the unforgiving plants:Our definition of an unforgiving plant is one which won't bounce back after a period of neglect. Here are a few examples.
Fittonias.
Fittonia white
These droop then go crispy. They remember drought and even if trimmed way back and watered consistently, they just continue to harbor that grudge.
Peace lilies.
These go limp and the flowers dry up and may even turn green when ignored for a long time. The edges of the leaves go brown and crispy. Watering by soaking will revive your peace liliy very quickly and you'll get the impression of revival, but it will first need heavy trimming to get rid of unsightly leaves, then root soaking- a long road back to health.
Begonia "Burgundy"
Begonias
Yes, they look great when new, but left for a few weeks without care the begonia will dry out quickly due to its very thin leaves and Begonias will revive with watering and trimming, but one long vacation and you've lost your lush healthy looking plant.
Calathea medallion
Some Calatheas
Calathea medallion is an ornate beauty, but unlike many other Calathea houseplants is far less likely to survive well during a period of neglect. Trimming and watering will revive a bit, but best to choose other varieties like the rattlesnake if you need a survivor.
T. Zebrina. T. Chrystophilla
Tradescantias.
These will get long and leggy and skinny if left unattended for too long. Tradescantia zebrina will need trimming to get back to a lush bushy form. Choose a variety like the Tradescantia chrystophilla which is a lot more resilient. In fact, it loves to grow so much, you might almost call it a weed.Choose that variety if you plan to go away.
Pothos- the new variegated and color varieties.
Pothos "neon"
The common pothos is strong, but the variegated and other new strains don't share that resilience. If you need a pothos ( and who doesn't) we suggest you try to avoid new productions like marble queen or neon (above).They simply don't perform as well as the standard golden pothos and will wilt away in your absence.
Extra fussy plants.
These plants are definitely a no-no if you're the wandering type of plant owner. Purple passion plants are a good example.
Purple passion plant
Temperature, humidity and watering preferences for these highly fussy plants will require you to stay at home. At home you will need to orchestrate moderate humidity, and gentle consistent watering (not on leaves, please)But we haven't finished yet. There is also the need for careful temperature control, 60-70F and moderate to indirect light for your passion plant to survive. Even a weekend away is a stress on some plants and you'll see that caring for any fussy plant can turn into a full-time job.
2. Choose "Weed" Plants
The difference between a plant and a weed has to do with desirability. A weed will grow most anywhere and under almost any conditions. This aspect of weeds is what you need for your "Goodbye, I'm off for a vacation" plants.
Don't worry, there are many plants just dying to survive- just like weeds!
Parlor palms
Tall parlor palm
The difference between a cared-for parlor palm and one ignored is rate of growth. And perhaps the fullness factor. These sturdy plants are not even plants. What is called a "parlor palm" is actually a whole collection of plants, that is a bunch of parlor palm plants. Typically a Parlor palm online will be upwards of 30 plants grown from 30 parlor palm seeds. The benefit of this is simple. If a few die, no problem, you still have a bunch left and it still looks like a Parlor palm!
Pothos plants.(original variety)
Bushy pothos plant
These houseplants are fine if you avoid the variegated and designer varieties. You are not buying a "plant" plant but in fact a vine plant. Online pothos plants are trimmed into a bush form. Left unattended it will revert to its native need to spread vine-like in search of new territory. That new territory could easily the pot-next-door. So your other houseplants could be invaded in your absence. Rule of thumb for pothos plants is allow space and try to keep your pothos in the form of a bush. The trick to having a houseplant in a pot is to trim before leaving on vacation and allow enough space away from other plants.
Leggy Pothos plant without trimming.
You can always hang your pothos plant from a hanger. In this case don't trim to allow its vine-character to come out. Both forms of pothos do very well in your vacation mode and will welcome you home with few complaints.
Succulents
Cactus
These plants are your best bet for vacation lovers. Yes, they do like some care, but in general prefer to dry out between waterings.The Haworthia plant,a northern succulent is exceptionally hardy as are all cactus plants. A note of caution is needed for cactus plants and your vacation watering system. It is better to water too little than too much. For cactus plants the water wick method is a hazard because this Lund of continual watering could result in root rot.
Place on a very shallow tray of water giving perhaps a week of dampness but which dries out after that.
Jade plants.
Jades and aloe vera are the real heirloom plants. The vacation survivors.They have been gifted from one generation to another and keep going under most growing conditions. When left to dry out completely, jade plants will drop a leaf or two which on damp soil will probably sprout roots and grow into a new plant.No problem there.
The Aloe Vera is ideal for vacation times.
Aloe plants
Take a leaf with you in case of sunburn or other skin irritations. These plants belong to a long line of aloe varieties which are all very strong and resilient. Dry soil is preferred, so soil that drains well and pots with holes at the bottom are essential. Provide a sunny location in your home and your absence won't probably be noticed at all.
Super Hardy Plants. The Zamias
In a category of its own, the Zamia plants are in a category of their own.
