‘Easy’ hacks for watering your houseplants while away – ‘saves plant from drought stress’

Houseplants: RHS advises on watering techniques

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Watering is essential for maintaining a healthy, thriving houseplant – but gardeners have got to find the right balance between not watering enough, and not over-watering. That’s made even more difficult if gardeners are not at home to regularly give their indoor plants a drink of water.

Gardening experts at Balcony Garden Web have shared “easy” plant hacks gardeners can implement before they go away.

They said: “Plant lovers work hard to make sure that their precious plants don’t die on them. 

“But when going on a vacation or business trip, it becomes a dilemma–how will the plants survive?

“It is obvious because, without the water for a long duration, even many drought-tolerant plants can’t live.”

For those about to face a similar problem and looking for a solution, these plant watering hacks are going to help you.

Watering wicking

This hack is great for “functional houseplants” and “saves the plant from drought stress”.

The gardening experts said: “It’s not a new gardening hack

“Old school gardeners have been doing this trick to water plants for a long time.

“You can use a long candle wick for this, or if it’s unavailable, a shoelace or cotton rope will also do the job.”

Simply fill a large container with water and place it close to the plant pot.

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Then dip the wick in the water container in such a way that one end rests at the bottom of the pot and push the other end of the rope or wick two to three inches below the soil level near the base of the plant carefully without disturbing the roots.

The experts added: “Due to the capillary action, water will slowly reach the soil through the wick and save the plant from drought stress.

“This method is more functional for houseplants and plants growing in a less sunny and windy spot.”

Bottle watering globe

Using this hack will keep houseplants “saturated” for longer.

The gardening experts explained: “It’s a simple and easy technique that’ll keep your plant saturated for around three to four days. 

“A wine bottle works best for this purpose because it’s both sturdy and capable of holding a large amount of water. 

“However, any bottle with a small mouth will also work just fine.

Start by pouring water into the bottle, making sure to leave a few inches at the top.

Then cover the opening with your thumb and turn the bottle upside down.

The experts advised: “At the base of the plant where you water, shove the upturned bottle inside the soil, remove your thumb just before doing that.

“For the bottle to stay fixed, push the neck several inches below the soil’s surface so it remains stable.”

Giving the houseplant a bath

What the experts mean when they say “give houseplants a bath” is to place the container in several inches of deep water. 

The soil soaks up water through the drainage holes present at the bottom.

To do this, fill the sink, tub or bucket up to a few inches of water, and place the plant pot in it.

The soil will continue to soak up water and remain moist, fulfilling the plant’s needs for about a week.

The gardening experts advised: “To prevent the sink from scratches and dirt, cover the surface of the sink with an old towel before placing the pot.”

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