Holiday Garden Tips
Going on Holiday what to do about the Garden?
We love to go on holiday but what about the garden and the veg plot?Hours of time carefully raising plants can be spoilt by a spell of tricky weather, particularly a dry spell. The main need is to keep plants watered and away from too much direct heat if a prolonged hot spell is forecast. The best way to look after the garden whilst you are away is a friend, neighbour or family member who will come in and check it for you but if that's not possible here are the best tips for keeping the garden going whilst you away enjoying yourself.
Best 10 Holiday Garden Tips
Beat the Slugs
1. The Slugs and snails don't go on holiday. It is best to put down extra supplies of your favourite method of killing them, as slugs are bound to make hay and chomp away whilst you are away. Slug killing tips.
2. If you come back from holiday and find the slugs have chewed at bedding plants check out the slug tips for how to rescue a slug ravished bedding plant.
3. Move any young plants out of the green house into an area of semi shade. Without regular attention, plants in the greenhouse can get very hot and dry out, especially young plants in small pots. Try and ensure that the young plants are raised off the ground away from slugs.
Watering and weather
4. Sounds obvious, but check the 5 day weather forecast which is now much more reliable and gives you a good idea what to expect whilst you are away. If no rain is forecast for the first few days water heavily before you leave for holiday. Water effectively especially new plants and shrubs. It is the roots which need the water (image right) not the foliage (image left) either puddle water around the plant to ensure the roots get a good soaking, or sink a bottle alongside the plant so you can water directly to the roots.
5. Equally if a lot of rain is forecast, make sure none of your containers or plants are placed in trays as they will quickly fill up with rainwater. Plants dislike standing in water for prolonged periods.
6. Capillary matting can be useful and will nurse a plant through a week (as long as it's not a heat wave week) Soak the matting and set the plant on it to keep hydrated.
7. If you have a lot of sensitive plants such as tomatoes and veg in containers and baskets, a drip feed system connected to the mains with a timer is ideal, (but only if there is not a hosepipe ban.)
8. If this is not possible move all containers into a shady spot, water well and mulch. Simply putting containers into shade makes a great deal of difference in terms of water loss. Give everything a really good soak before you go, group containers together in shady areas and mulch surfaces
Do nothing
9. It is a good idea not to feed the garden, because that will make it grow more which may require attention and water. This applies equally to the lawn, if you feed it will just grow a lot more while you are away.
10. It is a good idea not to sow seed to germinate just before going away. Tiny seedlings are very vulnerable to extremes of weather. In particular, they need just the right amount of water to nurse them through the early stages of germination. Tiny seedlings dry out very easily, even when you are keeping a watchful eye on them . If they germinate and there is then there is a hot spell without regular watering, they will die.