How to Keep Your Plants Watered While You’re Away: 10 Tips for Indoors & Outdoors

Gardening

Heading out on holiday or for a work trip? Don’t let your plants struggle while you’re away.

Whether you’ll be gone for a weekend or two full weeks, there are smart, low-effort ways to keep your indoor and outdoor plants healthy. This guide covers the best watering methods — from modern self-watering tools to classic garden strategies — so you can leave home worry-free.

Why Plants Struggle When You’re Away

When plants go unwatered, especially in summer or centrally heated homes, they can start showing signs of stress fast:

Wilting or drooping leaves
Crispy edges or brown tips
Soil pulling away from the pot
Buds and flowers dropping prematurely
Slowed or stunted growth

The key to avoiding these issues? Setting up a care plan before you leave.

10 Ways to Keep Your Plants Healthy While You’re Away

Use Watering Globes for Easy, Worry-Free Watering

Watering Globes slowly release water as the soil dries, keeping moisture levels balanced. Just fill them up (add liquid plant food if desired) and insert into the soil.

Great for indoor and outdoor plants
No setup or power source required
Cost effective way of watering plants

Add Water-Saving Gel to Outdoor Containers

For outdoor pots, patio planters, and hanging baskets, water-saving gel crystals are a must. These polymers absorb and retain water, releasing it slowly into the soil as needed — perfect for hot weather or long gaps between watering.

🚫 Not suitable for indoor plants
🔗 Shop water-saving gel

Use Self-Watering Pots — Like the POTR Pot (Indoor Use Only)

The 11cm POTR Pot in Pine Green is a flat-pack, origami-style self-watering solution crafted from recycled plastic.

Includes a wicking cord that keeps soil moist for up to 3 weeks
Designed for indoor houseplants, herbs, and small flowering plants
Made with just 5% of the plastic used in standard pots

🚫 Not for outdoor use
🔗 Shop the 11cm POTR Pot

Feed Your Plants Before You Leave

Healthy, well-fed plants cope better with stress. Use a liquid feed or granules a few days before departure to support strong roots and blooms.

Top Feeds to Use:

Rose Food – formulated for rose bushes and shrubs
Big Tom Tomato Feed – ideal for fruiting plants and hanging baskets
Boost Liquid Feed – perfect for all-purpose use in indoor and container-grown plants

Tip: You can add diluted feed to watering globes or self-watering pots for a steady nutrition boost.

Put Your Hose on a Timer for Borders and Beds

For outdoor flower beds and garden borders, attach your hose to a programmable timer. Set it to water early in the morning or late evening — the coolest times of day — to minimize evaporation.

💡 Pair with a soaker hose or drip system for targeted watering.

Group Your Plants Together

Move potted plants closer together in a shaded spot to create a more humid microclimate. This helps reduce evaporation and keeps leaves from drying out too quickly.
Use the Water Bath Method for Small Pots

Place pots with drainage holes in a shallow tray or bathtub with a few centimetres of water. The soil will absorb water from the bottom, keeping the roots moist while you’re away.
To improve this setup, add capillary matting underneath the pots. The matting absorbs and distributes water evenly, helping hold moisture longer and ensuring each plant gets what it needs.
Ask a Friend or Neighbour for Help

For trips longer than a week, a human helper is a great backup.

Leave clear watering instructions
Group plants in one area for convenience
Pre-fill watering cans or jugs to make the task easier
Leave a written schedule or checklist showing which days to water and how much each plant needs
Identify which plants are most sensitive to drying out so your helper knows to check those first.

Choose Low-Maintenance Indoor Plants

If you travel frequently, stock your home with tough, drought-tolerant houseplants:

Sansevieria (Snake plant or mother-in-laws tongue)
Yucca
Dracaena (Dragon Tree)
Zamioculcas (ZZ plant)
Aspidistra (Cast iron plant)

These can survive a missed watering or two and bounce back quickly.

Prep Your Plants Before You Leave

Give your plants a boost before heading out:

Water deeply 24 hours before you go
Remove dead or yellowing leaves
Add mulch or pebbles to lock in moisture
Move plants out of direct sunlight if possible
Fill reservoirs in self-watering pots and globes

Wrap-Up: Smart Plant Care While You’re Away

Leaving town doesn’t mean leaving your plants at risk. With tools like watering globes, water-saving gel, hose timers, and the self watering pots (POTR), you can build a low-maintenance system that keeps your garden and indoor jungle healthy while you’re gone.

Take 15 minutes to set it up now — and enjoy a stress-free trip knowing your plants are in good hands.

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