Vacation Plant Care

Summer - what a great time to take a vacation! The last thing you want to worry about when you're planning to get away is the yard and that's how it should be.

If you have been consistently caring for your landscape all season long, it should withstand a week's leave of absence from your attention without any problems. Proper care to date includes watering as needed to keep the soil moist, regular fertilizing, and appropriate mulching and pruning if needed.

The day before you leave, mow the lawn taking off no more than one-third the height of the grass blades. If you take off no more than an inch of grass, the clippings can remain on the lawn where they will soon decompose and return nutrients to the soil

Once mowed, the lawn should be watered thoroughly before you leave. About one inch of water, or the equivalent of two to three hours of sprinkling time, per area, will give the grass a good soaking. Bedding plants, shrubs and trees should also receive a good soaking.

Hanging baskets, planters and window boxes should be watered before you leave, but may need attention again mid-week before you return. You may want to ask a neighbor to water them, one or more time for you while you're away. Advise this good friend of the frequency you have determined to be correct for each container. We leave written instructions about how much to feed the cat, lights, drapes, mail, etc. You would do your caretaker a great service to do the same for the outdoors.

Even under extreme conditions, most plants will care for themselves for a week, especially if given the proper care before you leave. If you plan to be gone for up to three weeks, you will need to have a friend or neighbor attend to the in ground landscape at least once a week while you're away. You could also hire a professional landscape contractor or nursery to do the work.

While you are gone, the caretaker will need to mow and water the lawn once a week. You may want him or her to check the annual and perennial flowerbeds more than once a week, as well as the birdbath and feeders. They will also need to attend to the hanging baskets, planters and window boxes every two to three days. These smaller containers don't have as much root and water holding space, therefore need more frequent attention.

If you plan to be gone for more than a month, I strongly recommend hiring a professional to care for you landscape. Along with regular watering and mowing of the yard, the landscape will need mulching, fertilizing, pruning and possible spraying for insects and disease. The annuals also need periodic trimming and deadheading to keep blooming at their best through the summer and fall seasons.

Once you return from your hiatus, whether it's one week to one year, thoroughly walk the property to check for watering needs, weeds and disease. If someone was consistently caring for your landscape while you were gone, you should return to the same scenery you left.