Question
QUESTION: I will be going out of town for 7 days. These are the potted plants I have inside the house:some peace lilies, China Doll (that's how I remember the label) and a ti plant. Will it be enough for me to water them thoroughly the day I leave? Any suggestions on how I can keep them hydrated? The temperature in the house ranges from 70 - 75 degrees. Right now, they are near a closed window that filters in afternoon sun.

ANSWER: Hi Jo-Ann,

How long your plants will go without water depends on many factors.

First, if they can usually go about a week between waterings, then they should be fine. But if some of them need water every couple of days, then they could be seriously damage by a week without water.

Pot size, light and temperature are the most important factors in how long a plant can co between waterings.

Plants in pots 8 inches or larger are usually ok for a week. Plants in very small pots usually are not. Strong light and warm temps will dry out plants sooner than usual. Heat can build up quite a bit in a closed house in the summer. Afternoon sun can be quite strong and hot.

Peace lilies do not tolerate drought at all so be very careful with them.

There are a couple of things you can do to get your plants to last through the week.

It is ok to leave your plants sitting in saucers filled with water. Ordinarily, it is not a good idea to routinely leave your plant sitting in water, but it is ok to do it occasionally. The water in the saucer will act as a reservoir that the plant can draw on as needed.

A more elaborate but even better method is wick irrigation. Fabric wicks are pushed through the pot drainage holes and several inches into the center of the rootball. The other end of the wick is left dangling outside the pot and put into a container that holds a reservoir of water. I use large plastic cake boxes that are about 14 inches in diameter and six inches deep as reservoirs. You will need a waterproof platform that sits in the reservoir but keeps the bottom of the pot above the water and allows the wick to dangle into the reservoir. A small plastic pot turned upside down works well.

Contact New Pro Corp. at 1-800-869-9285 for information on wicking material and ready-made wick systems that are reasonably priced and easy to install. Have them send a brochure so you can see how they do it.  http://www.newprocontainers.com/products/sub-irrigation.htm

Another alternative is a product called Sippers. These wicking devices act as stilts to raise plant pots above a reservoir of water while wicking the water to the roots as needed. They work well with plants in plastic pots smaller than 8 inches in diameter. Call 1-800-533-7661 for more information.  http://www.topsidersinc.com/sippers.htm

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.

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Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

You can E-mail me directly at: [email protected]





---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Very interesting. Thanks! Will this method work for potted plants outside the house? I do have some trees and other potted flowering plants in the backyard.

Answer
Yes, in theory they would work outside, but they are not as practical because you need much larger reservoirs and the evaporation is much greater.

For outdoor plants you could try cutting the bottom off of large plastic soda bottles and poke the uncapped neck end into the soil. Then fill the upside down bottle with water. The water will slowly leak into the soil.

~Will