Garden owners also like to take their annual leave during the beautiful summer months. But who takes care of the plants during this time? And if nobody has time or the distance is too far - what is the best way to prepare the garden for the absence and the lack of care that comes with it? With our tips, your garden will look good even after a long absence.

If you have automatic watering in your garden, you only need someone to turn it on and off when you are on vacation

Prepare the garden optimally for the holiday

Of course, this includes not simply driving away without any preparation. Instead, there are a few measures to prepare the plants in the garden for an absence and thus to create a few days' buffer in advance. This includes the following activities:

  • Cultivate and chop the soil between the plants again thoroughly.
  • Thoroughly and liberally water all plants.
  • Mulch the root area so less moisture evaporates easily.
  • What can be cut back, cut back!
  • This reduces evaporation and thus water consumption.
  • However, this only works for pruning-tolerant plants.
  • Don't be afraid to remove flowers and large leaves as well.
  • With crops, you harvest what can be harvested - many types of fruit and vegetables are still ripening.

Under no circumstances should you fertilize before you leave! This strongly stimulates the growth and metabolism of the plants and thus only increases the water requirement.

Hire a plant sitter

The easiest way to water your plants while you're on vacation is with a plant sitter - that is, neighbors, friends or family members who take care of the garden and can take fruit and veg with them in return and maybe even get a nice souvenir from a trip. Make sure that your vacation replacement does not have to travel too far and leave detailed instructions (e.g. water the cucumber bed every day, the roses only every two days!). If you don't have neighbors or the family lives too far away, you can also hire someone to do this job. Pupils or students are usually happy about a small additional income.

Install automatic irrigation system

If no one is available, the only option left after an absence of several weeks is the installation of an automatic irrigation system. However, this usually requires a water and electricity connection, after all simple non-electric irrigation systems, such as you may be familiar with from potted or balcony plants, do not work in this case. Don't choose a sprinkler system (unless you just want to water the lawn), choose drip irrigation. After all, the leaves of perennials, shrubs, ornamental and useful plants should not get wet.

tips

Plants in very sunny locations should also be shaded if possible. This also reduces the water requirement considerably.

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Care tips