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Escapes: Caring For Plants While You're Away

atla-082708-caring.jpgIt's great to escape. Until you get home and realize that all your plants, so lovingly tended for, have drooped and, even, withered away while you were off frolicking and having fun. Here are some products and tips we've blogged that will make sure your plants are perky and bright when you return...

 
 

atla-082708-caring01.jpgPlant Nanny

atla-082708-caring02.jpgExpaning Water Crytals for the Garden. Seriously

atla-082708-caring03.jpgKarim Rashid's Grobal Self Watering Planter

atla-082708-caring04.jpgGardener's Supply Wet Pot Flower Pot

You can also:


  • Water your plants well and then cover them with a plastic bag, creating a mini-greenhouse.
  • Corral all your plants in your bathtub & fill the tub with an inch of water. Especially if they're in clay pots, they'll suck up the water while you're gone.
  • Water your plants well, and cover the soil with wet newspaper. This will keep the soil moist (but it only works if you're going away for a few days.
  • Give your key to a neighbor and hope they don't go off on an escape of their own.

Do you have any tricks for keeping your plants alive while you're gone?


[image: Garry Knight


Tags

gardening, travel, self-watering, plant care, plants and flowers

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Comments (5)

I need tricks for bringing plants back to life after I have killed them!

posted by Kimberlina on August 27th 2008 at 10:16am
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I put them all in the bathtub, give them a soak and depending on the length of my trip leave a little extra water for them all to sit in.

That braided plant in the last picture is awesome.

posted by amt230 on August 27th 2008 at 10:48am
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amt230, the braided one in the front is a money tree and they're not hard to find--I see them at my local Lowe's all the time. They're supposedly good for Feng Shui! The one in the back looks like a braided ficus.

Here's some info on the money tree plant: "The species used for a money tree plant is formally known as Pachira aquatica. It is native to swamp lands in South America. The plant itself is already considered to be fortunate by followers of feng shui, because of its five lobed palmate leaves. A money tree plant with leaves in clusters of seven, another powerful number, is considered to be especially lucky. The leaves of the money tree plant are edible, along with the flowers and nuts that it forms. The lucky trees can often be found in powerful places in the home, because plants and living things are supposed to be good for feng shui."

posted by Monica on August 27th 2008 at 11:11am
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My tip for making sure your plants don't die while you're out of town: Find a really good, responsible neighbor that you can trust, give them a nice bottle of wine and some chocolates and your key and ask them to come by once or twice to water all your plants. It's always worked for me!

posted by Monica on August 27th 2008 at 11:16am
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My mom always puts her finicky plants in a seal-able clear plastic bag after a good watering, and leaves them out of bright direct sunlight. They will usually be good as new when she gets back from 2 weeks away.

posted by Zemquat on September 13th 2009 at 6:31pm
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