Before you leave, the instinct is to water everything heavily. That's exactly what you shouldn't do: too much water rots the roots faster than drought. The trick isn't to give them more, it's to make 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; away from direct sun, the soil takes far longer to dry out. Lower the blind before you close the door and you've done half the work.

If you're away for more than a week, add a homemade fix. A soaked towel in the bottom of the sink with the pots on top. A water bottle stuck upside down in the soil. Or a cotton thread running from a basin to each pot: the water climbs the thread on its own and drips out slowly.

And one reassuring thing: most houseplants handle two weeks without water better than you'd think. You come back and find them droopy, not dead. One watering, a few days, and they've forgotten all about it.

Start today: before you walk out the door, group the pots away from the window and lower the blind. That alone changes a lot.

Holidays No watering