Does anyone else do this?

I know I annoy my dear wife. We’re talking about taking a three or four day trip over spring break. My first thought is “well, I’m going to have the tomatoes, peppers, etc. all started under the grow lights by then. Who’s going to water them?”

I find that once they get some size to them, one extra day can make the difference between a plant that is a little dry, and one that is so wilted, it won’t recover.

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I had figs rooting at Christmas when we went on a four day trip. I was concerned they would dry out , or get to cold. They were fine but I understand your line of thinking.

sitting your pots in 2 or 3 inches of water will give you a few days. I recommend a small kids pool or storage totes if the wife is okay with those in the house. Trust me when I say the last thing a wife wants to hear is her plans are getting put on the back burner for plants. :wink:

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We have pet sitters who water plants, but it’s one thing to have them water the large potted palm in the corner of the living room, verses about 75 little plants in cells or trays for transplanting.

I actually put the seedlings in four extra- large plastic tubs when we went to see my dying sister, stacked them in our SUV and took them with us! Hopefully it will be warm enough for you to set them out in the sun for a while during the day. If not, at least they won’t dry up. At night I brought them into her house and stacked them. Last year I also started some flats in our motor home, which I kept on the flat front dash, taped to the dash and window. Yes, gardening and travel don’t mix very well!

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I’m a gardener. Wife is a traveler. She appreciates the fresh food, but still acts as if she couldn’t care less if my plants die. Not in a malicious way, it’s just that she just doesn’t “get” gardening.

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Make a dripper

For 100 plants in small cells?

BG, I totally hear you. Same here.

I second the idea of putting them in a large tray or tub, if your plants are in small cells it would only mean a few trays. I go every year to visit my daughter for 5 days and I have a ton of plants in the greenhouse.

I make sure that the plants are all set in trays full of water, then I make sure to have the refill bucket right near and ask that the caregiver just add water if the tray is empty. They won’t die in a few days staying moist but they will if they totally dry out.

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