During a long absence of the owners due to a business trip or vacation, the plants suffer from a lack of water. However, you can save flowers without watering if you take care of them before the trip.

Which flowers tolerate drought better?

Various factors affect the survival of pets without moisture.

Type of plant.

Flowers in a home collection can vary greatly in origin, appearance and features of development. Majority indoor plants you can safely leave for a week without watering, after moisturizing well. A longer lack of irrigation can adversely affect the health of pets.

herbaceous plants in winter time watered on average once a week, and during the period active growth or flowering - once every 3-4 days. Approximately the same irrigation regime for orchids. Agave, hoya, yucca and aspidistra are not so demanding on watering - they are content with moisturizing once every two weeks. Popular asparagus and chlorophytum tolerate drought well at low temperatures due to the presence of water in the bulbs. Cacti and succulents are left without watering for a month if they are in a dormant period, and the temperature environment- from 5 to 10 degrees of heat. For many representatives of this species, such content is the norm.

"Water plants" can hardly tolerate a long absence of watering. These include, for example, azalea, streptocarpus, cyclamen and. It is better to transfer them to someone for care during a long absence. If trips from home are frequent and long, you should choose less moisture-loving plants for growing. Flowers with hard leaves and a thick trunk will easily endure an anhydrous period of up to 2 weeks.
Temperature and humidity.

In a warmer room with low humidity, indoor pets will begin to suffer from a lack of moisture much earlier. If a long trip takes place in winter, it is appropriate to reduce the temperature of the batteries central heating. Additional water containers in the room will help increase the humidity.
How to help plants survive the time without watering?
If a long absence of the owners is planned in order to save indoor flowers, you should pay attention to such simple tips.
It is better to keep pets away from windows. On the windowsill in summer without water, they will suffer from the sun, in winter - from radiators. If the curtains are thick enough, you can simply draw them in the warm season. Plants located on the south, southeast or southwest window should be rearranged. In the off-season, it is appropriate to turn off the heating or remove the flowers away from the heat source.
Remove inflorescences and buds a few days before departure. There will be no one to admire the beauty, and flower brushes take away a lot of precious moisture from the plant.
Tightly cover with a transparent jar small flowers that love high humidity and dry out quickly. For large plants, large plastic bags can be used. Secure the ends with an elastic band so that there are no large gaps. In this case, the moisture will not evaporate quickly.
Be sure to water the day before or on the day of departure. The flower is not irrigated from above, but bottom watering is used. The plant is placed in a container with water for 10-15 minutes. When the soil is well saturated with water, the flower is taken out and the excess liquid is allowed to drain. Plants watered in this way retain moisture longer.
Close windows and doors. Put water containers near the flowers. This will help to avoid drafts and keep moisture near them.
Do not feed flowers 2-3 weeks before departure. It is completely inappropriate to activate life processes at this time.
Remove damaged and dry leaves. Check for pests or signs of disease. If necessary, treat the flowers with the necessary preparation, because a plant weakened without water becomes more vulnerable. It is better to do this 1-2 weeks before the trip.
Lay a layer of expanded clay or gravel on the bottom of a large container. Inside, place small pots with moisture-loving plants (they are pre-watered). Pour water onto expanded clay or gravel so that it does not touch the bottom of flowerpots with pets. high humidity will help plants to survive the time without watering more easily.

If you often have to leave your favorite indoor flowers unattended, it is better to plant them in clay pots. Such a container retains moisture better than plastic.

Methods of "remote" humidification
Moisturize with a wet cloth.

On a table placed far from the window, put a thick oilcloth to protect the surface from moisture. Place a piece of wet thick fabric on top, such as an old baby blanket or flannel diaper. Place a container of water nearby. Lower the ends of the matter into a vessel with liquid. Place flowerpots with well-watered flowers on a wet cloth (use pots without stands and with drainage holes). Water from the container will gradually get to the roots through the bottom of the flowerpots and water your green pets. You can put plants in the bathroom if there is enough light - then the film is not used. When using this method, you can leave the flowers without irrigation for 2-3 weeks. Watering flowers during the holidays with a wet cloth is well suited for medium-sized moisture-loving plants.
Make it in traffic thin hole with an awl, fill the container with water. Twist the bottle and insert it upside down into the flower pot, pressing it into the ground by 2-3 cm. Water from a small hole will drop into the flowerpot and water the plant. On the other side (in the bottom), you also need to make a hole so that air enters the container instead of the leaked liquid. It is desirable to prepare in advance several bottles with holes of different diameters and empirically determine what size of the hole will be optimal. This is a great opportunity to water flowers when you go on vacation, you just need to correctly calculate the water rate so as not to overmoisten the plant. The disadvantage is that each flower will need its own "watering can" - you need to stock up on bottles. The method is well suited for large instances.
Wick irrigation.

