The reste journal

If you’ve invested a lot of time and money into your plant family sometimes the idea of going away and leaving them to fend for themselves is too much to bear but most house plants will tolerate a few days’ absence without suffering. If you’re planning on going away for more than a week though you’ll need to get creative so your plants stay happy.

Here are our five top tips for keeping your plants alive while you go on holiday…

1. Ask a friend or neighbour

You wouldn’t go away and leave a pet, you might ask someone to look after them, so why not do the same for your plants? After all, you’ve probably become just as attached! If you only have a few plants you could take them to a friend's house or a neighbour, but if you have a lot then you may need to bribe them to help out with the promise of a holiday gift. Your plants will thank you.

2. Put damp newspaper on the soil

Water your plants thoroughly, being sure to water all around the stems so that the soil is damp to touch. Cacti and succulents can tolerate much longer periods of time without water so don’t be tempted to give them a thorough watering before you leave. After you’ve watered your plants, soak some sheets of newspaper in water and then lay them on the soil, covering the surface. This should prevent the water evaporating so quickly and will hold the moisture for longer.

3. Put your plants in the bath or sink  

For plants that need a lot of moisture and humidity a nifty tip is to place towels or newspaper soaked in water in the bottom of the bath or sink and place your plants on top.They will enjoy their new damp surroundings.

4. Find the perfect position

If you leave your plants in a bright, hot place then they may not fare well, temperature and light can have a big affect on your green friends. If you’re going away in summer, move your plants to the cooler, shadier parts of your house. It’s important to learn the specific requirements of each of your plants though and if you’re going on a winTer holiday be sure the temperature doesn’t drop too low.

5. Group your plants together

Plants enjoy company, place them together without their leaves touching and out of direct sunlight. Place a bowl of water in the middle to ensure there’s enough humidity and it will encourage the plants to create their own microclimate for them to thrive.

Ranking high among the lucky plants that have surfed the explosion in popularity of indoor plants is the Calathea, from the Marantaceae or arrowroot family. Combining vibrant leaf pattern and stunning colour combinations for maximum visual clout, they are among the most easily recognised houseplants, as well as being relatively easy to care for.

Originally a rainforest plant they are found in the tropical areas of the Caribbean, the Amazon and Africa. Loved for their richly ornamental leaves which are variegated in shades of green, white, and pink in stunning patterns that can vary widely between varieties. They can also display a beautiful velveteen leaf surface that looks surprisingly matt and powdery soft.

Popular in the UK since the 70's, they are a relative of the Maranta or Prayer Plant and will also respond to light levels, causing the foliage to rise upright and open in the morning, as if in prayer. 

With a few impressive large leaves being supportable from a small plant, to the leaf size and bright colour stripes, the calathea is made for the trend for grouping small plants in small pots.

Deriving as they do from the gloomy floor of dense moist jungle, they can tolerate dappled or low light levels and appreciate steady damp air and temperatures between 15 to 23 degrees celsius. Calathea plants do not like the cold very much. Temperatures above and below that can cause damage to the plant, first evident in the curling of the leaves.

A calathea needs to be kept moist through the summer months and intermittently sprayed with water.  Do not water it so much though that the plant ends up sitting in standing water. In winter a Calathea copes with a bit less water and if you need to repot, do so in spring.

Calathea do not need a lot of fertilizing, but they will flower and do well with standard houseplant fertilizer during spring, summer and early autumn. They especially need fertilization when they are growing and flowering

Like many plants, calatheas are very good at removing toxins from the air, caused by cleaning products, modern furnishings made of synthetic materials and so on.