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How Do I Keep My Garden Alive While On Vacation?

Are you planning a trip and worried about what will happen to your beloved garden while you’re away? Don’t worry – we’ve got some great tips for keeping your garden alive and thriving, even if you can’t be there to tend it. I will provide you with the best strategies for keeping your garden in shape while you’re on vacation.

An image of a teenager girl watering different kinds of plants in a garden.

Prepare Your Garden Before You Leave

Before leaving on vacation, it’s important to prepare your garden properly. Ensure you give your flowers and vegetables a good watering before you go, and consider pruning any overgrown plants. 

If you have outdoor containers, group them close together to conserve moisture, mulch the tops at least two inches deep, and give each container a deep soaking. 

If you’re expecting particularly hot weather during your absence, place a shade cloth over the garden to keep it cooler and install a watering system so that it will stay hydrated. 

Consider placing plastic bottles of water around your garden to provide an extra water source. 

Finally, if you’re in an area prone to high winds, install windbreaks around your garden to protect it from the elements.

Mulch Your Plants

Mulching is a great way to keep your garden healthy while you’re away. It helps conserve moisture and keep weeds away, allowing your plants to thrive. 

Start by attaching a soaker hose to a rain barrel and snake the tubing through your garden so that the stored water can slowly run out through the hose and into the soil. 

Then, weave drip tape or “leaky pipe” lengths through the plants and cover the beds – including the irrigation – with a 3-inch layer of mulch. This will ensure that the soil is thoroughly soaked and your plants are well-protected. 

Finally, use clippings or compost to spread over your beds for additional protection. With these steps taken, you can rest assured that your garden will be in good hands while you’re away.

Water Your Plants Properly

After preparing your garden before you leave, it’s important to ensure your plants are properly watered. Mulch around your plants to retain moisture, and use a wine bottle to water individual plants. 

You can also try the water-wicking method for deeper watering. Lastly, install a watering system to ensure your plants get adequate hydration while you’re away. 

Depending on the size of your garden, you may need to install an irrigation system such as sprinklers or a soaker hose. This will help ensure your plants stay healthy and hydrated during your absence.

An image of a hand holding an orange pruning shears, while pruning a plant.

Prune as Needed

Pruning your plants is essential to keeping them alive while you’re away. Before you leave, take the time to prune off any dead, decaying, or unhealthy-looking foliage. If you have plants that require frequent waterings, such as buds and flowers, prune those off as well.

This will help reduce the water needed while you’re away. Additionally, it’s important to prune trees and shrubs at the correct time of year to ensure that your plants stay healthy and thriving.

Install a Watering System

Installing a proper watering system is one of the best ways to ensure your garden stays alive while you’re away on vacation. You can use soaker hoses, sprinklers, or even plastic bottles filled with water to keep your plants hydrated.

For instance, you can attach a Snip-n-Drip Soaker System to a timer and set it up in advance so that your garden beds get watered regularly. You can place plastic bottles of water around the garden for extra hydration.

Installing a sprinkler system is also an excellent way to keep your garden watered while you’re away. Make sure to test and set it up a day or two before leaving.

Install Shade Cloth

Consider installing shade cloth to protect large portions of your garden while away. Shade cloth is a great way to diffuse the light and will also help protect your plants from harsh weather conditions. You can attach the shade cloth to existing trellises with zip ties and remove them at the end of the season.

If you have any particularly vulnerable plants, you may want to consider temporarily moving containers to a shady spot, such as behind the garage or under a tree.

An alternative approach is the T-post and shade cloth solution, where 8-foot tall T-posts are pounded in at 4-6 foot intervals on the west edge of the row or bed for added protection. With these strategies in place, your garden should remain healthy and thriving while you’re away.

A close-up shot of a sprinkler system with grass in the forefront and background.

Place Plastic Bottles to Provide Water

Placing plastic bottles around your plants is a great way to keep your garden watered while on vacation. Just like the wine bottle method, the water will slowly leave the plastic bottle and hydrate your garden plants.

This method is low-cost and easy to do and can be done in combination with other methods like mulching and installing a watering system. Make sure to prune as needed before you leave, as this will help ensure the plastic bottles are placed in areas where they can reach all the plants.

Finally, ensure you have installed a windbreak around your garden so the plastic bottles don’t blow away during a storm!

Install a Sprinkler System

Installing a sprinkler system is an effective way to ensure your garden stays watered while you’re away. It can be set up to run on a timer, so your plants will get the exact amount of water they need. Make sure to set it up a day or two in advance so you can test and adjust the settings as needed.

You may also want to install a windbreak around your garden to ensure the sprinkler system is not affected by winds. With a sprinkler system in place, you can rest assured knowing that your plants will stay happy and hydrated while you’re away.

Place Windbreaks Around Your Garden

Windbreaks can be a great way to protect your garden from the wind. Windbreaks such as shrubs, hedges, and fences can help to reduce the amount of water lost through evaporation. They can also help protect your plants from damaging winds that can blow away mulch or soil.

Additionally, windbreaks can help to create a more comfortable environment for your plants, as they will be protected from the cold winter winds and extreme summer heat.

Finally, windbreaks can also help block dust and pollen, making breathing easier for your plants. Before leaving on vacation, ensure you have properly installed windbreaks around your garden to ensure your plants stay healthy while you’re away.

Keeping your garden alive while you’re away can be daunting, but with the right preparation and tools, you can ensure that your plants will be safe and healthy when you return.

Taking the time to mulch your plants, water them properly, prune and trim as needed, install a watering system or sprinkler system, install shade cloth or windbreaks, and place plastic bottles to provide water can make all the difference.

With these steps in place, you can rest easy knowing that your garden will thrive while you’re away.

A pinterest image of an elderly couple tending to their plants in the garden, with the text - How Do I Keep My Garden Alive While on Vacation. The site's link is also included in the image.

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