Flower pots are placed on the floor. Pour water into a large plastic container and place it next to the plants. Dishes with liquid should be above the flowers - for example, on a table or chair. Cuts are made from fabric or bandage, you can use special synthetic wicks, which are sold in flower shops. One end of the fabric is placed in a container of water, and the other is fixed on the surface of the soil in a flower pot. The wicks are gradually fed with water from the dishes and supply moisture to the plants. For large and moisture-loving flowers, use more cuts. On average, one wick is used for one flowerpot with a diameter of about 10 cm, with a pot diameter of 30 cm, 4 such pieces of fabric may be needed. This method of watering will keep the flowers up to two weeks.

Such a system automatically waters the flowers at regular intervals. It is better to buy it in advance to check the efficiency of the installation. First, there is a risk of receiving a low-quality product. Secondly, it is necessary to adjust the watering taking into account the requirements of pets.
Also available for sale. They are not cheap and are not suitable for all flowers, but they can be an alternative for those who are willing to spend extra money for the comfort of their plant.
So, during a long absence of the owners, indoor flowers can live quite comfortably without watering. Preparing plants for the dry period and following a few simple tips will help to avoid stress.

You are going to leave home for vacation, May holidays, New Year Or just visiting another city? Great prospects for a change of scenery are always accompanied by two problems: what to do with a cat (cat, dog, birds and other animals) and who to ask to water indoor flowers and potted plants.

If you intend to ask neighbors, relatives or loved ones to water your flowers during the holidays and vacations, consider whether it would be convenient to limit other people's rest and free time to your concerns.

Watering indoor plants

All types of indoor plants and flowers should be watered at least once a week. without watering can dry out, because the roots of plants cannot reach ground water in deep soil layers. Plants grow and develop using water and sunlight, which are involved in the process of photosynthesis, allowing plants and flowers to grow and develop.

Plants that do not require watering include only cacti and certain types of desert flora. During the existence of plants in desert and semi-desert zones, they have learned to evaporate less moisture even when high temperatures and bright sunlight, so these plants do not need to be watered very often.

If it happened that all the leaves of the plant dried up, but the roots remained alive, then the pot should be placed in partial shade and the rhizome should be watered a little so that it comes to life again.

What water is suitable for watering indoor flowers and potted plants

Water for watering plants can be taken directly from faucet. tap water hard, so before watering the water should stand for several hours at room temperature. Heavy metals tap water, indistinguishable to human vision, are collected at the bottom, so after the water has stood, never pour the water out of the container completely - always leave a few centimeters of water with precipitation at the bottom.

Dip one end into a container of water (to the bottom), and fix the other inside the soil in each pot. As long as there is water in the container, the cotton strips, according to the laws of physics (using surface tension), will help keep the soil in the pot moist.

The disadvantage of this method is the need to select several containers (for three flowers, 1 liter of water per week will be enough), as well as the danger of the soil drying out in case of a long absence (after the water runs out).

3)3. Flower flasks are very popular and can be bought or made by hand from a suitable bottle, jar or medical dropper.

3.1.Pour water into the bottle, put a rubber cap from a regular pipette on the neck. Make a small hole in the cap for water.

Insert the water bottle upside down into the soil - the bottle will be upside down with the neck in the soil. The resistance of the soil will not allow the water to flow out completely immediately, and your indoor plants and flowers in pots will be supplied with the necessary amount of water at the time of departure. If it is difficult to find a rubber pipette tip, then you can make small holes directly in the bottle cap so that water can gradually flow out through them.

You can also attach the tubes to a large one, for example, five liter bottle, which must be placed above the plants. The tubes in the bottle can be fixed, if necessary, with ordinary electrical tape.

3.2. Take a medical dropper and hang over each flower pot separately. You will need as many drops as flower pots at your home, as well as additionally think over the system for attaching droppers above each of the flower pots separately.

3.3. Take a three-liter jar, a cotton towel and a plastic tray. Lay a towel on the tray, pour water into the jar and close the neck of the jar with the towel tray in such a way that the side with the towel touches the neck of the jar (see example 3 in the figure).

