We know you get worried about your plants when you travel. The idea of walking back into your home after vacation to sad looking plants isn’t fun at all (we know, we’ve been there). 

We’ve heard some crazy ideas of what people do to take care of their plants while they are gone but we like to keep it simple and want to help you do the same. There’s no need to give yourself a bunch of extra work when you are trying to rest and relax - keeping your plants happy and healthy while you are doing the same is easier than you think!

What to do with your plants to prepare them for your travels: 

1. Make sure your plants don’t have any signs of stress or over watering. If you aren’t sure what you are looking for, take a look at our blog What Your Plants are Trying to Tell You, to make sure they are in good health before you leave.

2. In the time leading up to your travels, make sure you stick to your regular watering schedule and amount based on the time of year and your plants needs. 

What to do right before you leave:

3. Don’t ever give your plants extra water right before you leave! This will cause them to be overwatered before you get out of there, even if they don’t get any more water while you're gone.

4.Houseplants: fill a container with water and then grab a piece of cotton string. Put one end of the string into the water and the other into your houseplants soil. This will disperse water very very slowly into your plants soil to keep them from going thirsty. Just make sure that you only do this with plants that like or can withstand being moist all the time.

5. There are automatic watering systems now that can water your plants when you would like while you are away. We will be testing these in the future to see how well they work and for which plants they are best suited.

6. Be strategic about what kind of sunlight your plant will get while you are gone - make sure they are not in direct sun as they could burn. And make sure plants that need lots of sun are not in a room where the curtains will be drawn causing no light while you're away.

What to do when you return:

7. Check your plants for any signs of distress.

8. Don’t overwater them just because you weren’t around - this can put them into shock. If they are looking pretty rough, here’s What to do When You Forget to Water Your Plant 

9. Trim and dust when you are able.

10. Proceed to water them like normal according to their watering schedule. 

If you want to freshen up your space and fill it with plants but know you’re going to be traveling more and more, we suggest picking some plants that will do well with a bit of neglect and will fit your lifestyle! All of our plants not only work for people who travel a lot but they are great for people who are really busy, are in and out of the office frequently, or who own a vacation rental.

We only grow the hardiest plants that must meet our really high standards for really low maintenance. Our top suggestions for plants that are great for traveling are:

• All of our cacti and succulents  - they only need to be watered once per month when they are set up with our planters and soil so most likely you will be back before you need to water them. And our large round cacti or barrel cacti can go for months without water.
• We only grow hardy houseplants as well, like pothos and philodendron, that can survive most conditions of under and over watering. We have a “For Underwaterers” section in the shop that is great for travelers. 
• Our zz plants can go for a few months without water 
• And our snake plants prefer not to be watered for months at a time. We suggest watering them once every three months. And there are many varieties and sizes of snake plants.

Plant lovers and travel lovers aren’t mutually exclusive, you just have to know the easy steps to take to make sure your plants do well while you are off on your adventures!

If you’re worried about a specific plant while you travel, feel free to email us with questions at care@tierrasolstudio.com