- 1). Prepare your plants. Move your plants to a shady location. If your plants require full sun, then a partially shady area will suffice as a temporary location. In addition, water your plants well before you leave and cover the soil with a couple inches of mulch, such as bark mulch, to help the soil retain water.
- 2). Have a friend, neighbor or family member water your plants. Set the hose and watering can nearby and group all your container plants together to make it easier on your helper. Take down your hanging plants to make it even easier.
- 3). Place your container plants--even hanging plants--in bowls of water. You can even group your plants together and set them in the bottom of a large storage bin, such as one that is designed to go under a bed. The drainage holes in the containers will allow the soil to absorb water from the bottom.
- 4). Use a watering wick, which has a hollow tube with a reservoir water tank on top. Fill the reservoir with water and then turn it upside down and quickly stick the tube a couple inches into the soil. You can also make your own by using a plastic bottle (e.g., 20 oz. soda bottle). Fill the bottle and quickly flip it over with the cap off and shove the lip into the soil, a couple inches deep.
- 5). Purchase a special hose--sometimes called a drip tube--that hooks up to your spigot. There are many ways to set up a drip tube. For example, lay the hose across your potted plants and stick one end of an emitter (where the water comes out) into the hose and the other end into the soil. Repeat for each of your plants. The drip tube usually comes with a timer so you can water your plants slowly with drips throughout the day or set it to water the plants about an inch or two each morning. Set this up at least a week before you leave and test it to make sure you are doing everything correctly.
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