Press the tray firmly against the neck of the jar and turn the structure with the jar upside down. Gradually, the cotton towel will be saturated with water from the jar. Place flower pots on a towel without lower saucers so that the hole at the bottom of the pot is on the towel. The edges of the tray will not allow water from the towel to drain onto the floor, and the roots of plants through the hole will be able to receive moisture in required quantity. This method is not suitable for plants growing in pots (for example, watering orchids).

simple and inexpensive way complicated by the process of fixing bottles and cans of water upside down, the need a large number droppers, as well as a limited amount of water in a bottle, jar, flask or dropper, which may not be enough for the entire time of departure.

4)4. Effect closed system the water cycle can be created using a transparent plastic bag: close open ground in a pot with a bag (you can put a few pebbles on top to fix the bag more tightly), and put the bag on top bigger size.

Polyethylene will slow down the evaporation of water, and the evaporated moisture in the form of droplets will begin to settle on the walls of the bag and again serve as a source of moisture for plants. The package must be transparent in order to sunlight could penetrate to the plants and maintain its strength. This method is suitable for leaving for a few days (no more than a week), and only for small plants (because it is rare to find large plastic bags).

5)5. Aquaground is a transparent or colored hydrogel soft balls, which are composed of collagen. Collagen, when in contact with water, absorbs it and holds it inside.

Aqua-hydrogel is used for bouquets of cut flowers: multi-colored balls look very nice in transparent vase, turning an ordinary bouquet of flowers into the main decoration of the interior. Aqua soil can be scattered on the surface of the earth in a pot, there will be enough moisture for a week of absence. After drying, the balls of aqua-hydrogel can be used again by putting them in water.

Her Majesty's Gardeners hope their advice will help you keep your potted plants and flowers healthy and beautiful!

Good afternoon friends!

Leaving for a vacation in the Crimea, I thought about how to leave indoor flowers for a long time, what to do so that they do not dry out during the holidays (I also call my vacation days).

How to water flowers while on vacation: do-it-yourself autowatering

So that the flowers do not wither during the holidays, it is necessary to somehow arrange automatic watering for them. Now on sale there are also special systems automatic watering, but I wanted to do everything simply and with my own hands. I want to offer you a few ways that I learned about. I must say right away that they all give a positive result, but it is only necessary to approach each flower individually, because someone loves abundant watering, and someone, on the contrary, is categorically against being flooded.

Beforehand, our flowers must be prepared:

Remove withered buds so that they do not take away excess moisture.
Remove flowers from windows and, regardless of their light preferences, put them in a shaded area.
All methods must be tested in advance in order to correct and understand which is better for watering.
On the day of departure, it is good to water the flowers.

Watering flowers by immersion in water

A very convenient way: put flowers in pots in a large basin and pour water. In this case, it is advisable to put a sponge cloth made of porous fabric under the bottom of the pot, which will absorb and retain moisture. And fill the space around the pots with crumpled newspapers, which will not only retain moisture, but also prevent the rapid evaporation of water.

With this method of watering, the plant will take in little moisture and without the danger of root rot.

This method is suitable for those plants that like moderate watering, for example, violets.

To be honest, I found out about him long before the trip, and when it came down to it, I forgot about the sponge and newspapers. But I know that in general, flowers from time to time should be placed in a basin of water for at least a day, so that both the walls of the pot and the roots of the plants get wet well.

I just haven’t done this procedure for a long time, so before leaving, I immersed spathiphyllum, spurge and zephyranthes in water. I poured a lot of water and did not dare to put violets.

All the days of my absence, the flowers, apparently, felt fine, the earth remained moderately moist. Spathiphyllum even bloomed while I was gone.

It is quite possible to leave flowers for 10 days, I really liked it.

Wick watering

I put a bucket of water in the center of the table, and around it I placed violets, gloxinia and hippeastrum to join them.

She twisted the flagella from the bandage, lowered one of their edges into the water, and the other into a pot with a plant.

Thus, water gradually flows through this wick from the bandage into the ground and watering is carried out. To ensure this, the water level in the tank must be above the ground level in the pots.

I covered the bucket with a lid so that the water would not evaporate in vain.

And be sure to check the operation of the method in advance, determine the acceptable width of the bundle. At first I tried to twist a bandage 14 cm wide. But after a day, the earth in one experimental pot with gloxinia was too wet, and even the pan was filled with water.

