Released: May 31, 2006

Houseplants Will Still Need Water While You Vacation

MANHATTAN, Kan. – The dog can go along or go to the kennel. The lawn will survive on its own. But, houseplants can suffer while the family’s on vacation.

“The best alternative, of course, is to have someone water them while you’re gone. If you don’t want to hand over house keys to someone else, though, you’ve still got some alternatives,” said Ward Upham, Master Gardener coordinator for Kansas State University Research and Extension.

The traditional method is to place the plants’ pots on pebble- and water-filled pans, Upham said. Three other methods can do a more dependable job, however:

* Place well-watered plants inside a plastic bag, using wood dowels or something similar to keep the plastic propped up and off the leaves.

“This can keep plants happy for about a week,” the horticulturist said. “You can’t leave them where they’ll receive full sunlight, because the heat buildup inside the bag could cook the plants. But, they should be fine in bright, indirect light.”

* For this approach, you need an old dish-drying rack(s), some shoe laces and a bathroom that gets natural light. Place the rack upside down in the bathtub. Push the end of a shoelace through the drainage hole and into the soil of each houseplant’s pot. Put the pot(s) on the rack, so that the loose end of the shoelace dangles down. Then fill the tub with several inches of water.

“You end up with a wick system that will replace water in the pot as the plant uses it,” Upham said. “Plants can last a couple of weeks in this setup if they get enough natural light.”

* Shop early and get one of the many commercial products that can automatically water houseplants. All will have a reservoir for water. They’ll either siphon or pump that water to the individual plants.

“The real advantage of these products is that you normally don’t have to move your plants to ensure they get water while you’re gone,” he said. “And, your houseplants should last as long as the reservoir water does.”

Upham also maintains K-State’s Horticulture Information Center, which addresses a wide range of home horticulture topics. A link to its Web site is on the Lawn and Garden page at http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/Topic6.asp.

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K-State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well-being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K-State campus, Manhattan.

Story by:
Kathleen Ward
kward@oznet.ksu.edu
K-State Research& Extension News