Before you go, the instinct is to water them to the brim. That’s exactly what not to do: too much water rots the roots faster than drought does. The trick isn’t giving them more, it’s helping them lose less.
Start with what costs nothing: group the pots together, on the floor and away from the window. Together they shade each other and the air between them stays more humid; out of direct sun, the soil takes far longer to dry out. Close the blinds or draw the curtains before you shut the door and you’ve done half the job.
If you’re going for more than a week, add a home-made fix. A soaking wet towel in the bottom of the sink with the pots sitting on top. A bottle of water pushed upside down into the soil. Or a piece of cotton string running from a bucket of water into each pot: the water climbs up the string by itself and seeps in little by little.
And something reassuring: most houseplants cope with two weeks without water better than you’d think. You come back and find them droopy, not dead. One good watering, a few days, and they’ll have forgotten all about it.
Start today: before you head out of the door, group the pots away from the window and close the blinds. That alone makes a big difference.