Therefore, at the time of departure, I cut the bandage in half lengthwise, i.e. its width was 7 cm and my flowers did not wither during the holidays.

An excellent method, I liked the fact that the width of the tourniquet can be adjusted to the speed of watering and you can leave the flowers like this for 10-15 days. If the flower is large, then several flagella can be laid to it.

But only with the hippeastrum I had a misunderstanding: the wick fell out of the pot and all the water poured onto the table. Because of this, the plant was not upset, it does not really like water, it seemed to me that it even got prettier and stronger.

But you need to take this moment into account and dig the wicks a little into the ground for reliability, and the length of the bundle should be such that its other edge is well immersed in water.

Drip irrigation

Here you need a five-liter bottle of water and a dropper - the same one that is sold in a pharmacy for medical procedures.

All needles are removed from it and a tube is left, which is placed in a bottle, the tip is suspended above the plant.

The clip available in a dropper allows to control amount of water.

Watering flowers with a drip is suitable for plants that love moisture, such as cyperus, lemon, azalea, begonia.

In this way, you can water the flowers when you leave for a long time, for 2 - 2.5 weeks.

Watering flowers while on vacation: a video from which I took note of the tips and in which the above methods can be seen clearly:

Watering from a bottle

Large plants growing in large pots can be arranged drip irrigation and from a bottle, it is not at all necessary to buy a special dropper.

For this in plastic bottle pour water, twist the lid in which you need to make a small hole, and install this design in a pot.

So I was going to water the palm tree and cyperus, which are sitting in my buckets. But my mistake was that I made the holes with a hot nail, they turned out to be too big, and the liquid dripped at too high a speed.

When using this method of watering, you need to make tiny holes with a needle and check the work a few days before departure.

I no longer experimented, but simply filled the plants well with water: I poured it as usual and poured another one and a half liters each. This watering was enough for them.

Hydrogel

The fact that you can use the hydrogel during the holidays, I learned only now, when I began to write this post.

Hydrogels are small balls that swell in water and release moisture as needed. You can buy hydrogel in flower shops.

Before vacation, the plant is watered and covered with hydrogel balls on top. And you can safely rest for 10 days, during which time the plants will feel comfortable.

There are probably other ways to water flowers on vacation. Share who knows what, write in the comments. And I was completely tripled by those about whom she spoke.

Interesting information for you:

Preparing plants for vacation

There are two weeks left before departure. Completely stop feeding plants with various additives. This will help your indoor flowers slow down their rapid growth, and, therefore, reduce the appetite and need for your presence.

There are 7-10 days left before departure. Remove all affected and diseased leaves, shoots, buds. If necessary, treat diseased plants with medicinal preparations, and healthy ones for prevention with herbal infusions.

Three days left before departure. Cut buds and flowers without regret. You still won’t be able to admire them, and this will significantly save the plant’s strength and resources.

The day before the trip. Water and wash each plant, put all flowerpots on the floor, away from the scorching sun. In this case, the rule “together is more fun” works: place the pots as close as possible to each other in order to keep the humidity of the air longer. You can build a polyethylene cap on top, but be careful: plants with succulent leaves can rot, become moldy.

Flowers during the holidays - care

Consider the option in which a nanny for your flowers could not be found. So, how to provide flowers with watering without your participation? In this case, preventive measures are taken.

Method 1. All plants in clay pots can be buried shallowly in peat or expanded clay. To do this, you can use old basins and even a bath. Peat or expanded clay should be well watered, watered separately and each flower.

Method 2. Put pots with flowers that are in great need of regular watering in a container of water (basins, bath), but remember that for some flowers, waterlogging is just as harmful as drought.

Method 3. My mother acted as follows: all the flowers were arranged in one place on the floor, between them on a stool, my mother put a large pot of water. Then we cut an ordinary bandage into long strips, each of which was dipped with one end into a pot of water, and the other into a flower pot. For large flowerpots, you need several of these strips.

Method 4. If there is no one to leave flowers for, my friend does this: she puts an ordinary dropper in each pot, which are sold in every pharmacy.

Method 5. The most reliable, but, alas, the most expensive way to save flowers for the holidays: buy special containers with an automatic watering system. Another option is capillary mats. These are special such rugs that work on the principle of the bandage method (see above). By the way, instead of capillary mats, you can use ordinary felt.

