Hydration breaks are not just for World Cup players. Houseplants also need a break from the H20. Overzealous watering on the eve of their holidays by the vacay brigade is killing them, says Urban Plant Life’s Sam Smyth.
It’s the holiday season, and those with pets try to find a sitter or send them to kennels or catteries, if dogs or cats.
While these may have earned the status of fur baby and be considered an integral part of the family – some may even go on holidays with you – the humble houseplant gets no such attention.
Not even in the most green-fingered of homes.
During the summer months, when people go on vacay, plants get neglected.
Sam Smyth, owner of Urban Plant Life on Cork Street in the Liberties in Dublin 8, welcomes this period with relish.
He can spot the guilty parties walking around the garden centre, tanned all over and guilty of face.
How the plants fare will very much depend on the weather and whether you close the curtains for the duration of the vacation.
Plants need light and water.
If you’re going away for a week or two, succulents and cacti won’t need any hydration, but some others will. The peace lily, for example, is extremely thirsty.
To avoid this, you could put the plants in the sink, shower, or bath in a small pool of water.
However, these spaces usually get less light than the rest of the property.
Closing the curtains is usually considered a security move made to keep prying eyes from being able to look in.
More than a third of burglars will enter your property through a window, according to An Garda Síochána.
But drawn curtains flag the fact that you’re away.
A better approach would be to move any valuables out of the sightlines of would-be burglars and ask a neighbour or family member to come and open the curtains regularly so that it looks lived in.
If the curtains are closed, it also means that plants are robbed of light for the holiday duration.
He’s not convinced that the plants will need a huge amount of attention during a fortnight’s absence.
A big part of the company’s business is looking after plants in offices, explaining, “We look after all the plants in offices, visiting on a fortnightly basis. A week or two (without water) is no problem.”
It is the zealotry with the H20 that is problematic, he says.
“The overwatering of plants is the main cause of death,” he pronounces as if he were a coroner.
To avoid such devastation, simply lift the pot to see if it is heavy or light, he counsels.
"If it feels light, it is in need of hydration. If it feels heavy, it does not."
For the squeamish who don’t like to push a finger into the soil to determine how damp it is, there are moisture metres that will show you what the levels are.
These cost €12.99, Smyth says.
A DIY moisture wick is another option. It is an absorbent cord or fabric strip that passively transfers water from a reservoir into the plant soil.
Through capillary action, the wick draws moisture upward on demand.
For those with gardens they are proud of, take note. Specimen trees in pots will dry out faster than the same variety planted directly into the ground. Bay trees are especially vulnerable.
To find out more or to replenish your own houseplant stock, visit Plantlife.ie
