How to water flowers when you are away for a long time. How to keep your houseplants on vacation: practical ways to irrigate them remotely. Watering through the drainage holes in the pot

Good afternoon friends!

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

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

To prevent the flowers from wilting during the holidays, it is necessary to somehow arrange for them automatic watering. Special systems are now on sale. automatic watering, but I wanted to do everything simply and with my own hands. I want to offer you several ways that I learned about. I must say right away that they all give a positive result, but you just need to approach each flower individually, because someone loves abundant watering, and someone, on the contrary, is categorically opposed to being poured over it.

Beforehand, our flowers must be prepared:

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

Watering flowers by immersion in water

A very convenient way: we put flowers in pots in a large basin and pour water. In this case, it is advisable to put a spongy napkin 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 hold moisture, but also prevent the rapid evaporation of water.

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

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

Honestly, 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 bowl of water for at least a day, so that both the walls of the pot and the roots of the plants are well wet.

I hadn’t performed this procedure for a long time, so before leaving I immersed spathiphyllum, euphorbia and zephyranthes in water. I poured a lot of water and did not dare to put the violets.

All the days of my absence, the flowers, apparently, felt great, the ground remained moderately moist. Spathiphyllum even bloomed while I was away.

So leaving flowers for 10 days is quite possible, I really liked it.

Wick irrigation

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

She twisted the flagella from the bandage, dipped one edge of them into the water, and the other into the pot with the plant.

Thus, water gradually through this wick from the bandage enters the ground and watering is carried out. To ensure this, the water level in the container 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 work 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 ground in one experimental pot with gloxinia was too wet, and even the tray was filled with water.

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

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

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

But you need to take this point 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 at the 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 over the plant.

A clip in the dropper allows you to control the amount of water.

Watering flowers with a dropper is suitable for plants that especially 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, the tips from which I took note of and in which the above methods can be seen clearly:

Watering from a bottle

Large plants growing in large pots, you can arrange drip irrigation and from a bottle, it is not at all necessary to buy a specially designed dropper.

To do this, water is poured into a plastic bottle, screwed with a lid in which you need to make a small hole, and this structure is installed in a pot.

I was going to water the palm 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 large, 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 leaving.

I didn’t experiment any more, but simply poured water over the plants well: poured it on as usual and poured one and a half liters more. Such watering was enough for them.

Hydrogel

The fact that you can use the hydrogel while on vacation, 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 the hydrogel at flower shops.

Before leaving, 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 that I told you about.

Interesting information for you:

It is not always possible to delegate the care of green pets to relatives or neighbors, therefore experienced florists have developed many techniques for automatic watering of flowers. Self-made structures, various moisture-saving techniques, and industrial options offered in garden stores work.

Prevention before long absence

First of all, I suggest that you familiarize yourself with useful tips, allowing you to reduce the consumption of moisture by plants, and the necessary measures before leaving on a business trip or vacation:

Regardless of the automatic watering method chosen, on the day of departure, water and spray with soft water abundantly.
A day before departure, arrange a bath day for all pets: set flowerpots at the bottom of the bath, pour over the leaves of flowers from warm shower, and spray capricious specimens from a spray bottle. After such irrigation, the aboveground part of the flowers and the soil are abundantly saturated with moisture, which will stop the loss of liquid for several days.
Watering has proven itself well before vacation by immersing an earthen coma with a rhizome in water for 20-30 minutes.
Do not apply top dressing before leaving. The lack of moisture will prevent the roots from absorbing nutrient compounds. Plan for watering with fertilizers 1-2 weeks before the trip.
Move all the pots to a cool and shaded area, or shade windows where the sun's rays enter. In this mode, the evaporation of moisture from the soil surface is significantly reduced.
Place all the flowerpots next to each other so that the most capricious and demanding plants are in the center, surrounded by the rest of the flowers.
During the flowering period, the amount of water consumed increases. Remove any excess branches, leaves (if possible), buds, flower arrows and flowers. Do not regret them, you will still not be able to enjoy flowering due to lack, and any pruning starts the rejuvenation processes and stimulates the laying of new flower buds.

