Maintaining a garden while traveling, how in the world can that be possible? Sustaining a garden seems like it’s a hobby for homebodies. However, having a garden and nurturing one should not be a reason for you to forget about traveling! Gardening after all, is a hobby that aspires to give you calmness and not grumpiness.
Vacations are an integral part of life in the sense that we all need to revitalize ourselves every once in a while if we do not want to get burned out in life. Every once in a while, going out, meeting new people, and learning new cultures expands our horizons and refreshes our life perspectives. However, if you have a garden that you have cared so much for, would mean that thinking about your plants withering would always cross your mind. Worries like that would definitely defeat the purpose of you taking a break from all the worries of life. So how can you travel without giving up the maintenance of your garden?
Below are the tips you can follow to maintain your garden even without your guidance:
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Clean up before you leave
To keep your plants healthy while you are away, before heading out to travel, make sure to deweed your plant bed and trim down yellowing and dead leaves. Cut all the declining or spent flower heads. Spray your plants with your go to insecticidal spray to keep the pests away. As long as your plants are not in the brink of death, they can survive a few days of stress.
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Make sure your plants are well watered
To keep your plants well-kept, water your garden about 2 inches deep to keep the soil moist for longer periods of time. If you will be away for a longer time, you might want to consider purchasing a drip irrigation watering system to guarantee that your plants are watered even if you are not at home. Take note though that this system would cost you some bucks. A cheaper alternative would be using a soaker hose and automatic timer to setup automatic soaker hose irrigation while you are gone.
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Put mulch around your plants
To maintain the moisture of your garden while you are traveling, Mulch will be a big help in your plants. It serves to preserve a cooler environment for the roots, lessen rate of moisture evaporation and controls weed growth. Take note though, limit mulch application to 3 inches or less especially if you have a slug and snail problem in your garden.
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No to mowing
Do not mow your lawn yet prior to departing. Longer grass can tolerate harsher and drier conditions than freshly mowed ones. Soak your lawn deeply in water before you leave.
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Hide your container plants
Container plants dry out quickly if left out in the sun. If you are going to be away for a while, move container plants in an area where they are shaded then soak them just before you leave. You can also consider placing your plants in a basin or kiddie pool with an inch or two of water level in the bottom.
All the tips mentioned above would work if you are going to be away for at most a week. Any longer than that, your plants might soon be in danger of withering. Does that mean you are limited only to week long vacations because of that limitation? Of course not!
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