Keeping plants healthy while away on holiday

[Laura Hillier]

Hi Everyone,

As we head into the summer months I am sure that we will all have that dilemma of what to do about our lovingly tended crops while we head off on our holidays. So, what do you do? Do you leave friends or family in charge? Do you set up a watering system? Or do you cross your fingers and hope for the best?

Answers may be edited and published in the July issue of Grow Your Own.

Laura

[Hans Mum]

As the parent of a university student who comes home for the summer (4 months nearly) the payback is when I go on my search for the sun holiday she has to water & look after the greenhouses. The stuff in the ground is established by then & doesnt need too much TLC. She also gets to harvest anything which is ready which is not to arduous for her

[VirginVegGrower]

Don't go on holiday!

[PyreneesPlot]

Winter holidays.

[SarzWix]

When we used to have holidays, we always went at Easter because the main sowing frenzy hadn't started, and all the plants in small pots were happy enough with capillary (sp?) matting and a washing up bowl reservoir. These days, I tend to be the one doing watering duties for other people, because we're always around.

[Bigmallly]

I'm not too fussed about the stuff in the ground but my lottie neighbour is there 8 days a week, so the extra day he has, he kindly waters the greenhouse & kite for me....................shhhh, he doesn't know yet.......

[bramble]

my dear grandson always steps into the breach even though he knows nothing about plants and has no interest either but he is always there.

[Likac66]

Last year I paid my 13yr old neighbour to look after the greenhouse and garden stuff while we were away. It gave her some pocket money and she took it very seriously and did a brilliant job. I've already asked her to do it again this year.

As for the allotment, well it's my first year but two of my neighbouring holders are brilliant and the one opposite me has already said to let him know when I'm away and he'll keep an eye on things for me. They are both retired so I think they go down most days.

[Nicos]

We take our holidays in February and November to avoid any watering/frost worries.
If we have sown chillies and tomatoes we take them to a friend's house to keep an eye on the seedlings for us...in exchange for a few of the plants!

[Stan79]

Last year was the first year i'd grown anything so we just gave the plot a good soaking and then went away with our fingers crossed. It was fine! If we'd actually had a summer it might have been a different matter!

[chefgage]

The first year I started growing fruit and veg I built two large raised beds. These were populated with various plants and everything was growing nicely. Before we went on holiday for two weeks I gave the two beds a good watering and thought "well, they should be ok". When we got back the beds looked like I was trying to re-grow the rain forests !!

We must have had a good.combination of sun and rain What I do now is have two automatic timers to water the greenhouse and pots/tubs. I then get a family member to water the raised beds. Although this year I am hoping to extend the automatic watering system around to the front of the house where the raised beds are.

[Veggielot]

If it is only a week tend not to worry to much, I give them a good water before I go if it hasn't rained recently otherwise just leave them to it as most are in the ground. If I am going to be away longer I have asked either a neighbouring plot holder to keep an eye on things or have roped my father in to water them, although strictly speaking he is not allowed on the site if I am not there.

I dont usually take many holidays during the summer so this fits in pretty well with growing. I was away for 2 1/2 weeks last August however and the biggest problem I had was harvesting.

[Paulieb]

To add to the obvious mentioned above I'd say timing is key to the actual holiday.

Why would you go to the time and effort of growing lots of crops, to then go away for 2 weeks and miss the harvesting period. E.g. if you missed 2 weeks of runners in August, thats a whole lot of sweet fresh beans you're missing out on, plus by not picking the plants will slow down, etc.

[chefgage]

To add to the obvious mentioned above I'd say timing is key to the actual holiday.

Why would you go to the time and effort of growing lots of crops, to then go away for 2 weeks and miss the harvesting period. E.g. if you missed 2 weeks of runners in August, thats a whole lot of sweet fresh beans you're missing out on, plus by not picking the plants will slow down, etc.

The thing is I like to go to the time and effort to grow lots of crops but I also like to go away for a couple of weeks abroad.

[Hans Mum]

To add to the obvious mentioned above I'd say timing is key to the actual holiday.

Why would you go to the time and effort of growing lots of crops, to then go away for 2 weeks and miss the harvesting period. E.g. if you missed 2 weeks of runners in August, thats a whole lot of sweet fresh beans you're missing out on, plus by not picking the plants will slow down, etc.

& this year it wont matter as everything is behind so I'll be back before the glut