Can you leave plants in a tray of water?

If you plan to be away for more than a full week, there are a couple of ways to prepare your plants. Try one of the tips below or a combination&#;depending on the length of your trip, the variety of plant, and the time of year.

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Continue to keep in mind: how often do I usually water this plant during this time? Since you won&#;t be home to keep an eye on your plants, you want to avoid overwatering them before you go!

1. Add lava rocks, mulch, or wood chips to the top of your plant&#;s soil to help hold moisture before or after giving dry soil a good soaking. Damp newspaper can also do the trick. This will help the soil stay moist for longer.

2. Water your plant thoroughly and then cover with a clear plastic bag to just below the lip of the planter, creating a makeshift greenhouse. Make sure to cut a couple slits in the plastic to allow for ample air circulation... plants need to breathe, too! Use sticks (or leftover chopsticks) to hold the bag up and away from the foliage. You want to make sure no foliage is touching the bag.

3. Line a shallow tray with small rocks and fill the tray up with water to slightly beneath the top of the rocks. Set your planter on top of the rocks&#;the base of the planter should not be touching or sitting directly in the idle water but right above it. This will help to increase humidity and moisture levels, but should not lead to over-watering or root rot.

4. Transport your humidity-loving plants, like ferns and air plants, to your bathroom (provided you have a window that receives some natural light) or another small room and group them together. The smaller the room, the easier it is for your plants to maintain humidity and moisture.

5. DIY a self-watering system with capillary wicks or empty bottles:

&#; Submerge one end of the capillary wick in a basin of water (choose the size of the water container based on how long you&#;ll be away for) and the other end of the wick into your plant&#;s potting mix. Your plant will pull the water it needs through the wick while you're away. (This is our team's preferred method for extended periods of time away from our plants.)

&#; Upcycle old plastic or glass bottles by filling the bottle with water and puncturing the bottle top. Make sure the hole is small enough that water will be released slowly, over time. Flip your filled bottle upside down and stick the top of the bottle, with the punctured bottle top, deep into your plant&#;s potting soil.

6. Call on a friend. If you&#;re going to be away for an extended period of time (over a month) and have a friend that&#;s willing to water your houseplants for you&#;take them up on the offer! Leave your friend with clear written instructions, or walk them through your care routine a week or two beforehand. We won&#;t judge if you ask them for photo updates while you&#;re gone... Just make sure to bring them back a souvenir (or send them a new plant as a thank you when you return.)

3. Forgo the fertilizer

If you occasionally use fertilizer, make sure to hold off on fertilizing your houseplants until you return from your trip. Do not fertilize your plants in the weeks prior to your departure. You&#;ll want your plants to grow as slowly as possible while you&#;re away, which will help your plants conserve energy and water.

4. Do some light pruning

In addition to pruning off any dead, dying, or unhealthy-looking foliage, you can prune off any buds and flowers, which usually require more frequent waterings to stay healthy.

Pro tip: The tricks above, in particular ways to "water" while away, mostly apply to tropical plants. When it comes to drought-tolerant plants like varieties of succulents, ZZ plants, or snake plants, they can go over a month without water, especially if placed out of direct light. If you&#;re an avid traveler, succulent plants are the houseplants for you.

Whatever preparation you take, give yourself a big pat on the back when you return to happy and healthy houseplants. They missed you, too.

Whether you're a plant expert or novice, everyone needs to pay their houseplants some attention by watering them and giving them access to their preferred level of sunlight. While positioning your plant in the correct spot should take care of the latter, the former can be more complicated&#;especially since there are a few ways to hydrate your plants, including bottom watering.

"Watering from the bottom is a great way to ensure plants are taking up the appropriate amount of water and allowing even distribution to the plant," explains Kate Ferguson, the co-founder of Flourish. "You can use this method for plants in pots with drainage holes. Pro tip: All your houseplants should be in pots with drainage holes&#;or leave them in nursery pots inside of a decorative planter."

We tapped two plant experts to share exactly how to bottom water your houseplants&#;and explain which varieties are best suited for this hydration method.

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Put your plants in a tub or sink and let them "soak."

Chris Satch, a plant doctor for Horti, a plant subscription service, says that bottom watering your plants is simple. Here is his recommended method:

• Put the pot (with a drainage hole, of course) into a sink or basin, then fill the basin with lukewarm water until the water almost reaches the top of the pot.
• Let your varieties soak for about 10 minutes to an hour. You might see a few air bubbles, which are normal.
• After your allotted soak period, drain the water and let the potted plants drip dry. Then, return them to their saucers.

Note: Our experts advise against letting plants sit too long in the water (they should not soak for more than six hours).

Bottom watering only works for certain plants.

As for the best plants to water with this method? "We love this method for ferns, philodendrons, and pothos plants, because they have dense and robust root balls that can take up the water effectively," Ferguson says. "We wouldn't recommend this method for plants with a bulb, such as alocasias." Satch notes that watering from the base works best for smaller plants, or plants in pots that are less than 6 inches in diameter.

You should still water plants from the top&#;or try a hybrid option.

While bottom watering allows for even water distribution, Ferguson still recommends hydrating your plants from the top every few months. This way, the soil will be able to drain&#;in a downward motion&#;and clear out build-up of trapped salts and minerals below.

Satch also suggests a hybrid method: watering plants simultaneously from the top and bottom. First, add water to the top of the soil until you see the saucer fill up underneath; let it sit for 10 minutes. "Some of the water will have been absorbed from the tray if the plant is really thirsty," he says. "Add more water to the top until the tray is full again. Wait another 10 minutes, and repeat this process until the tray stays full." After waiting for a full day, dump out the tray.

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