As we prepare to head away for the Christmas holidays and with summer temperatures soaring, the challenge of maintaining our beloved indoor and outdoor plants becomes more pressing than ever.
The dilemma of wanting to embark on a festive holiday away while ensuring our leafy companions stay in optimal health can leave many green thumbs in a bind.
Enter gardening maestro Joel Campbell who took to Tik Tok to share a groundbreaking solution to keep your plants flourishing, even as you celebrate the season far from home.
With nothing more than an empty milk bottle, Cambpell was able to craft a solution that will keep your plants hydrated.
“This simple drip irrigation system will buy your plants some more time while you’re gone,” he said.
“All you need is a bottle and a thumb tack. Make a hole at the top so that the air can run through and make the hole at the bottom as small as you can so that it doesn’t drip too fast. Fill it up with some water… you want a nice and slow drip.”
While clever, Campbell stressed that the method will likely afford you “an extra couple of days’ free from your horticultural duties.
@new_world_horticulture Diy drip irrigation 💧🌱 #dripirrigationsystem #diy #gardenhack #gardening #garden ♬ Natural Emotions – Muspace Lofi
Fellow green thumbs showered Campbell with praise for the brilliant solution that transformed the daunting prospect of leaving plants unattended into a stress-free holiday for both gardeners and their flourishing leafy companions.
“Thank you just what I needed,” one gardening enthusiast commented.
“Now that’s a switched on gardener.”
“Awesome tip.”
“Perfect! But this is so simple and I’m Annoyed I wasn’t able to think of this on my own,” wrote another.
“I was just wondering about a solution too. Thanks bro.”
“So clever.”
Whether it’s an entire outdoor garden or just a few pot plants around the house it’s crucial to give your plants the proper care they need during the warmer months to keep them healthy and alive.
Making sure you water your plants at the right time, whether you’re giving them enough shade, or if they’re getting enough sunlight can not always be so straightforward, especially when it comes to varying species of plants.
Horticulturist and Co-founder of plant care and lifestyle hub, The Plant Runner, Dominic Hooghuis recently told Starts at 60 that “the best thing is probably the most obvious, water” when it comes to what can be done to give plants the best chance of survival.
“The best time to water when it’s hot is in the evening so that there is less water lost to evaporation. On extremely hot days you should be watering every couple of days at least, it’s more beneficial to water deeply than to just wet the surface,” he said.
Leaf an Impression Horticulturist, plant stylist, and presenter Tammy Huynh suggested that “most ‘indoor plants hail from subtropical-tropical climates, so are quite used to warm conditions” but cautioned to keep an eye on your plants as the temperatures rise.