Holiday watering

[Alex]

A quick straw poll, if you like - what do people do about care for their collections when they go away for more than a few days? Obviously little may be required in dormancy, but what about in Spring? And there are few times when literally nothing in the collection is growing, in any case.

Personally, I have a friend who is happy to do the rather detailed and time-consuming job entailed (I am a bit obsessional about these things), and I do offer some money, but he may not be around here forever, so I am thinking.

What do you all do for your various trips (including plant-finding holidays!)?

Cheers,

Alex

[Martinr]

I have a neighbour who is prepared to do it when required. I try to arrange the pots in groups. No water--water only the plunge--water overhead, etc. Works well most of the time

[Tony Willis]

My neighbour who has no gardening knowledge does mine. This year we went away on a Wednesday and so she watered on Fridays and Wednesdays. Some of the plants look better than when I left them and nothing died. The only concern is the frames which I leave with the tops off, which she waters if it does not rain,not a problem here.She has done it for eighteen years and I am very grateful.

[Martin Baxendale]

What are "holidays"

[Darren]

Easy - I usually leave Susan at home to do the watering.

When we do go away together it has been during the bulbs dormant season. The few summer growers are gathered together in a frame, and this is watered using a Gardena timer irrigation system with drip or spray nozzles as appropriate. This also has branches off to each of our troughs. Alan Furness recommended this system in a AGS bulletin article years ago and I have found it good. Though of course we have had a run of cold wet summers since we bought it...

We also have some kit consisting of a 10 litre container and drip tubes. These are placed on a shelf in the greenhouse and a gentle drip set up to keep certain things just damp (cyclamen plunge for instance).

Both these systems are best set up a week or two before departure so you can be sure the drip rates and timings are appropriate, and to iron out any glitches.

[Alex]

Thanks all, very helpful, especially the Gardena system - will look into that.

Cheers