What to do whilst I'm on holiday....

[citizentwiglet]

We're off camping for a week on the 25th (please don't come and burgle me); and my neighbours usually look after the house for us. However, this year, they are completely freaked out by the amount of stuff we are growing, and have started to panic - they don't want to murder anything.

We are in Scotland, so I imagine we'll get some rain, but here was the plan so far....

I'll water the potatoes well before we go - they are in sacks, so the huge foliage keeps them fairly moist anyway.
Ask them to water around the 'moat' around the courgette every night - about a quarter of my 6 litre watering can?
Do the same to the climbling french beans, and orders to pick any they find ready.

The cut and come again salad isn't a problem, I'll cut that right back before we go and just ask them to keep it moist. I'm thinking the chard and spring onions and carrots in containers (which are quite shaded by the potato foliage) don't need too much attention......

I was thinking about putting the strawberries (two small troughs and one pot); my starting-off Early PSB seedlings and leeks and my pepper seedlings (8 x 3 inch pots) in the bath on wet towels? I've heard about wet towels, plus a bowl of water with the edge of the towel hanging into it to draw up the water, but I don't think I'll have room in the bath for the bowl of water - is that necessary if we're only away for a week?

Your thoughts would be hugely appreciated!! xxxxx

[Thomzo]

When I go away, I often put all my houseplants in the bath, or utility room sink, in about an inch of water. I did try the towel method as well and it seemed to work quite well, although you have to make sure the soil is in contact with the towel otherwise it won't draw the water into the pot. What I often do is put a bit of string in the bottom of the pot which trails out through one of the holes to create a wick.

If you keep the curtains shut then the plants won't use as much water. They won't grow much either but at least they'll still be alive.

One minor point, unless you have a separate shower or another bath, you have to empty the bath before you can use it. If you've been camping for a week, then chances are, a good hot bath will be the first thing you'll want when you get home. You could just put the plants in seed trays, cat litter trays or something like that instead. Just keep them somewhere cool and dark all week and they should be fine.

For outside, can you put all the containers together? That way, your neighbours just have to water one group of tubs. Also, if you have some spare plastic (old compost bags for instance), you can create a bath for them too. Create a rectangle out of bricks, timber, or whatever you have lying about (I used an old bread crate I found in the field at the back of my house). Line it with the plastic and pop all your pots inside. Again, try to find a shady corner so they won't dry out too quickly. The water will drain away as there'll be holes in the plastic, but it won't run away as quickly. Again, string wicks in the bottom will help.

Have a great holiday.

Zoe

[Millymollymandy]

I think Zoe's ideas are great, and if you put your outdoor plants in the shade then I should think they'll be OK for a week if they are just watered once or twice (unless of course you go and have a heatwave!).

Also don't put plug in bath or sink if you have a drippy tap!

[battybird]

We have just returned from a six week trip away and left 1st may. We left our allotment and our garden in the care of my elderly mother who could only visit once a week max! All the tiny seedlings in the allotment were "thrown" in, covered with netting and left to take their chances!! She did hoe the allotment a couple of times but we were amazed that everything survived and grew! In the garden at home we put all the pots together in a plastic lined box in a shady area and this was watered once a week, again everything was fine...I think there was a fair amount of rain but if you are going for a week only I am sure things will survive and anything a bit dried out should recover quite quickly! Have a lovely holiday!
Ruth

[citizentwiglet]

That's fabulous - thanks everyone!