What plants will survive without watering? There are also such "persistent tin soldiers":

cacti, aloe, cycads, spurges, which can go without watering for up to three weeks;

If your vacation is a joy, then for indoor plants this is a serious test.

Before leaving, try to make sure that they get through the parting painlessly and meet you green and blooming.

The most serious problem that flowers will experience during your vacation is the lack of water. You can solve it by buying special devices. The simplest is powered by a Krona battery and has a reservoir for irrigation. This should be enough for 2-3 weeks. If you don’t need additional expenses before your vacation, you can do without store equipment.

Eight tips on how to prepare plants for prolonged loneliness.

1 Remove the flowers from the windowsill or close the curtains more tightly. The less light, the slower the life processes in plants, which means they will need less moisture.

2 Water the soil well so that it is saturated with water. The pot can be wrapped with a damp newspaper, and on top also with cellophane. This will reduce moisture loss.

3 Small plants should be covered with plastic or glass caps, bottles, but so that their edges do not extend beyond the pot and let air through from below. Evaporating water will condense on the walls and drain back into the ground.

4 You can place a clay pot in a larger plastic one, and fill the space between the walls of the pots with expanded clay, abundantly moistened with water.

5 Take a plastic bottle, fill it with water for irrigation and pierce the cork with an awl heated over a fire or a thin knitting needle. The same hole must be made at the bottom of the bottle. Then put it in a pot with the neck down, deepening it into the ground by 2-3 cm. Water, flowing out drop by drop, will moisten the soil for a long time. But such "bottle" watering requires a preliminary check. The holes may be too large, and then the soil will be waterlogged. Or, conversely, the water will flow out too slowly. Pick up optimal size holes can only be trial and error.

6 You can collect the pots in a basin and put in the bathroom. Plants will stay fresh for a long time if the bottom of the basin is covered with a well-absorbent pad (felt, rug), and then several layers of newspapers are placed. Open the faucet so that water flows out of it drop by drop. Just do not forget to leave the drain open, otherwise the neighbors will not be flooded for long. However, this method is not suitable for flowers that can not do without sunlight for a long time.

7 Effectively moistens the soil and such a "plumbing system": a woolen thread or bandage is dropped from one end into the ground in a pot, and the other end is lowered into a container of water, which should be located above the pot. You can also use wicks from any fabric that conducts water well. It is only important to consider the size of the pot. For a small one, one connecting "pipe" is enough, and for plants located in containers larger diameter, you will need a few threads or wicks. If the plant is not afraid of waterlogging, you can use this method of watering to place the pot in plastic bag and tape it over the top.

8 For plants that are grown in pots with good drainage holes in the bottoms, the following method can be used. Lay an oilcloth on the table (so as not to spoil the furniture), on it - a wide strip of any dense, well-moistened fabric (cloth, felt, gabardine rug, old children's blanket). Place pots with already watered plants on the fabric. The end of the cloth should hang off the table and drop into a large container of water placed just below the plants, such as on a high chair. In this case, the fabric lying on the table will not dry for a long time, and the plants will receive water through the drainage holes of the pot.

Remember that all these methods are designed for a maximum of three to four weeks of your absence. If you have to leave for more long term, here you can’t do without complex store-bought automatic watering systems. However, they can be successfully replaced by neighbors or relatives.

5-7 days before departure, carefully check if the plants are affected by pests and diseases. Remove from the plant all dried and disease-damaged shoots and leaves, as well as large buds and flowers. Treat diseased plants with the appropriate preparations.

It is better to cut off too large leaves.

Plants should be placed in a lit place, but not in the sun.

Close both doors and windows so that there are no drafts in the room where the plants will remain.

2-3 weeks before departure, stop all types of top dressing.

If you leave plants in a tray of water, place flower pots on an elevation of stones or on wooden coasters so that their roots do not freeze.

Flowers in ceramic pots tolerate "separation" better than those that live in plastic containers.

The most unpretentious

Tradescantia, begonia, dracaena easily tolerate a temporary lack of moisture. But in a week they will want to "drink".

Aloe, agave, euphorbia comb well tolerate temporary "droughts" and love sunlight, so it is better to leave them in a room on the windowsill, having previously watered well or provided with drip irrigation.

Palm trees and ficuses that live on the balcony, it is better to bring them into the room during the holidays. And also provide drip (or other) irrigation. Of course, they are also unpretentious to moisture, but they can get sick in three weeks of your absence.