How to Keep Greenhouse Plants Watered When on Vacation

I know, when you plan a vacation, the first thing you worry about is your greenhouse plants. If you don’t have someone who can take care of them on behalf of you, it’s really tough for you to enjoy holidays in peace.

Now, what can I offer to solve this issue right?

In this post, I will take you through some simple techniques on how to keep greenhouse plants watered when on vacation. Some of these tips can be used as an instant solution, and few be applied now at a lower cost to enjoy future benefits.

For example, a drip irrigation system can be an instant solution to enjoying a short vacation. But I recommend you switch permanent vacation solutions like automatic watering sensors or hydroponics techniques to get the ultimate benefits.

Let’s discover more!

How to Keep Your Plants Watered While Away on Holiday

Here, I will explain how you can handle your greenhouse plants before planning a long or short vacation. Remember, all ten tricks I’m describing here might not be appropriate for you because of your crop, greenhouse pattern, and the weather of your state.

So, it’s solely up to you to find out the perfect exit strategy to water the greenhouse plants while enjoying the holidays.

1. Drip irrigation system

The task of the greenhouse is to protect and preserve your plants in all weather conditions. But water supply is the most vital of all, which can be a crucial factor if you are not present to supply.

drip irrigation system

A typical layout of the drip irrigation system – Image: Stempedia

The is one of the efficient and most popular ways invented for watering plants. With the help of a cotton string and a pot full of water, it is executed.

The process is completed in two ways:

First, the water pot has to be placed on a much higher surface than the plants.

Secondly, a soft cotton string is attached to connect the water pot and the plants. In this way, tiny water droplets are ensured from the higher end of the line to the plants.

The process is a steady yet very effective way to mitigate your absence from the plants!

2. Drip irrigation system with plastic bottle

An auto irrigation system is the best alternative to keep the greenhouse plants moisturized. This system is a faster route for water supplies to the plants for your short time vacation.

Take a plastic water bottle and cut it through the bottom. Then the bottle is prepared so that water can come out from the holes around the cap area. Next, you have to dig the bottle inside the soil around the plants.

As a result, continuous water droplets from the bottle will drop on the soil surface, keeping appropriate moisture. The soil fertility is also maintained in this manner, even on summer days when you are away from the plants.

3. Ceramic cones for watering plants

The field of agriculture has evolved through many phases with the implementation of modern science and technology. This includes various types of planning for irrigation and watering the plants.

The best representation of this is the ceramic cones where clays and water is engaged for the purpose.

A bottle of water is attached to the clays, which in terms, turns into tiny droplets. The gravitational force soaks the droplets immerged from the combination of water and clays.

Here, the porosity of the material plays the leading role in executing the process. The specialty of this method is that it won’t require your presence to supply water through your plants. The system is spontaneous and automatic!

Highly recommended.

4. Gelled water

From another great invention in the field of agriculture, the importance of gelled water originates. On drought days, the farmers use this process to retain moisture in the soil for maintaining fertility.

The plants preserved in soil pots will need a regular water supply. We know this is true for the greenhouse plants as well. However, the gelled water can be an excellent process of hold back the water for future use.

When the soil asks for water, the stored water is provided. The supply of water is done through the super-absorbent polymers present in the gelled water.

This process is also great to be used for your pot’s plants when you are not there to water them timely!

5. Self-watering pots or hydro planters

Hydro planters work with the same principle as plants naturally absorb water from the soil. By the process of diffusion and absorption, the plants get water from the self-watering pots.

Plants, through active capillary action, soak water by the roots from the soil. As a result, a deficit in soil moisture prevails. This deficit is mitigated through water supply by the self-water pots.

The more the plants absorb water through diffusion, the more water supply runs to the soil through hydro planters.

This is another way of watering your plants in your absence but not the suggested one because the process is not economical for watering the whole greenhouse plants.

6. Glass Bottle Solution

To lessen the watering task for your plants, not throwing off your empty glass bottles can be a thing for your repentance.

Glass bottle solution is done in three steps to water your plants for up to a week or more.

Step 1: The first and foremost thing is to fill the bottle with water. Then, open the cap of the bottle and fill the bottle thoroughly with water.

Step 2: Secondly, make a hole within the cap for a slow and continuous water supply. You can hammer a nail into the lid to make the hole. Note to be taken here, ‘Tinier the hole slower the watering process.’

Step 3: Last but not least, the soil of the greenhouse plant is prepared by digging a hole. You need to be careful while digging the ole, not hurting the roots. Then the bottle can be placed through the cap side, inside the hole.

This method ensures continuous and long water supply to your plants in a home-style way. The water bottle can again be refilled for further use.

7. Tiny Plastic Bag Greenhouse

A great holiday trick for watering your plants during your leave is to make individual greenhouses for them. You can ensure a personal greenhouse for every one of your plants with tiny plastic bags.

Greenhouse can be built in the following two ways:

Wrapping of the plants: Use such a plastic bag that allows light to enter inside it ideally. The bag is wrapped around the plant so that no routes prevail for the moisture to go out.

Placing damp clothes: A wet cloth is placed at the bottom of the pot. This provides added moisture to the plants remaining inside the bag.

This greenhouse works by capturing the moisture released by the plants and again sending it back to them!

8. Plastic Water Bottle Planter

This can be an alternative to the glass bottle solution mentioned earlier. But the process ends up more quickly than that but obviously can be an excellent choice for an outing.

Numerous holes are made on a plastic bottle that includes six on the sides and three on the bottom. The bottle is placed into the soil having 2-3 inches of the cap portion peeking out. The bottle is then filled with water.

During the process, several things are needed to be kept in mind. This includes the closure of the cap so that water does not evaporate. The plants should be watered before this process not to soak all the water at a time.

9. Use Apps to Control Remote Watering

A readymade and modern way to water your greenhouse is possible if you are ready for some investment. The remote control way of watering plants will only require a smartphone and the relevant kits.

Various drip-irrigation accessories or kits are available in the market that has a remote control system. They can be controlled through the apps on your smartphone.

As a result, you can water your beloved plants, staying at any corner of the world, just by commanding through your phone!

10. Install hydroponic system

This system is the last and the most different of all. Here, the plants are introduced in a solution of water and nutrients and don’t require any soil. This can not be the rush hour solution for attaining the vacation, but give a think to turn your greenhouse into a modern one!

The system is used to grow plants in such a solution that provides all the soil and water nutrients. This can be used rather than using soil, which doesn’t need manual effort to water the plants.

The hydroponic system should be assembled at first. Then, all the required nutrients and water are mixed in the tank for the supply. After buying the seedling, they should be added to the growing tubes. You need to monitor daily along with tracking the growth of the plants. With this system, you can also ensure the requirements for insecticides and pesticides as well.

Now, I know you might not be interested in going soil-free, today! But, what about you just lend the timer-based water spraying system from the hydroponic kit? It can certainly help you to spray water & liquid fertilizer to the soil-based plants when you are away.

Final Thoughts

Finally, it will be my recommendation to adopt a system which will be cheap and sustainable to water the plants when you are not there. Installing, a smart system will help you cultivate sophisticated plants in your greenhouse apart from the benefit of enjoying worry-free holidays.

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