Q: We're going on vacation for a couple of weeks this winter. How long can we leave houseplants without watering? Most of the plants are watered every three to four days, but some go for a week. Should we harden them off by not watering as much for a while before we leave, so they are used to less water? If we turn the furnace down to the low 60s will they need as much water? The curtains will be closed, so if they don't get much light will they need less water? There are about 50 total, some are in small 4-inch pots and some are in 18-inch pots, and all have saucers underneath.
A: Some of the answer depends on what kinds of plants you have and how healthy they are now. The vast majority of your plants will do best if you water them well just before you leave. When you get back most of them will look a bit wilted, but they should come back just fine. Some will lose a few leaves, but plants like succulents that have thick water-filled leaves will do fine.
Don't try to harden them off, as that will just stress them and make them weaker before you go. The healthier and stronger they are, the better they will be able to make it.
A cool room in the 60s will help, but the 50s might be too cool for some tropical plants. A dark room will probably cause them to lose a lot of leaves. Can you just leave the curtain sheers closed and the heavy curtains open?
Plants in small pots will not do as well as the bigger ones, because they have so little soil to pull water from. Since they can be moved easily, they can go to the cooler and shadier room.
Normally, we don't want water left standing in a tray under a pot, as the roots can rot. Leaving the saucers full of water, just this once, could extend out the time necessary between waterings.
There are a variety of watering devices that use a wick to pull water from a bucket or bottle into the saucer or bottom of the flowerpot. Some videos on the Internet show you how to place upside down soda bottles in larger flowerpots for slow watering. You can use them on plants that are too big to move or that are near a heating vent that dries them out too quickly. Moving the plants, closing vents or putting up deflectors will help prevent the plants from drying out.
You can check with your local garden center for a product called appropriately enough, Vacation. It is a sugar-alcohol based plant extract that causes the plant to go into a self-induced and temporary drought resistance. It contains no toxic chemicals and has no components regulated by either the EPA or the FDA.
Plants treated with Vacation don't need to be watered for up to two weeks. Normal watering will cancel the effects and the plant will need to be watered after that. It can be used on houseplants, outdoor plants, lawns, and vegetables and herbs. It not only works on making a plant more drought tolerant for a few weeks, but it helps plants recover from transplant shock. It's safe and nontoxic for people and pets.
An 8-ounce bottle is only about $15 and will treat up to 128 6-inch flower plots, or 8 ounces will treat a single cut Christmas tree. Vacation is made in the U.S. by Natural Industries.
Email questions to Jeff Rugg at info@greenerview.com. To find out more about Jeff Rugg and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
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