There's nothing worse than coming home from a holiday to find your pots wilted and your hanging baskets crispy. Whether you're away for a weekend or a fortnight – or you simply struggle to remember to water – a few clever solutions can keep your plants healthy without you.
1. Use an automatic watering timer outdoors
For the garden, greenhouse or patio, a garden watering timer is the most reliable option. It screws onto your outdoor tap and connects to a hose, drip line or sprinkler. You simply set how often you want to water (for example, once a day) and for how long, and it does the rest – even when you're not there.
Top tip: set it up a week before you go away and check that every pot is getting enough water. Early morning or evening watering reduces evaporation.
2. Try self-watering globes for pots and houseplants
For individual pots and houseplants, self-watering plant globes are a simple, low-tech solution. Fill the globe with water, push the stem into moist compost, and it releases water gradually as the soil dries out. They're ideal for a long weekend away.
3. Group your pots together
Before you leave, move pots into a shady, sheltered spot and group them closely together. They'll lose less water to sun and wind, and it's easier for a neighbour to water them if needed.
4. Give everything a deep soak
Water all your plants thoroughly the day before you go, until water runs out of the drainage holes. Standing smaller pots in a tray with a shallow layer of water can also help them last a few extra days.
5. Mulch the surface
A layer of bark, gravel or compost on top of pots and borders slows evaporation and keeps roots cooler. It's one of the simplest ways to reduce how often you need to water, all summer long.
6. Remember winter care
Plants need far less water in autumn and winter. At the end of the season, drain your hoses and bring your watering timer indoors so it isn't damaged by frost.
Find more handy tools in our Gardening Essentials collection.