The hardy perennial question is what to do with houseplants while the owners are away.
However, I discovered that it is actually possible to have the plants watered by the absentee, capillary method—possible and effective!
Capillary Method
Here’s what you need to do.
Place the plants on the kitchen counter, table, or floor; even the bathtub can be used, and circle them more or less around a small stand.
Places a generous container of water on the elevation, as the reservoir must be above the plants. Sun or shade will depend on the types of plants.
Tear inch-wide of muslin strips long enough to reach from the bottom of the water container to the flower pot (one strip for each plant, as a rule). Wet the strips, and nature will take over, drop by drop!
For large pots, wider strips or more than one strip should be used, while for a three-inch pot, a strip about a quarter of an inch wide may be enough for effective operation.
30-Day Test
Be sure to wet the strips first and be sure the container is large enough for the reservoir. Then, test the system several times before going away.
If the floor is utilized, rubber mats will protect the hardwood finish.
After 18 days of the drop-by-drop treatment in midsummer, I found my plants in good condition on the damp earth, and since all doors and windows were closed, there was no ventilation and no outside air.
A 30-day test is now in progress and only needs a larger container as the reservoir.
Other Means of Protecting Pot Plants
Other effective means of protecting pot plants during your vacation holiday include slipping them into polyethylene bags or mulching the soil surfaces with damp peat moss.
One friend left her African violets in the basement window well and, returning from two months abroad, was delighted to find the violets flourishing and covered with blooms.
The light filtered through overhead grass, and the humidity from the damp cement walls produced perfect conditions for the African gesneriad.
44659 by Elizabeth Gest