 |
||||
Go, Have Fun! Give your green thumb a real vacation with creative elbow grease and some shoelaces  Image courtesy istockphoto As you close your home or apartment for a winter getaway, you may wonder how to keep your houseplants thriving in your absence. This is actually the best time to take a breather from your plants, according to horticultural experts. Plants go dormant during the winter, requiring less water, heat and fertilization than at other times of the year. "The plant might even enjoy the break from your overwatering," says Vinnie Drzewucki, horticultural information specialist, Westbury, N.Y.-based Hicks Nurseries, Inc. That doesn't mean your plants want to be totally ignored. With little expense and a bit of science you can keep your plants watered, humidified and satisfied for weeks, say the experts. Place your plants in a sun-filled room if possible, away from drafts or frosted windows. Dial down the thermostat. You'll save money and the plants will conserve water, says Leah Crews, assistant manager of the Littleton, Colo.-based Wilmore Nursery, Garden and Greenhouse. She suggests room temperatures of 55 to 60 degrees for most plants. If you have tropical plants, ask your local university horticultural extension service about optimal temperatures. Give your plants a good soaking just before you leave. After that, a six-inch plant probably will need watering once a week; a larger plant should be watered every two weeks. If you'll be gone longer, you could hire a plant sitter to water and care for plants or you could do the job in absentia with no additional cost. Group small plants on a rack, such as an upside-down dish rack, in the bathroom tub (instead of in a sunny room). Add several inches of water. The plants should sit above the water line. Strip the plastic tips from the ends of cotton shoelaces. Run the shoelaces from the water to the soil in the pot. Drape the shoelace over the pot into the soil or run it up into the drainage hole in the bottom. "As the soil dries out water will move up the shoelace through capillary action and replace the water [in the soil] as needed," Drzewucki explains You don't have to move large plants for the same technique. Instead, fill a bucket with water and place it next to each plant. Connect the two with a shoelace. Wrap the plant in a large plastic sheet so water doesn't drip on the floor. (Self-watering plant probes, available in many garden centers, operate in a similar fashion to the shoelace.) To keep delicate ferns misted, place the plant in a large tray about twice the size of the pot. Fill the tray with pebbles and add an inch of water. "As the water evaporates the plant gets misted," Crews says. As for fertilizer, don't worry about it. "Unless you have a hot house, you don't need frequent fertilizer," she adds.
|
||||
|
||||
Bev Bennett, a veteran food writer and editor, is the author of "Dinner for Two: A Cookbook for Couples" and "30-Minute Meals for Dummies"
