GYO Wants Your Tips!

**phil the shed** · 05-05-2010, 12:27 PM

Originally posted by Emma Ward View Post

Morning all,

I'm super excited because I've just booked a little holiday for later in the year. This got me thinking - how do you maintain your plots health while away? Watering, weeding and harvesting still need to happen - so how do you do it?

We'd love to hear your creative methods! They may be edited and published in the July issue of Grow Your Own.

Thanks
Emma

well emma it all depends on your holiday time.
for an early holiday june or july then anything that usually sucks up the water gets watered more often and then the night before a good soaking and then a mulch ( grass clippings on newspaper) is a good one or alternately good compost muck mix.
if its a later holiday i often encourage a friend/neighbour who has my spares to water and harvest for me. last year i came back to a 20lb bag of beans of all my climbers. they have whatever they want peas beans soft fruit. it's funny how people will water for produce as pay.....

**sarraceniac** · 05-05-2010, 12:30 PM

I just ask a neighbour, then when they go, they ask me. If we go at the same time, I find another neighbour. In this area - simples (and they don't even want produce because we swap that anyway.)

**voddybabe** · 05-05-2010, 12:38 PM

I find that an offer of free veggies and a bottle of wine usually keeps my garden looking nice whilst on my hols, sometimes i have to decide who will do it as i am inundated with offers...... the perks of free veg i think lol

**northepaul** · 05-05-2010, 12:47 PM

I have never done it before, but am going to ask my neighbours to come in and water everything - bit worried about the greenhouse crops though, - as long as its all more or less ok and still alive =

**Incy** · 05-05-2010, 01:45 PM

My next door neighbour and gardening guru loves the chance to get his hands on my garden. Last time I went away in August he did a fantastic job and I even came back to additional pest defences

**Scottishnewbie** · 05-05-2010, 05:33 PM

i try and do as much as i can to make it easier for whoever i ask to help - things like everything in a decent sized pot; as much stuff in the ground as possible; waterings cans filled, that sort of stuff. i also submerge empty pop/drinks bottles by cutting off the bottoms and sinking the pouring end into either the pot or soil (start saving them a good few weeks before we go away) so that it is quicker and easier to water and hopefully, not then necessary every day. i also make sure the greenhouse has an automatic opening vent so the temperature doenst build up quite so quickly and leave pots in the greenhouse so my friend can just fill them with water to help with the humidity (where necessary).

**Emma Ward** · 06-05-2010, 08:55 AM

Thanks everyone, these are great! Do any of you rely on self-watering systems for shorter breaks? Would you ask a friend or neighbour to weed for you as well as water?

**binley100** · 06-05-2010, 09:04 AM

We actually have two holidays this year. The first is beginning of July and my Dad will look after our lottie , so I know watering weeding and harvesting will be done there. He'll probably pop in home to make sure my kids haven't killed off the GH crops.
The next one in September , a work colleague has volunteered for lottie duty and they have looked after somebodies before so I'm hoping that the weeding will get done as well .

**SarzWix** · 06-05-2010, 09:32 AM

Holiday? What's that then?!

Seriously though, I have a few very good lottie neighbours who kept an eye on my greenhouse last year when I was struggling to get my smashed ankle working again. I would often not get there til later in the day and find that my greenhouse door had been opened and the tomatoes watered already

I know that the same folks would gladly keep an eye if we went away. Weeding might be a bit too hopeful though, particularly over a short break. Things like thick mulches ought to keep weeds down sufficiently anyway, and mitigate the need for water on outdoor crops.

**chris** · 06-05-2010, 10:54 AM

I got some good advice on here, from Two Sheds and Zaz I think - wet a towel in the bath and put your pots on it, it worked for two breaks earlier this year for us. the pots draw the water up via capillary action - same as getting the proper matting, but cheaper

Outdoor wise, I've no idea - although I've just bought a auto water system from hozelock!

**Storming Norman** · 06-05-2010, 05:31 PM

Hi guys and gals,

I am really interested in the auto watering systems one for my greenhouse 6'x6' with around 14 plants and one to traverse my many and varied pots & baskets around the patio [several dozen] and out to the front of the house to four pots there.

They all look so complicated and expensive [and experimental] so what would you recommend? The greenhouse one would have to run from a water but but the other can go on the outside tap.

I'm just thinking about what the other half can give me for my birthday next month and this thread popped up. So I can afford to expect something a bit lavish.

Ta all.

**Glutton4...** · 06-05-2010, 06:27 PM

I've been saving the bags from 3 Litre Wine boxes. They had to be the type with the 'twist' tap, not the 'push' type. So, this year when we go away, each pot that can't be accessed by hose or waterer, will have a drip bag or two, to keep it watered.

We even started drinking a wine we didn't like quite so much, so I could have the bags!!!

How's that for dedication?

**SueA** · 07-05-2010, 02:05 PM

We never go on holiday for a long time & most of my plants & crops are in pots so I generally just group pots together, put them all on saucers & give everything a really good soak just before we leave. Living in the Manchester area though I needn't worry, if it usually rains enough to keep everything going anyway!

**Snadger** · 07-05-2010, 06:19 PM

The last time I went on holiday I just pinned a note (PLEASE WATER ME, BACK ON FRIDAY) to my watering can and left it in the greenhouse. My greenhouse is next to the allotment path and plants were fine when I returned...........so someone had taken the hint and helped me out............

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