If you can’t wait to take your summer vacation this year,
remember that other than possibly your family pet, your garden
probably will miss you the most. Yes, school will soon be out and
it’ll be time for vacation. We’re talking about separation
anxiety
– from your garden!
If you can’t wait to take your summer vacation this year, remember that other than possibly your family pet, your garden probably will miss you the most. Yes, school will soon be out and it’ll be time for vacation. We’re talking about separation anxiety – from your garden!
However, some advance planning will go a long way toward ensuring everything will be green and healthy when you get back. Take lawns, for example. You can get your lawn healthy by fertilizing a couple weeks before you leave with a slow-release food. The effect is gradual and long lasting, the benefit being that your grass will be stronger and better able to withstand a little drying out.
Always mow your lawn right before you leave. If you’re going to be gone longer than two weeks, arrange for a friend, neighbor or lawn-care specialist to mow your lawn. If it can be avoided, grass should not be allowed to grow more than three inches in height because if you have to mow too much off at once, you’re going to be left with a yellow lawn afterwards.
Your flower and vegetable beds will be fine, too, with a little advance work. For instance, I always weed my beds and add necessary amendments, such as mulch, before I leave. Weeds not only look bad, but they compete for water and garden space. Taking them out will give other plants a healthier chance of making it. Mulch, we’re talking at least a two-inch layer of top dressing like organic mulch or shredded redwood, will not only make your garden beds look better, it will help prevent weed-seeds from germinating.
As for watering your lawn and garden, thanks to the advent of sprinkler systems and automatic water timers on the market, there’s really no need for any part of your garden to dry out. Electronic water timers combine a clock, an electric water valve and a small computer that opens and closes the valve at the times you set. The computer has a memory that is kept alive by batteries, so it remembers when to start and stop watering.
Of course, the old-fashioned way will also work when it comes to making sure your garden is watered while you’re gone. Specifically, you can ask a neighbor to turn on the sprinklers and water the houseplants. If the lawn and garden is not equipped with a sprinkler system, make sure a hose and sprinkler are handy.
Make sure to leave specific instructions for your waterer. For instance, if you have a hanging-basket fuchsia, impatiens or some other thirsty plant, make sure you tell your waterer that they need daily watering. Most container plants will need more water than in-ground plantings, although the size of the container will make a difference. I always take my hanging baskets down before I go on vacation, and place the baskets on the ground in a cool, shady location in order to retain more moisture.
As far as houseplants are concerned, most will do fine for up to a week as long as you water them before you leave. If you’re going to be gone longer, again leave specific instructions for your waterer.
