Houseplants on Vacation
Are you going on vacation and fear that some of your house plants won’t survive your absence? A temporary self-watering system in the bathtub may be just the solution. All you need is an old dish drying rack, some white cotton shoelaces, and a bathroom that receives some natural light.
Set the dish rack upside-down in the tub and place the plants without their saucers on the rack. Poke the end of the shoelace into the soil mix through the drainage hole of each pot, pushing the lace in far enough that some of the fabric portion is in contact with the soil. Let the other end of the shoelace dangle into the tub. Run a few inches of cool water into the tub. The dangling shoelace acts as a wick, drawing water up from the tub to the soil mix, keeping your houseplants from drying out while you’re away.
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Last updated: Tuesday, February 01, 2005