I'm scared to leave my garden for a week**Update, all is good**

[Augustmomx2]

My fam and I are going on vacation next Monday. We'll be returning Friday but I have to have my sister-in-law "babysit" my garden, chickens and dog. Now, I have all the confidence in the world that she'll do my dog and chickens right. My garden, however, is another story

Earlier this year, I left her in charge of my flowers and chickens. I came back to almost a completely dead array of flowers. Poor thing, doesn't have a green-thumb to save her soul!

Anywho, I'm frightened I'm going to return to a dead garden
Any advice or stories you would like to share?

Update: I just returned and came back to a fine garden :tools Luckily, it rained quite a bit and oddly enough, she didn't pick anything

 

[noobiechickenlady]

Do everything possible to your garden before you leave, leaving her not much (If anything) to do to it. Mulch, pull all the weeds, spray with your favorite bug solution, shake on some DE, etc. Pick everything that is close to being ripe. If you have to water daily or every couple of days, lay out some soaker hoses and put them on a timer or just tell her to turn on the water for X amount of time.

Then go on vacation and enjoy it and don't worry too much about your garden.
That is what I did when my fam went on vacation earlier this year (few weeks ago). My mom was able to go first thing in the morning and late in the evening, she took care of my chickens & the garden in about 15 minutes. All I had her do was turn on the water. I had the soaker hoses layed all down my rows, covered with an extra thick layer of mulch, I had sprayed with garlic fire egg spray (for bugs & deer) and picked everything that was turning. Told her if she spotted something ripe, pick it and eat it. I came back to a semi-decent looking garden and I didn't lose anything.

 

[Greensage45]

Wouldn't it be amazing if we could set up a hidden camera (cam) system with various itty-bitty speakers throughout the garden. Then remotely, while at your vacation spot, you can monitor the garden via the internet.

Then as your sis-in-law wanders by those poor thirsty plants you can turn the system on and speak in a little voice:

"please water me" "please water me" ...."don't forget meeeeeee"

LOL I know, I know, I am so very evil LOL

Of course, come to think of it, your sis-in-law might run like heck and never come back. I guess we best leave this one alone while we are ahead of ourselves. To tell you the truth I have never left my garden in anyone's hands, so I haven't seen the world in quite some time.

Wishing you the most lovely weather and the occasional rainfall to keep your garden healthy and living.

Ron

ps. This reminds me of a time I was watering my roses and suddenly I hear this voice out of nowhere: "Ronnnn, ronnnnnn". I turned to look in every direction thinking it was a neighbor or a friend come to visit, but no one was there.

A second or two later, once again, "Ron, Ronnnnnn". In that same raspy male voice like a deep baritone. This time I answered back while looking in every direction, even looking up, "WHAT???" "Who is that?".

Again, the same voice, "Ronnnn, Ronnnn". This time I was just about ready to panic for sure when suddenly out pops this big toad from under the rose bush I was watering. LOL

I almost died! LOL

 

[patandchickens]

One thing that can help is to cut perennials back a week or two before leaving (it may be too late for this time, but maybe next time). Anything that is 50% or more done flowering, and responds well to cutting-back -- obviously you can't do this as a blanket treatment to EVERYTHING, and some plants withstand/prefer more or less severe cutting-back than others do. For the week or two after cutting them back, make sure you keep them WELL watered. Then, because there is less leaf area to support, they will not be as dependant on your "garden-sitter" watering them properly, and will while away your absence happily growing new topgrowth. So that when you return, they will be neat rounded mounds of foliage again, and some may rebloom.

(Repeat, you have to KNOW YOUR PLANTS to do this, but it can be very useful)

For something you really care about, like vegetables, you could try something like putting flags on stakes on the ones that really need to be watered every other day (or whatever) and specify exactly how much each plant should get.

Good luck, have fun, remember they're only plants ,

Pat, with gardens planted specifically NOT to require regular watering and therefore everything but the container veggies can happily coast without care for as much as a few weeks if necessary

 

[vfem]

I was just gone for 3 days and when I got home I had ripe tomatoes all over the place!!!!!!! It was crazy... I wouldn't want to be gone a whole week either.

 

[davaroo]

My fam and I are going on vacation next Monday. We'll be returning Friday but I have to have my sister-in-law "babysit" my garden, chickens and dog. Now, I have all the confidence in the world that she'll do my dog and chickens right. My garden, however, is another story

Earlier this year, I left her in charge of my flowers and chickens. I came back to almost a completely dead array of flowers. Poor thing, doesn't have a green-thumb to save her soul!

Anywho, I'm frightened I'm going to return to a dead garden
Any advice or stories you would like to share?

No stories, but I'd suggest specific instructions with a "to-do" nature.
Do this, do that, do them at specific times, etc.. Include pictures.

Non-gardeners need this, just as you might if someone wanted you to maintain, say, their spaceship for a week. Sell it as being understanding and wanting to help herfor all the help she is giving you.

 

[Augustmomx2]

You all had wonderful ideas

I thought I would offer whatever she picks is hers, that way she'll be a little more inclined to check on it-

Give specific instructions, as I do with everything else (I'm a just a *little* anal)

I need to remember they are only plants & the Farmers Market is still going strong

Man, I would love to watch someone's spaceship for a week

 

[Carri]

Offering her what she picks is a great idea! I do that with the chickens... what they lay is yours. It assures that I won't come back to 25 eggs and 10 broodies!