Headed for a vacation? Do this for your plants

Summer’s in high season, and so are vacation plans. Whether it’s just a weekend getaway or a true escape from the daily grind, don’t forget to vacation-proof your plant life. Without it that lush garden might better resemble scorched earth when you get back.

Consider these tips from a variety of gardening sites:

Mowing: If it’s a short trip, consider skipping it. At least cut it a little higher than usual to provide soil shade.

Weed: Pull weeds, clip yellowing, brown or dead leaves, and cut off spent blooms. Get rid of aphids and other pests with an insecticidal spray. The healthier the plants, the better they’ll tolerate a little stress.

Pots and planters: Move these to an area with more shade throughout the day, and group them together to create a microclimate, which conserves moisture. A cover layer of bark, mulch, or grass clippings will help.

Watering: If it’s just a couple of days, a good soaking just before you leave should keep things alive. Any longer and you’ll need to arrange watering — if not a sprinkler or irrigation system, perhaps a friend or neighbor. Idaho sure can’t count on rain in August.

New plantings? Anything newly seeded probably needs daily watering. Established plants are more resilient. Again, soak (not drown) everything before you leave.

Self-watering kits: Garden and hardware stores such as Ace sell self-watering conversion kits for around $20.

“Feed me!” (What, you haven’t seen “Little Shop of Horrors?”) If you’re lucky enough to be taking a real vacation, fortify plants with extra nutrients from Miracle-Gro or something similar. Or prepare to get eaten …

Plan some TLC when you’re back. As soon as possible after you’re home again, give plants a good watering if they need it, pull weeds, get rid of pests, and look carefully for problems that may have sprung.

Have fun!

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Today’s weird word: Smaragdine (smuh-RAG-din) — of an emerald or yellowish-green color.

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Sholeh Patrick is a columnist for the Hagadone News Network with a moldy brown thumb. Advice on why her roses won’t bloom requested at Sholeh@cdapress.com.