Professional irrigation devices for the holidays

Experienced florists and professionals with many exotic plants, demanding to care and capricious, acquire modern technological devices in specialized markets: automated irrigation systems (with control of the soil moisture level), flowerpots, flower pots and pots with automatic watering.

The simplest and budget option the purchase of an aquaglob is considered - this is a design made in the form of a flask with the thinnest tube. The aquaglob filled with water is stuck into the ground with a sharp tip, due to the scanty diameter of the hole, moisture seeps out of the device slowly. A flask of a certain volume is selected in each pot, depending on the moisture needs of the culture and the time the owner is away. One specimen provides drip irrigation of the soil for a period of 1 to 2 weeks.

Time-tested home autowatering methods

Sphagnum moss and plastic bag. Moss, saturated with settled water and spread out on the surface of the earth in pots, perfectly retains moisture, gradually releasing it into the ground. A plastic bag put on top, fixed at the bottom of the flowerpot by means of adhesive tape, creates an additional obstacle to moisture evaporation. In this mode, the plant can exist for up to 10 days without any problems.
Tea bags. Used and pre-dried tea bags are abundantly soaked in water before leaving, and cover the entire surface of the earth in a flowerpot with them. Thanks to the mulch layer, the soil saturated with water will remain moist for a long time, and the trace elements of the tea will provide the roots of the flowers with additional nutrition. Immediately upon arrival, the bags are removed, and the soil is sprinkled with a thin layer of plant ash to prevent the development of mold and the appearance of pathogens.
Plastic bottles. Automatic irrigation is based on the principle of aquaglobes. In a bottle of the required volume, 2 holes are made using a red-hot tip of an awl - in the bottom and in the lid. Having poured water into the container, it is immersed in the soil of the flowerpot with the lid down. The roots of the plant absorb water as needed. Days 20 before departure, you should experiment several times with homemade device to determine for how long and for which plants 0.5, 1, 1.5 or 2 liters are enough.
Pallets. Flower pots are placed on pallets, on the bottom of which expanded clay, agroperlite, broken brick, small pebbles or coarse grained are poured river sand... After abundant watering before leaving on vacation, water flows out of the drainage holes of the flowerpots and fills the pallet. This irrigation method is suitable for undemanding crops that do not respond to waterlogging or drying out of the soil mixture.
Wick watering. A burlap, thick cord or strips of coarse cloth are rolled into a bundle, one end of which is placed on the surface of the earth in a pot, and the other is lowered to the bottom of a jar filled with water. It is located near the plants, at a certain elevation in relation to the level of the windowsill. It is imperative to determine in practice how much water enters the ground and how much can to use for the estimated period of time. For moisture-loving flowers, several wicks are used.
Hydrogel. A granular hydrogel is currently commercially available. Mixed with soil, it is used for transplanting indoor plants. This material absorbs water, retaining it in its structure, and significantly reduces the rate and frequency of watering.

The problem of watering indoor flowers while on vacation is familiar to many. … There are several ways to provide plants with water on vacation.

The problem of watering indoor flowers while on vacation is familiar to many. Going on vacation with your family, you need to entrust someone with taking care of your pets.

It's good if there is someone from the relatives who understands at least something about indoor plants and can water them correctly. Or at least just water it sometimes so that it doesn't dry out at all.

But almost always, upon returning from a trip, you have to calculate the losses - it dried up without water, the roots rotted from excessive watering, something was broken, something was crushed.

And if there are no relatives or close friends ready to take on the responsible mission of caring for your indoor plants?

If you are leaving for a month or more, then you cannot do without a special automatic irrigation system.

Now they are sold in any city and represent a water tank of a certain size, a set of thin tubes and a control system that ensures the supply of water from the tank at the required intervals. You ask how often and in what quantity to water, and you can safely leave. But in order to avoid unwanted surprises, it is better to try beforehand how it works, before the vacation.

And if there is no automatic irrigation system, then you have to come up with different clever ways watering plants while on vacation.

