Snowbirding and indoor plants

[aza455]

For those of you who snowbird, how do you keep your indoor plants alive while being away for months at a time?

 

[Amethyst]

I'm wondering how to do this when only traveling for a month! Haven't had plants for several years because of this issue. If you don't have adult kids nearby, or neighbors who a) you trust to come into your house regularly and b) you trust not to drown your plants, I don't know what you can do. Indeed, there isn't a simple plant-watering service around here, even with the plethora of snowbird property managers!

For those of you who snowbird, how do you keep your indoor plants alive while being away for months at a time?

 

[Involuntary Retiree]

We don't snowbird but travel for months at a time, and as much as I loved (notice the past tense) my indoor plants and maintained them for years, I had to pitch them. Sorry.



I also don't have a vegetable garden for this reason.

 

[MrsHaloFIRE]

Local couple does signalling and I use them for exterior watering. Friend does interior watering maybe every 4-5 days

 

[aja8888]

We are down to minimal potted plants, two actually. Our next door neighbor will water them when we are away, if we remember to ask her. Otherwise, they are "on their own" (LOL). We put the two potted plants on the back patio when we are gone.

The outside yard is on a timed sprinkler system.

Our homelife is getting simpler as we age. We like it that way.

 

[cbo111]

If you keep the plants out of direct sunlight from windows, many can go several weeks without water. We have all kinds of plants that have been fine for 3 weeks. During summer, we leave the air on at 82 degrees F so they don't dry out.

 

[street]

Place your plant together in one area and use a timer drip system to water every 4 or 5 days.

 

[pb4uski]

We have a neighbor who waters every week or so.

 

[nobody]

Wine bottle plant water system, maybe called plant watering stakes. Fill empty wine bottle or 2 littler bottle with water turn upside down and put in a plant watering stake.

 

[Ronstar]

I have a hibiscus and do nothing. No water, no light, and it comes back every year.

 

[aza455]

I have a hibiscus and do nothing. No water, no light, and it comes back every year.

After how many weeks/months of absence?

 

[Jerry1]

Place your plant together in one area and use a timer drip system to water every 4 or 5 days.

I have a similar situation. I have Bonsai and in the summer, they need watered every day. That’s pretty easy for a week or two. Just use the garden hose on a timer with a drip system. However, the winter is different. I bring mine into an unheated garage. The plants need watered once a week. So, for a little project, I have a drip system that works a little different. It’s basically a fish pump hooked to a drip system. The key, however, and my main point is that it draws water from a bucket. That way, you don’t have to risk a major water catastrophe. It would also make it easier if someone was checking your house once a month for you. They’d just have to fill the bucket up.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0743F4532/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Ronstar]

After how many weeks/months of absence?

3 months. I store it in my heated detached windowless workshop for the winter and bring it outside about April 15. It starts getting leaves around then but doesn't flower until July.

 

[aza455]

3

3 weeks or 3 months?

 

[Ronstar]

3 weeks or 3 months?

3 months

 

[brett]

We do not have any pets or plants for this very reason.

 

[pacergal]

You can try putting them in the bath tub or shower, water well, then wrap the enclosure in plastic to create a mini green house effect. My DM did that one time. Some survived, some did not. There was a window in the bathroom, so the plants did get some light also.
There are watering globes you can buy, but not sure they would work for many months.

 

[pdxgal]

There are also time release pellets you can get. You soak them with water and they slowly release it. Haven't tried myself though.

 

[marko]

We are 'gone' for 3-4 months but fly back every 2-3 weeks for a few days for any number of reasons.

Back when we lived in Europe we had a local friend drop in and check the house, water the plants, etc.

NOTE: Plants aside, regular flushing the toilet is also a good idea...if the toilet bowl gets dry from evaporation you can have gas and/or critters come up through the trap.

 

[harley]

We took all our houseplants to our place in FL. Houseplants up north are yard plants down there. They're really happy and growing like crazy. Then when we're up north we plant annuals along with our trees and perennials outside in pots and beds. We love plants and wouldn't live without them, but we don't need to have them inside. We do have a few pretty realistic [-]dust catchers[/-] fake plants here and there, just for the heck of it.

 

[LOL!]

They are so inexpensive nowadays that I just get new ones when I feel like it.

At this moment the only live plants in the house are a Christmas tree and some poinsettias. And a floral arrangement that will get tossed in a few days.

 

[street]

Jerry1 >> that is a great little system! That would be very simple, safe and efficient way to do business when a person is gone for extended periods.

 

[Sunset]

We are 'gone' for 3-4 months but fly back every 2-3 weeks for a few days for any number of reasons.

Back when we lived in Europe we had a local friend drop in and check the house, water the plants, etc.

NOTE: Plants aside, regular flushing the toilet is also a good idea...if the toilet bowl gets dry from evaporation you can have gas and/or critters come up through the trap.

You can put plastic wrap over the toilet (lift seat and seal with plastic). will cut down the evaporation a lot.