Water

Water is the most important factor for your garden, especially during your absence. If it is hot and dry for three weeks and your plants are not watered, most of them will half die, but also the lawn will turn yellow, the harvest in the vegetable garden will fail etc. etc. Drought is therefore the biggest danger to your garden. Of course, it is ideal if you have good neighbors who will occasionally wet things and water your potted plants.

But what if your neighbors are also going on vacation, or you don't have such good contact? Then an automatic watering system and/or garden sprinkler offers a solution. These watering systems are specially designed for a temporary absence of the resident. Consider, for example, vacation watering that allows you to automatically water about 36 potted plants and that you simply connect to the outdoor tap. There are several modes available and you just need to set how many millimeters of water your plants should receive each day.

It is best to put the pots in a shady spot. In the sun they dry out too quickly. If you do not have a watering system, place the pots in a container of water or fill a PET bottle with water and place it upside down with the neck in the soil. The water will then be released gradually. If you're going away for a long time, it's smart to bury your potted plants in a shady spot in the garden for as long as you can. That way they dry out much less quickly and you don't have to install a separate watering system.

By the way, on the Tekenjetuin tool you can now draw in the watering of your garden directly while designing your garden. You can then set up a convenient system so that your garden is always optimally watered both normally and during your vacation.

Other things to get in order before your departure

Besides watering, there are other items you should pay attention to before you leave. Your lawn, for example. This one can be mowed one more time so it doesn't go wild during your absence. But do it less short than usual so the turf won't dry out as quickly. Don't cut the grass shorter than two-thirds of its length.

Also walk through your garden again and remove any flowers that are (almost) finished blooming. This way you stimulate the plants to continue flowering and prevent the flowering from stagnating. In the vegetable garden it is best to pick fruits and vegetables that are ripe or almost ripe. If it is left hanging, it will rot or mold and can attract pests and birds that will destroy your vegetable garden.

Weeds remain troublesome and grow extra fast during the summer months. Now if it only looked unsightly, it wouldn't be so bad and you could just let it wait until you come back. The point is that these little plants also draw moisture and nutrients from the soil; moisture and nutrients that are actually meant for the other vegetation in the garden! It may be annoying, but it really is better, shortly before you leave, to weed out the weeds in your garden. That way it will have as little chance as possible during your absence.

Do you have a pond with fish? Then stretch netting over it to protect your fish from cats, for example. In addition, this prevents dirt from getting into the water.

Last, but not least; tidy up garden furniture etc. in the shed. After all, you never know what the weather will do, and by doing so, you deny any burglars the chance to use the furniture to climb into your home.

With these tips, your garden will be in optimal condition when you get back. Enjoy your vacation to the fullest as well as coming home!