Ask An Expert

How to Save House Plants While Away on Vacation

My name is Tom Lopatosky. I’m the President of LOPCO Contracting(www.LopcoContracting. com) & I’m honored to have the opportunity to talk to you about home improvement on a monthly basis. I love answering your questions! Please send them to tom@LopcoContracting.com or call 401-270-2664. Thanks in advance for taking the time to read this column! Deep down inside my soul, I realize that I have better chances starting as the ‘center’ for any team in a professional basketball league, than I do at being trusted with any type of garden advice, whatsoever.

Recently, I came across some neat tips, however, that seemed to be perfect for the interior plant enthusiast in our lives, who may be taking a vacation at some point.

While some of the more truly passionate plant owners in my life seem as if they would like to take their plants on vacation with them, this is obviously not realistic.

Although the plants are not able to take a seat on the plane next to you, you can be assured that they will not only survive your absence, but they will also be in very good condition when you get back to town.

Plants need air just as much as they need water. Therefore, contrary to some beliefs, it is important not to simply attempt to prevent moisture evaporation by covering the plant with some type of glass enclosure. This is an absolute ‘no-no’ and will most likely cause the plant to die due to lack of air.

By the same token, if you happen to have a traditional terrarium, it is equally important not to oversupply the plant because it has no design to accommodate the correct drainage. Well then.

If a plant needs to be able to breathe and also needs to be able to access water while away, what are the options?

One simple solution is to arrange to have someone come by once in a while to water the plants (assuming they are properly trained to do so) while you are away.

An “old-school” trick that may be helpful would be to soak the soil of the given plant soon before your departure and then insert a heavy cardboard disk in the top of the pot that will then fit around the stem (or stems) of the plant; this will reduce the pace of moisture evaporating. Adjust the amount of light and temperature your plants will receive, while you are away (with the idea that the more light the plant receives and the warmer it is, the more thirsty your plant will be, over time).

Prune the plant right before leaving (this will lead to the plant needing less water while you are away).

A cool trick: place gallon containers or jars of water (size being dictated by how long you plan to be away) around the plant and anchor one end of a piece of twine at the bottom of the container or jar, and the other end around the soil of the plant. Water will gradually wick up from the container/jar and help to keep the soil moist while you are away.

Believe it or not, many folks care just as deeply about their potted plants, as others care for pets or even family members!

Ensuring that their plants will be okay while they are away, adds an element of ‘peace of mind’ that may not be able to be described to others, unless you happen to be one of these fine plant-loving folks.

Combining a number of these tips should certainly help in easing concerns of leaving plants behind while away on vacation, particularly without a daily caretaker.

About Tom Lopatosky

Tom Lopatosky has run his own carpentry and painting business in Providence since 1995; LOPCO Contracting – the “Personable, Particular Professionals” – specializes in carpentry and exterior & interior painting. Recently LOPCO Contracting was named ‘RI’s Finest Painting Contracting Company’ by ShopInRI Magazine. In 2013, Tom was named “Humanitarian of the Year” by the Painting and Decorating Contractors of America (PDCA) and a “40 Under 40” award winner by Providence Business News. He is a member of both the PDCA and RIBA (Rhode Island Builders Association). Tom has weekly ‘Home Improvement Tips’ that air on the radio on 630 WPRO AM (during the weekday morning news) and on television on WPRI 12 (during the Saturday morning news.