It should be said that all these tricky ways are good if you are leaving for 1-2 weeks. If more, then how lucky!

There are several ways to provide your plants with water on vacation.

Method 1. The old grandmother's way. Water the plants abundantly so that the earthen lump is completely saturated with water. Place the pots on trays or in wide basins of water, so that the bottom of the pot is in the water (shallow). Better yet, pour fine pebbles or coarse sand into the pallet and place the plants, slightly deepening.

This method of watering while on vacation is good for unpretentious plants, which tolerate both excess moisture and dryness (chlorophytum, geranium, balsam, chamedorea palm, sansevieria, crassula).

Method 2. Use a plastic bottle. Water the plant well. Take a plastic bottle with a cork heated in a fire with a thick needle (you can use an awl, knitting needle) to make 2 holes - one in the cork, the other in the bottom. Pour water into the bottle and secure it with the neck down. Water will constantly flow out in drops and moisten the soil. It is better to water large plants this way.

It is imperative to test this method some time before departure: take several different bottles, punch holes, set the neck down in any tall dish (each separately) and see how much water drips from each of them per day. If you choose the right bottle for each plant, then the problem of watering during the holidays will be solved optimally.

Method 3. Wick watering. This is a common method of constant watering for some plants, particularly Saintpaulias (violets). The essence of the method is that the pot with the plant constantly stands on a vessel with water, one end of a synthetic cord is placed in a ring in the soil under the plant, its other end is lowered into the vessel with water through the drainage hole. The cord must absorb water well. Water wets the cord along its entire length, rising from the vessel to the pot and moistening the soil.

This method of watering is suitable for small plants and requires first transplanting them into a pot with a wick.

However, this method can also be used for temporary watering during the vacation. To do this, take a synthetic cord that absorbs water well or twist a tourniquet from a strip of fabric. One end of it is placed on the surface of the earth in a pot (it is advisable to sprinkle it with a little substrate), and the other is lowered into a bucket of water. It is better to place the bucket above the pot (then the wicks do not dry out). Plants are usually placed on the floor and a bucket of water on a stool.

It is important to test this method on each plant beforehand. Some plants require multiple wicks, others only one. This method of watering is good for 10 days of vacation.

The same method is used to moisten a pan with pots placed in sand or peat.

Minus - sometimes in hot weather the wicks dry out and water does not flow to the plants.

On sale you can find ready-made wick systems for irrigation, consisting of a tank with water, a wick and a rod made of porous ceramic for immersion in the soil

Method 4. Use a hydrogel. A hydrogel is a polymer that can absorb very large amounts of water and then slowly release it to plants. It is sold in granules.

The polymer is soft, colorless, absorbs water quickly and is intended to be added to the soil. Indoor plants planted in a substrate with a hydrogel are rarely watered. It is enough to water the flowers well before the vacation, and you can not worry for a week or two. And they will not rot, and they will not dry up. Minus - the plants must be planted in advance in such soil.

You can also use a decorative Chinese hydrogel in the form of colored balls. Pre-wet the granules for 6-8 hours. When swollen, pour into pots on top of the substrate and cover with moss on top. The balls will gradually release moisture into the soil. If the plants have a non-superficial root system, then you can mix the topsoil with hydrogel balls.

How to water flowers when you go on vacation for a month: elementary ways to preserve the moisture of the plant

Household plants during the absence of the owners will mainly need only moisture. There are elementary methods that will take a minimum of time and will help keep the flower alive without watering.

1. Before leaving, you need to water the plants abundantly with water and spray them well.

2. It is worth ridding the plant of buds and extra leaves, so that it would be easier for the flower to survive the lack of moisture.

3. If the flowers are on the windowsill, then you need to move them to another place where the plants will be as far from sun rays... This will help them retain moisture longer. But this method will practically stop the growth of the flower.

How to water flowers when you go on vacation for a month: automatic plant humidification systems

Scientists took care of the plants and came up with automatic irrigation systems. They can be easily found in any city. They are perfect for those people who often go on business trips or travel, and are worried about their plants. These systems can be used not only during absence, but also permanently. There are various types.

