Smart Succulent Care While on Vacation

Whether you’re traveling abroad or staying in a resort, going on a vacation can be pretty exciting. It’s an opportunity to unwind, de-stress, and recharge your emotional batteries from the demands of work and life.

However, as you prepare your items and go through your packing list, you might realize how you’ve completely forgotten about your succulents. Of course, you’d want them to stay healthy and happy the moment you go home. For this reason, it’s essential to know how you can look after them while you’re away.

Succulent Care Steps And Instructions

Succulents grow in drought-prone regions. Hence, these plants are used to storing water in their leaves and stem to thrive amidst water scarcity. Because of succulents’ ability to collect water, they’re known as low-maintenance plants, suitable for new plant parents and busy professionals.

However, while these plants can survive independently, they still need a few essential care tips and steps so they won’t suffer from any problems while you’re away. Suppose there’s emergency water damage and repair; make sure your family has the contact number of these necessary services.

For instance, GXR Plumbing and other similar businesses can immediately cater to residential plumbing needs. In this way, you won’t have to worry much about problems at home and guarantee that your plants can receive adequate water for them to stay alive.

Besides this, below are other steps to look after your succulents before going on a trip:

1. Water Them Before You Leave

Most succulent varieties prefer to be underwatered since they have the natural ability to manage harsh conditions and store moisture in their leaves and roots. However, if you’re going to be gone for more than a week, make sure to water particular succulents that have dry soil.

Giving them a good soak of water can help them thrive while you’re on vacation. When watering, make sure to aim for the soil and not on the leaves.

If you have a self-watering system, make sure to check if this device is working correctly. Upon doing this, make sure to look for sneaky leaks in your home. You may also hire professionals skilled in detecting and finding a water leak in your space to ensure that your self-watering method functions as it should. This initiative also comes in handy, especially if you have a sophisticated irrigation system.

2. Place Them In A Shady Corner

While succulents can face harsh climates, this doesn’t imply that you should leave them outdoors. Succulents dislike too much direct sunlight, and allowing them to stay outside all the time might make them susceptible to sun damage. Overexposure may lead to significant thirst and sunburn, causing death. You can detect this event once leaves begin to turn beige.

After watering your greens, make sure to transfer them to a shaded spot before you head out.  You can also ask someone from your family to move your succulents indoors during the hottest part of the day and place them in a well-ventilated room slightly near the windows. In this way, they can soak a few hours of indirect sunlight to remain healthy. 

Alternatively, if you have a succulent garden, you can directly place a cheesecloth fabric to filter sunlight. This material is lightweight, allowing you to cover it over your succulents to shield them against sun damage and other environmental elements.

Similarly, you can ask someone from your family to put this cloth on as soon as you head out to protect your plants. Moreover, make sure to ask them to rotate your succulents throughout the day. This is to guarantee that not only one side is getting adequate sunlight.

3. Hire A Plant Sitter

Suppose you’ve decided to assign someone in the family to tend to your succulent’s needs. In that case, you can leave a comprehensive written note for them, including how much water your succulents will need, common signs of thirst, plant care do’s and don’ts, and other necessary points. If you have pots with holes, remind your sitter to place these in a shallow container to prevent spills when watering, mainly if your succulents are indoors. Otherwise, there’s no need to do this.

On the other hand, if no one in your family can look after your succulents, you can hire a plant expert with extensive plant care knowledge. You can visit your local nursery or search for this kind of service in your area. This initiative can be helpful, especially if your vacation suddenly gets extended. A plant sitter can keep your succulents in good condition, so you’d go home with happy and healthy plants.

Final Thoughts

Looking after your succulents while you’re on vacation can be pretty challenging, especially if you haven’t tried to leave them before. However, by taking the necessary steps above, you can keep them healthy while enjoying your vacation.