9 Things You Should Do To Your Garden Before Going On Vacation

You've worked hard to create a garden that's expecting a bountiful harvest, but you've also worked hard to go on a much needed vacation. The last thing you want to happen is to come home to dead plants and a garden that's long past reviving, so how do you ensure your plants stay healthy and thriving while you're away? We spoke to an expert for their professional take on the things you should do to your garden before going on vacation so you come home to happy, healthy plants.

Harvest Early

"The first thing to do is to make a critical assessment of the garden to note what is thriving, what is finished, etc.," says Stein. "Remove the finished stuff and concentrate on those crops which are still producing. If the harvest has started to be light, perhaps it is time to let the garden go and work on getting started for the fall. Be sure to harvest all produce prior to leaving and make sure to take even the most immature fruit so that it will not get too large."

With that in mind, it's crucial to grab your favorite harvest basket and walk amongst your planters or garden beds to pick the vegetables that are ready to harvest. Aim to do this at least a day or two before leaving so you have enough time to set up other systems on this list and get the full understanding of your garden's progress.

Check The Weather Forecast

Another important step Stein says plays a crucial role in how you take care of your garden while you're away is taking a few minutes to check the expected weather forecast for the following days you're away. "You will need to check the weather forecast and make your decisions based on that. If conditions are expected to be overly wet, then water may not be the issue that you should be concerned with; if this is the case you can actually over water your plants if you are not careful."

If you check the weather and see it's calling for a bunch of rain, you don't need to worry about setting up any watering system. Instead, it'll be more beneficial to let the rain take care of the watering and check yourself for wilting afterwards.

Ask Friends Or Family To Help

A great resource to check into if you have friends or family in the area is to ask them to take over your garden chores for the time while you're away. Make sure you ask a trusted loved on and keep the instructions as simple as possible, especially if they're not a garden aficionado like you. It will also be helpful to leave the tools they'll need in easy to find places and a note with written instructions for them to follow.

Set Up An Automatic Irrigation System

If your vacation falls during a week where rain is not in the forecast, it's a wise decision on your end to install in an automatic irrigation system to take care of watering needs. "You can purchase timers which can be attached to a hose bib so that you can water every other day, every third day, etc. to keep your garden going," Stein says. "If you don’t have a drip irrigation, then you could set up a sprinkler on a timer to do the same thing."

Get Crafty With Old Milk Jugs

Irrigation systems aren't that much and can be found at your nearest hardware store, but if you want to go with a crafty, more budget-friendly alternative, don't throw away empty milk jugs! You can create a homemade watering system by poking several holes in the bottom of milk jugs, soda bottles, or water jugs and then filling them with water. Push the mouth of the bottles several inches in the ground and scatter them around your garden as the watering source while you're away. The water will slowly drip out of the openings to keep the soil moist and plants watered during your vacation without overwatering the plants.

Water & Mulch Well Before Take-Off

Though Stein says your garden should be okay for a week vacation, it's still a good idea to give your garden a thorough watering and mulching before leaving. Mulch will help retain the moisture from the water until your irrigation, sprinkler, or jug-watering system kicks in.

Take Care Of Pests And Diseases Beforehand

Days before leaving, walk through your garden to look for any signs of pest damage and diseases. Doing this at least a week or so before leaving gives you time to address the needs so your plants have a better chance of surviving and growing while you're away.

Schedule Your Vacation Accordingly

Although summertime is perfect for beach and tropical vacations, the winter months are easier when it comes to plant care. If you don't mind swapping the beach for a cozy mountain getaway, consider planning your vacation for the winter when plants are dormant and nothing's growing. This reduces the need to prep your garden and buy extra tools to keep the plants healthy.

Plan Your Harvest

Staying along the lines of planning, it's possible to plan your harvest out (if you can't bring yourself to ditch the tropical vacay), but it will take a slight amount of effort. Since plant seeds come with posted harvest times, you can use those dates to mathematically determine when the best time of year it will be for you and your vacations to plant the seeds. If you already have notice of planned vacations, factor in those dates for when you should plant the seeds and harvest.