All plants are individual, some need moisture more and more often, others less and less often. V automatic system watering the hostess herself will be able to choose the time and amount of water for each flower.

There are also devices that need to be connected to water. This option is suitable for those people who do not block the water supply at the time of departure. For those who turn off the water, they came up with systems with containers for it. The person will be able to choose the required volume himself during the purchase.

With the automatic irrigation system, a person can enjoy relaxation without worrying about the life of their plants.

How to water flowers when you go on vacation for a month: other options for moisturizing plants

For those people who leave their apartments unattended and often, and do not have extra money for automatic irrigation systems, there are other options for caring for plants:

1. Application plastic bottles on the farm is not a novelty. You can even make a drinker out of them, which will water the flowers on time. You need to make two holes in it: at the bottom and in the traffic jam. Then you should fill it with water and bury it in a pot so that the cork is as close to the roots as possible. Before leaving the craft in a flower, it is better to check its effectiveness in an empty pot, and fix all the shortcomings.

2. Many in their lives in stores have come across a hydrogel. It can also be used for watering plants in the absence of residents. Put these balls on the top ground in a pot and cover with moss. The hydrogel will give moisture to the flower and keep it from drying out.

3. A cloth called a capillary mat can be used to moisten the flowers. It's very easy to use. It is necessary to wet and put on a surface that will not allow water to flow out, and put flower pots on top. They will get the right moisture for the roots.

4. For this craft you will need a bottle of water and threads that absorb moisture well. A thin tube can be used. The bottle should be filled with water and placed slightly above the pot. From the neck and to the roots of the flower, you need to stretch a thread. It will remain constantly wet. This method will help the plant get the moisture it needs and keep it from drying out. However, you need to choose to craft appropriate place and protect from the heat. Because the thread can dry out.

If you are going on vacation and rejoice in the upcoming pleasant days, then your indoor flowers are unlikely to be as happy as you are, because they will face severe trials and suffering from thirst! Therefore, take care of their well-being beforehand.

Of course, you can ask relatives or neighbors to look after the plants. But what if you don't have any? Then we will resort to the automatic watering system! There are many ways to preserve plants.

But first, you should prepare flowers for your departure:

1. Remove the flowers from the windowsill or draw the curtains tighter. How less light, the slower the life processes in plants go, which means they need less moisture.

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

3. Small plants should be covered with plastic or glass caps, bottles, but so that they let air through from below. The evaporated water will condense on the walls and drain back into the ground.

4. 5-7 days before departure, carefully check whether the plants are infested with pests and diseases. Remove all dried and diseased shoots and leaves, as well as large buds and flowers from the plant. Treat diseased plants with appropriate preparations.

5. It is better to cut off too large leaves.

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

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

8. Stop all types of feeding 2-3 weeks before departure.

9. If leaving plants in a tray of water, place the flowerpots on a raised platform or wooden coasters so that their roots do not freeze.

10. Flowers in ceramic pots tolerate separation better than those in plastic containers.

The simplest and most commonplace ways to keep soil moisture.

For plants in clay pots. If you keep indoor plants in clay pots, then each pot can be wrapped in moss - both the moss and the plant are abundantly moisturized. If there is no moss nearby, place a clay pot in a container larger diameter... Expanded clay should be poured at the bottom, and the gap between the walls of the container should be filled with the same expanded clay. This will maintain a more or less constant soil moisture. The top layer of earth in a pot or container can also be sprinkled with expanded clay, it will interfere with drying.

This method is effective if the plants are left for 7-10 days.

Drip irrigation. A plastic bottle is taken, depending on the volume of the pot, filled with water, a small hole is made in the cork (with a hot gypsy needle), pre-water the flowers and stick the bottles into them with the cork down. As the soil dries, the flower will absorb water from the bottle.It is good to fix it on both sides with chopsticks (for example, from ice cream).
Such a dropper is valid for 5-7 days. They put several bottles in large flowerpots and the supply will last longer.

