You’ve tended to your garden with the utmost care, investing time and energy into helping it look its best through spring, and now summer. 

But now you’re finding the relaxation and enjoyment of your summer garden being dampened by the looming reality that you won’t be around to keep it in shape when you go away for the holidays. Relatable? You’re not alone. 

With the summer heat reaching its peak, holiday plant care is essential, to help your plants’ chances of survival, and avoid the disappointment of returning home to droopy, wilting or even dried up plants. 

Read this guide to learn everything from how to keep plants alive while on holiday to how to prevent plants from drying out, and tips for watering while away.

How to keep plants alive while on holiday

Your home gardening maintenance plan for while you are on holiday depends on how long your trip is.

For shorter trips, watering plants long and deep and moving them to a cooler spot if they’re usually in full sun could be enough to help them survive your absence for a couple of days. 

Do this as close to your departure as possible to shorten the amount of time between watering. Be sure to avoid overwatering, though – soggy soil is an invitation for root rot.

For longer trips, explore hiring a plant sitter or asking someone to visit your home andwater your plants every 2 – 3 days, as well as move any plants that are struggling in the heat to a cooler spot, giving them a greater chance of survival.

If you’re worried about the inconvenience or cost of hiring someone to help with holiday plant care, there are some creative ways you can ensure your garden and houseplants handle the heat and thrive in your absence.

Tips to prepare your garden before vacation

It’s the season where your garden flourishes under care, but when you’re on holiday, and upkeep is on pause, it can take on a different character, and you may return to some unwelcome surprises.

Check off this list before you hit the road to ensure you come back to a healthy garden:

• Pick all ripe vegetables and fruit. Overripe produce attracts pests and disease.
• To lower the risk for disease or the spread of disease, remove any diseased or damaged plant material or foliage.
• Deadhead flowers to prevent plants from going to seed.

Waterwise vacation gardening tips:

• Mow your lawn short before you go, but keep it long enough for it to retain moisture. Learn more about creating a lush summer lawn here.
• Prune back fast-growing plants to lower water demands. Browse tools.
• Apply a thick layer of mulch around plants to trap in moisture. 
• Weed your garden thoroughly; weeds compete for water, and you want this precious resource to be available to your lawn, shrubs and flower beds. Win the war on weeds with this guide.

What to do with houseplants before you travel

Indoor plant care while travelling should be carefully thought out and planned so that you can holiday with peace of mind.

If you’ll be travelling for more than a couple of days, DIY watering systems for plants make for a great watering hack for vacation plant care.

Fill plastic bottles with water, poke small holes in the cap, and insert upside-down into the plant soil. 

You can also make DIY wicks using cotton rope – place one end in a water reservoir (like a bottle or bowl) and bury the other in the soil.

Alternatively, use self-watering globes or spikes that slowly release water. Explore irrigation tools and equipment here.

Low-maintenance plants for summer holidays

If you’re looking to spruce up your home or garden just before going on holiday, add green with these low-maintenance plant options:

• Snake plant
• Aloe vera
• Spider plant
• Philodendron
• ZZ plant

Holiday with peace of mind – and return to a beautiful garden

With these tips, you can confidently go away on your summer break and return to a home and garden that is not only surviving, but thriving. 
Browse tools, mulch, irrigation systems, low-maintenance plants and more at your nearest Stodels Garden Centre; and if you have questions, speak to our friendly in-store experts to guide you in the right direction.