8 Ways to Keep Your Garden Alive While You’re on Vacation
Here’s how to help your plants survive while you’re away.
It’s always refreshing to get away for a few days of down time. But it’s also sometimes tough to leave behind your beautiful yard at the height of gardening season. No one knows its ins and outs like you, and you’ve invested time and money in planting, weeding, pruning, and babying your plants. It’s scary to leave them behind!
As a garden writer, I can’t wait to dig in the dirt, start pruning, or to weed, plant vegetables, and deadhead my flowers every year. But when it’s time for vacation, I admit that I do get nervous. So much can happen seemingly overnight, from aphid populations that explode on the roses to rabbits who’ve discovered a break in the fencing to mow down the tidy rows of lettuce.
But I’ve learned when you set up a strategically-planned system ahead of time, your garden will fare better. If you’re leaving for a long weekend, your garden should be fine. But for longer trips, you’ll need to plan ahead.
Here’s what you can do to help your garden survive while you’re on vacation.
Move potted plants to the shade.
Container plants, hanging baskets, and window boxes dry out more quickly than landscaping plants. Move any planters that you can— even those that contain sun-loving plants— into the shade while you are gone.
If you don’t have a shaded area on your patio or deck, consider using patio umbrellas or shade cloth to provide shelter which will reduce evaporation to buy you more time between waterings.
Check for pests.
There’s nothing worse than going away to return to plants decimated by cucumber beetles or tomato hornworms. A day or two before you leave, inspect the tops and bottoms of foliage on vegetables and ornamentals, such as roses, that are vulnerable to infestation.
Look for signs of problems, such as chewed holes, frass (bug waste), or droopy plants, then treat accordingly. Left unchecked, you may have little left in your garden when you return if you don’t deal with issues before you leave.
Use your irrigation system.
If your lawn has an irrigation system, you can use it to water planters in a pinch. It’s not ideal, but it is a way to get water to container plants if you can’t find someone to water them for you. Place them in a shaded area where the sprinklers can reach.
Although there are many inexpensive timers available that you can hook up to your garden hose, I’ve never had confidence in them-- especially after one failed and did not shut off; fortunately, I was home so I caught it before my garden beds were flooded.
Show your plant sitter exactly what needs done.
Ideally, ask a friend or neighbor to water for you, then have them over ahead of time to show them the ropes. Because not everyone has the same level of knowledge or experience you’ve gained from working in your garden every week, show them how to do everything, including where spigots and watering cans are and when and how much to water.
Also, ask them to poke their fingers in containers to test for the moisture levels before watering so that they don’t overwater, which can be just as damaging as under-watering.
Most importantly, don’t forget to thank them and bring them a gift!
Add mulch.
If you haven’t already done so, add a 2 to 3 inch layer of mulch to planting beds. This not only keeps down weeds, but it also retains moisture better than bare soil. It’s also a good idea to add to container plantings.
Harvest anything that’s ready (or close to ready).
Many vegetables such as beans and squash stop producing if the fruit stays on the vine. Go ahead and pick anything that’s ready or nearly ready, such as tomatoes that have just started to show signs of color. Or ask a neighbor to enjoy the bounty while you’re away. Rotting fruit and vegetables only invite pests, so you should reduce the amount of fallen fruit by harvesting as it ripens.
Triage as soon as you get home.
Before unpacking, head out to your garden and see how everything fared. You may need to water a container or prop up a tomato plant that’s toppled. Look for issues that need dealt with immediately, such as a new pest infestation, before further damage can occur.
Invest in self-watering planters.
This isn’t necessarily something you can do at this point in the season, but in the future, consider purchasing self-watering planters. The plants will be able to take up what water they need when they need it, and the reservoirs can be filled every week or so, reducing the need for daily watering.
Arricca Elin SanSone is a writer, editor, and content creator who specializes in lifestyle and gardening. With a background in health reporting, she applies these same research skills when writing about the science of growing things. She trials new plants in her expansive garden, and her houseplant collection consists of 60+ varieties. Arricca has written thousands of articles for publications such as Country Living, House Beautiful, Good Housekeeping, Prevention, VERANDA, Southern Living, and more. She’s happiest when digging in the dirt, baking, or spending time with the people and dogs she loves.
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