How To Keep Plants Alive When You’re On Vacation

Have you ever wondered how to keep plants alive when you’re on vacation? I am sharing all of my tips and tricks – as well as some suggestions from my Instagram pals and a few others that I found on-line – all right here! I am sharing ideas for both indoor and outdoor plants and hopefully these suggestions will save your sweet plant babies from withering away the next time you go on vacation!

I always get so excited with anticipation when my next trip is on the horizon. I just love the feeling that comes with daydreaming about all the fun possibilities that a vacation holds. But, if we are being honest, I think we can all agree that leaving the house to go on a trip isn’t always painless, quick or easy. There are a lot of things to think about as you prepare to leave your home for trip away. In addition to packing, one of the things that I always consider is how to keep my plants healthy and well while I am gone.

A few days ago on Instagram, I made a post and there I was discussing this topic. I shared how to keep your plants alive while you’re on vacation and specifically I shared a few of the things that I have done in the past that have worked for me. What is neat is that several people commented with additional tips and tricks on that Instagram post as well. It was so much fun reading all of the tips! I wanted to share all of those tips and tricks here on the blog so that you could have a place to reference them if you ever find yourself needing some ideas before your next trip! I promise, these are all pretty easy and with a little preparation, you can leave to go on vacation knowing that your sweet, precious plants will be just fine!

Please note: These tips apply to both indoor and outdoor plants!

Water Them Well Before You Go

While this is obvious, it is also probably the very best tip to help your plants survive. I like to make sure that each plant is nice and soaked – you can tell this is the case when the water starts pouring out of the drain holes. I usually do this right before we leave the house to ensure the plants can stay as moist as possible!

Group Them Together

I did this before our last trip. For the outdoor plants, I grouped them all on the back porch huddled together in a little bunch. I was sure to place them in a spot that would be shaded most of the day but that would also allow the plants to catch any rainwater that may fall while we were away.

For the indoor plants, I grouped all of mine together in a spot by a window upstairs. I made sure that those plants were not directly in the sun but that they still received some light. (We always close the blinds on all the windows around the house when we go away on vacation.)

Fill A Kiddie Pool – Instagram Suggestion

Now, I have not done this before, but I just may next time we leave. A few people gave me this suggestion on Instagram and I thought it was very clever. Simply place all your plants in a plastic kiddie pool and then fill it up with 2 -3 inches of water! I would suggest doing this in the shade of course and also be sure to remove the saucers from under the potted plants to ensure that they can easily drink the water! Thank you to @kooky_kitty_vintage and @clf1970 for the suggestion.

Fill A Bathtub: Instagram Suggestion

This was also a suggestion given to me by an instagram follower. Similar to the kiddie pool for outdoor plants, you can use a bathtub in the same way for your indoor plants! Simply fill the tub up with a few inches of water and you should be good. If you only have a few plants, you could even you a plastic tote in place of the large tub! But, remember to make sure the plants are not in direct sunlight!

Make A Greenhouse: Instagram Suggestion

I thought this was so cleaver. A sweet IG friend explained that her trick was to put a large plastic bag around each potted plant after watering. She went on to say that she simply secures the bag close to the top of the pot – that’s it! “Doing this creates a greenhouse effect so the moisture that evaporates gets trapped in the bag and eventually rains back down on the plant.” Isn’t this a brilliant idea! Thank you to @summerhousevintage for this tip!

Wick And Drip Options: On-line Suggestion

There are a few things on the market that can help you keep your plants nice and healthy while you are gone! For example, you can purchase watering globes (these are essentially balls filled with water that you turn upside down) which will slowly drip water into your plants for you. You can also purchase a drip irrigation system that also does the same type of thing! Something else that I discovered while writing this blog post were these Water Storing Crystals from Miracle-Gro. You can watch this video to see what they are all about!

Here are a few online options that I found for you.

Click Here to see how to make your own water globes and drip irrigation system.

Bring Out-Door Plants Inside: On-line Suggestion

This was an option that I had not thought about. Now, I usually bring in all of my outdoor plants and keep them in my bathtub during the winter – but I had not thought to do this during the warmer months while on vacation. Turn on your ceiling fan at a low speed to increase the flow of air and make sure all of your plants are away from drafty windows and air vents. The cooler temperatures inside will protect them form the harsh sun while you are away.

Ask A Neighbor For Help

On our most recent trip to Colorado, I did ask a kiddo form the neighborhood to come and water my outdoor plants while I was away, depending on the rain. If you can find a good plant sitter, this may be the very best solution of all. But, be ware, unless you are asking a friend, plant sitters can be expensive!

My plant babies are important to me, not to mention some of them were down right expensive. So, I am always mindful when I leave the house for a vacation. I truly want all of my plants, both indoor and outdoor, to survive while I am away. These tips and tricks certainly help to make that happen. I hope that after reading this that you have a better grasp of how to keep your plants alive while you are on vacation as well.

Bon Voyage my friend! Enjoy your next adventure with confidence knowing that your plants are well taken care of!

Oh, and if you enjoyed this post on how to keep plants alive when you’re on vacation, you may also enjoy a few of my other blog posts about all things plants such as my Lavender tips – here. You may also enjoy reading all about some of the outdoor perennials that love the sun that we have around our home – here. Thanks again for taking time out to check out the blog!

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