Watering through the "wick". These can be ropes, laces, woolen threads of different diameters, twisted bandages, and so on. One end of the wick must be lowered into a container of water (for example, a basin), and the other must be attached to a pot (for reliability, it will need to be fixed, for example, with a peg). Water will flow to the flowers due to the difference in capillary pressures.

One 10 l container is enough for 7 days for 6-7 plants

Moisture-loving plants can be placed on pallets, deep trays or in wide basins of water so that the bottom of the pot is in the water. NSochva from above is covered with wet moss or expanded clay.

Moisturizing through the fabric. Lay on kitchen table oilcloth film (you can also place the pots in the bathroom if the plants are not whimsical to light), lay a cloth soaked in water on the oilcloth (cloth, felt, old baby blanket folded in several layers of batting). Place the pots with already watered plants on the cloth; dip the end of the cloth into a container of water. The pots must have drainage holes; saucers are not needed.

This method is suitable for a period of 10-20 days.

Watering through the "wick" at the bottom of the pot. You will need your flower pot and another container that you can place under the pot. Make holes in the pot and thread the string as shown. Place the pot on a vessel with water so that the end of the rope sinks into the water. Water along the rope will rise up and moisten the ground.

DFor a pot with a diameter of 10 cm, one wick is enough, and for a pot with a diameter of 25-30 cm, 3-4 wicks are needed for a sufficient supply of water.

Today, almost on the same principle, all sorts of "soil moistening" systems work.

Let's say system Archimedes, which consists of a glass bulb - a water tank - and a ceramic cone, which is immersed in the ground. Water seeps through the capillary-porous ceramic walls drop by drop and constantly moisturizes the soil. You will have to put several of them in a balcony box or a large pot, of course. Looks, by the way, very cute! From an aesthetic point of view, this is perhaps the most glorious option. Cost - about 180 rubles per piece.
Cone in flower pot enough days for 5-7

Or here - cones Blumat, only in addition to the cone, some kind of remote container with water is required. The cone itself is installed in a pot, and the tip of the hose with the weighting agent is lowered into a container of water. These devices draw water "on demand" - when the soil in the pot dries up, the cone gradually releases water to the surrounding land. The disadvantage is that the container with water must be higher or at least at the same level with the pots. You don't always fit in, to be honest. Well, the price is not very happy - about 4 thousand for 25 cones.

Automatic irrigation systems. Remember that all of the above methods are designed for a maximum of three to four weeks of your absence. If you have to leave for a longer period, then you cannot do without complex store-based automatic irrigation systems.

The most popular thing is Gardena, which is capable of watering, according to the manufacturer, up to 36 plants at the same time. Sold in OBI and other large shopping centers... The kit includes a pump with a filter, a transformer with a timer for powering the pump, a supply hose, three distributors (each with 12 outlets), a capillary hose, holding pegs, end caps and plastic container for water, 9 liters.

One or more branches can be connected to each plant - find out the right amount will have to be experienced. If, for example, 60 ml of water per day is not enough for plants in a large container (namely, that much has time to flow out per minute), the amount of moisture supplied will have to be increased by installing additional capillary tubes. The hose is attached to the pump, the pump is immersed in the above tank, the system starts to work.
If the water in the tank suddenly runs out, the pump will turn off automatically, and when the water is added, it will continue to function. Inconvenience - an outlet is required to which the system will be connected. Costs from 3 thousand rubles per set

Do you know?

... that Tradescantia, begonia, dracaena easily tolerate a temporary lack of moisture (up to 7 days)

... that aloe, agave, euphorbia tolerate temporary "droughts" well and love sunlight, therefore, it is better to leave them in the room on the windowsill, after watering them well.

... that the palms and ficuses that live on the balcony should be brought into the room during the holidays. They are also unpretentious to moisture, but in three weeks of your absence they can get sick.

Taken from: http://jenskiymir.com/blog/43655947575/Kak-sohranit-komnatnyie-tsvetyi,-uezzhaya-v-otpusk!?utm_campaign=transit&utm_source=main&utm_medium=page_1&pad=1