Five proven ideas to apply in your garden or terrace during the holiday season. Caution. Whichever you choose, do not apply it at the last minute. Try it a few days earlier to make sure it works.

Automatic watering

It is an ideal solution if we have a garden with trees even if we have many pots. And of course the automatic watering can be a permanent solution that will be used during the holidays. The plants are watered at the same time every day, which is an ideal condition for their growth. Of course it is good to have installed and tested the whole system several weeks before so that we can adjust the nozzles properly so that some pots do not flood and some others remain dry.

Installation is a relatively easy task and can be done either by a gardener or by you, if your hands get caught. The automatic programmer costs from 45-65 euros while the hose and injectors around 15-20 euros.

Water bottles

Easy and economical solution. We use empty 1.5 liter water bottles.

Fill them with water and make a hole in their lid. Turn them over and place one in each pot. The plant draws as much water as it needs daily. If we cover the soil of the pot with dry grass or pebbles, to retain moisture, we can miss 5 to 7 days and our plants will be fine.

Some have reported that the trick does not work since the water leaves at once. This is due to incorrect placement of the bottle.

In the shade in basins with water

It is good to place the plants on a balcony that has shade, e.g. under the awning in basins of water. They will draw as much water as they need.

We can also put them in the bathtub to add water and let them draw the amount of water they need. If the bathroom has a window, leave it ajar.

Buckets with water and wick

We can place next to each flowerpot a bucket of water which will be connected to the flowerpot with a wick. Instead of a wick you can use shoelaces and even old tights. This way the plant will draw as much water as it needs. In the market you can find packages containing 10 bags and wicks. All you have to do is add water to the bags. They definitely cover you for 5-7 days as long as it is in the shade so that the water does not evaporate.

Water crystals

If you are going to be missing for more than 15 days, use water crystals. You will find them in packages from 100 grams to 1 kg. The crystals (resembling sugar granules) act as reservoirs of water. They can absorb hundreds of times their weight in water, which they release gradually over a period of 3-4 weeks. Make holes 4-5 cm deep in the soil of the pot and add crystals with the teaspoon. Water the plant well and after 1-2 hours repeat the watering. A bag of 100 grams costs about 6 euros and can be used in about 10 pots.

These crystals can be used in plants that we have in vases such as bamboo, etc.