How to Care for plants during vacation

Keeping your houseplants healthy while you are away from home.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. If you will be gone for a few days, water your plants just before you leave, then put them where they will be away from direct sunlight. In the winter, if you turn down the heat while you are away, leave your plants in the middle of your warmest room. Longer absences during the growing season requires more care.
2. You can protect a plant for two weeks in summer by watering it thoroughly and putting it, pot and all, into a large, transparent plastic bag. Keep the bag from touching the foliage by inserting sticks into the soil. Close the top of the bag with a twist tie(poke several small holes in bag). If the plant is very large, enclose only the pot and stem-you can leave it this way for up to a week.
3. For longer periods, connect one or more plant pots to a container of water with individual plant wicks, available at garden centers. You can also ask a friend to act as sitter, but give instructions on each plants specific care to keep the sitter from killing the plants by overwatering them.