ZZ Plants, Zamioculcas zamiifolia are very hardy and compared with other plants, almost indestructible. The new cultivars like Chameleon and Raven are less so.Warmth and very occasional watering gives the best growth and you can leave these plants for weeks. One step beyond the ZZ plant is the "Cardboard plant ", Zamia furfuracea. Grown in southern gardens, these plants do well indoors in warm sunny locations.
Zamia furfuracea
ZZ plant
Cardboard plant
I
Cactus plants
Totally vacation- proof plants include of course all cactus plants.
Cactus plants love dried-out soil and will revive after long absences.
The Nopal plants will grow as houseplants in sunny interior locations and have the added benefit of being edible.Watering is not needed if the plant is hydrated when you leave on vacation.
A hydrated nopal has fat smooth green leaves and signs of making new paddles.
3.Fake it by clever watering.
You can easily get your plants to think you're still home.
Water wicking is easy. Get string and a bottle of water and set up your water-wicking station for several light-compatible houseplants.The water just needs to be higher than the plants.
To wick water, you can use a piece of cotton string or a any strip of fabric as a “wick” to soak up water from the water-filled container sending the water slowly to the soil of nearby plants.100% wool ribbon is considered the best wicking material and available online.
Watering trays are also good for watering and because they add local humidity to plant area. You can also just put each plant on a saucer or tray and fill with water. Pebbles are used in the tray sometimes, but this is more for decoration than improving function.
Adding a few slow-release plant food granules to the water makes sense in summer months when growth is potentially fastest.
Your bathroom can become a greenhouse of sorts and in your absence the bathtub or shower can be a secure high-humid area for safe plant storage.Dont rely on the bath plug. It can leak so use oil change trays available at large hardware stores. Drill holes in the side 2 inches from the bottom and pack your damp plants into the tray. Fill with water until it flows out of the sides. Your plants are now in a great improvised greenhouse.Check lighting. Some bathrooms have small or non-existant windows.
Grow lights are good if you're going away in winter months when room illumination dwindles and day length shortens.A timer is good for simulating daylength.
.
4. The Vacation Pest defeater
It might seem weird for pests to pop up when you're away. But remember first that your plants could easily be stressed without your attention. A stressed plant is more likely to have pest and disease issues, so plan ahead and steer your vacation into a worry-free experience.
First, before you go, examine all your plants. A couple of aphids can breed with wild abandon while you're gone. Many bugs of this type are impossible to spot without a magnifying glass, so nip pest issues in the bud by making up a fine spray bottle with a dilute solution of your favorite bug spray, for example, Home Defense. Spray until saturated. Turn the plant around and repeat. Lift leaves that droop and spray the undersides.
Go overboard and place gnat sticky traps on the soil of your precious houseplants. Non-toxic, these traps won't harm and maybe will prevent an infestation or two.
Second, do not buy new plants before you go. This makes sense when you realize a lot of plant sellers really are not from state registered and inspected nurseries. Plant diseases can and do get shipped in online orders. Unattended new plants could and would cause damage to your houseplant collection. It's not worth the risk.
Third,
Choose pest-averse plants if you're a wanderer.There are of course many plants resistant to pests of all kinds,and many which are not.
An Elephant Ear plant for example, will act as a magnet for spider mites, thrips, white fly and aphids.Sitting next to the drooping Elephant in the shade garden you can find a congo philodendron looking happy, not an aphid in sight.
This is an example of pest resistance. You can check out the possibility of any plant you propose to buy using many of the online resources available. Or you can go the old school route and find something like Wolverton's How to grow Fresh Air . Yes, it's a book , front cover, back cover and pages in between. But it does have a simple vulnerability rating for each of many common houseplants.Although the assessments are based more opinion than hard data, the ratings are a food for thought guide showing which plants you prefer to buy if there are long periods of vacationing in your design for time-off living.
5. Getting help.
Over the years it is possible that your houseplant collection has not only grown in size, it has also grown in value. For some owners, there is also the attachment aspect. People grow very fond of their houseplant. Many a plant has even been given a name!
Finding a responsible plant sitter is the very best plan for vacations extending to months. References and recommendations are always a good idea. Local gardening clubs can be used for this as a valuable resource, but be careful who you choose.Not all plant sitters are equally competent, so if
you've got a friend willing to help care for your plants in your absence, follow this important rule:
"Stop and assess before you say yes."
Assessing a plant sitter is quite easy if you can visit their home and get them to visit yours. After that, we suggest you go down the checklist:
Do they have houseplants?
What is the condition of their plant collection?
Do they know the names of your plants.?
Have they looked after another neighbor's plant collection?
Can they take photos with their cellphone and send them to you?
Do they know how to water each plant?
You need a few yes answers in there. And don't forget the R factor. Responsibility. Checking references might be a good idea to find out who might have used this person before.
For plant lovers who are in need of time away from your home, home security cameras are such a wonderful asset.We recommend them for every room in the house containing a plant or two.
Comments