Care during absence How houseplants survive your vacation

Not a pretty sight: After the vacations, the leaves hang limp and the soil is dry as dust. A few simple tricks will help your houseplants survive your absence.

If you're going on vacation, don't forget that plants at home need regular care, especially in hot and dry weather.

There are simple, effective ways to keep houseplants alive and reasonably happy even without care.

Here are the seven best tips:

The best plant sitter is still a human being. If you have neighbors, friends or family members who are willing to drop by occasionally, this can save your plants' lives.

Especially if you are away for more than a week, a visit in the middle of your vacation is often enough to prevent wilting and drought stress.

It is best to put your plants together in an easily accessible place and leave short, clear instructions - for example, which species are particularly thirsty or do not tolerate waterlogging.

In summer, direct sunlight can quickly become a danger for houseplants - especially if there is no one around to water them regularly. Sunlight can drastically increase the temperature in pots and leaves, causing the soil to dry out more quickly and the plants to wilt or even burn in a short space of time.

To avoid this, you should move your plants to a bright, but not sunny, location before you leave. A room with indirect light is ideal - for example, a north-facing window, a slightly shaded area or a corridor with natural light.

Gardening tipsIt's better not to grow these plants in the same bed

This has several advantages: The plants lose less moisture through the leaves, are exposed to less heat stress - particularly sensitive species with thin or large foliage benefit from this - and they remain in a more stable microclimate overall, which significantly reduces stress during your absence.

Tip: If you don't have the opportunity to move plants around, you can alternatively draw a light curtain in front of the window - this will let in light, but not the burning midday sun.

Place your plants close together, preferably in a cool room with indirect light - for example in the bathroom, in the hallway or in a shady corner. Evaporation ensures higher humidity - ideal for tropical plants.

Place them on a large tray or saucer, which you fill with gravel or small stones and a little water. The pots should not stand directly in the water, but only benefit from the ambient air.

Evaporation of water creates a more humid microclimate, which reduces water loss through the leaves. A principle that is used similarly in tropical greenhouses.

This method is particularly helpful for tropical plants such as Monstera, Calathea or ferns, which are used to high humidity. Even without direct watering, many species can survive for several days to a week in this way, depending on the temperature and initial humidity.

Tip: If you like, you can also place small bowls of water between the pots or add a damp cloth to stabilize the humidity even longer.

For a simple water system, all you need is a PET or wine bottle: fill it with water, drill a small hole in the lid with a small nail or scissors and place it upside down in the pot, as close to the root zone as possible. Alternatively, the bottle can also be used open if you stick it deep enough into the soil.

The water is released gradually, depending on how dry the soil is. Depending on the size of the pot and the thirst of the plant, one bottle will last for several days to over a week. This method is particularly suitable for medium-sized plants or plants that like regular, even moisture - such as rubber trees, monocots or dragon trees.

Tip: Do a trial run before going on vacation. This way you can see how quickly the water is used up and whether you might need a second bottle.

A tried and tested method for watering plants during the vacations is the wick principle. An absorbent cotton strip or thick string is used as a connection between a water container (e.g. glass, bottle or bowl) and the plant pot.

Here's how it works: take a strip of cotton or thick woolen thread (e.g. from an old T-shirt, kitchen string or craft material). Stick one end a few centimetres deep into the soil of the pot and hang the other in a container of water next to it.

The plant uses the capillary principle to draw exactly as much moisture as it needs - without any electricity or technology. This method works particularly well with small to medium-sized plants as long as the water container is at the same height or slightly above.

Tip: Before leaving, test whether the fabric transports enough water. In very dry climates, it is best to use several wicks.

You can use an old towel or felt mat for an uncomplicated supply of water over several days. Place it in the bathtub, shower or on a large tray, add a few centimetres of water and place your plants with clay pots or permeable inner pots on top.

The cloth will soak up the water and slowly release the moisture into the pots, keeping the soil moist for longer. Make sure that the pots are in direct contact with the wet fabric for the effect to work.

If you are often on the move or have a particularly large number of houseplants, it is worth buying a simple watering system. Clay spikes are particularly practical:

These are small, porous clay cones that are connected to a bottle or container filled with water. The plants receive water slowly as required - without any electricity or technology.

For a little more effort - but also more control - there are self-watering pots that work with an integrated reservoir. And if you're tech-savvy, you can also use moisture sensors and apps that monitor the condition of the soil and notify you when necessary. This can be particularly useful for sensitive or valuable plants or for longer trips.

Sometimes nothing helps, and after the vacations your plant hangs limply over the edge of the pot. Don't panic and don't throw it away straight away. Many plants are tougher than they look and can recover surprisingly well with a little care.

First: cut off any dried or muddy leaves to remove the plant's ballast. Then place them in a shady but bright spot. Direct sunlight would be too much stress.

Be cautious when watering: do not water immediately, but gradually add small amounts of water to the soil so that the roots can slowly recover. Too much water could lead to rotting or additional stress.

Patience is the most important thing now. Some plants need days, others weeks, until they visibly recover. If you keep an eye on the new shoots and care for them regularly but carefully, you will often be rewarded.

More videos from this section