You deserve a vacation. That much is something we’re all sure of. Whether it’s a week or two or a month or two months, you should be able to leave your home and enjoy the scenery of another place. Of course, the house alone will survive without you for months. The question is the other living thing in your home—the plants. In short, you must think about what happens to your garden and lawn when you decide to be gone for a week or more.
If you let your grass grow, it’s quite possible you will come home to overgrown grass and weeds. Possibly, some of your plants will wither and die when you are gone for a month. But should these things stop you from enjoying a month of vacationing abroad? Should it stop you from fulfilling your life-long goal of travelling around the world by yourself? No, right? There are several things you can do to prevent your lawn from looking unkempt and abandoned.
If You Will Be Gone for a Week
If you are gone for a week, then you don’t have much to worry about. Your plants will survive a week without water. Even the grass will not grow that much in a week.
You need to remember only to mow your lawn a day before you leave. You can mow the morning of the day you’re supposed to leave if your flight departs in the afternoon or evening. Water it deeply, too, so you don’t have to worry about them dying.
Hopefully, you have an automated lawn irrigation system such as a timed sprinkler that you can schedule to turn on in four days. If you don’t have one, it’s time to think about installing it because the system will save you the hassle of worrying about your plants when you’re off to a short vacation.
Once you are back home, make sure to give the grass lawn food. It might be starving for fertiliser and “food,” so this is the first thing you have to do. Pick a product that is good for the environment.
If You Will Be Gone for Two Weeks
Yes, you can still take a break for more than two weeks provided that you have a plan down pat. It will help if you have a smart home that you can control from your phone. But if you don’t have one, then there are still a few ways you can help your lawn from becoming weed-infested.
Before you leave, mow down your lawn unusually short, though never less than a third of the grass height at a time. This will make sure that it will not grow too much during the two weeks you are away. When you get back, make sure to raise your mower two notches again before you cut the lawn.
Of course, your lawn needs to be watered. It will need one to 1.5 inches of water per week to stay green. A timer on your sprinkler system can help you with that. The only problem is that when it rains that week, your lawn will be soggy.
If you do not have a smart sprinkler controller, it is time to invest in one. This system will make sure that your lawn is watered just right. It will monitor the weather for the week and adjust its settings accordingly. Others might think that it’s best to fertilise the lawn before they leave for a vacation. This is not true. You will encourage new growth while you’re away. Fertilise only when you get back.
If You Will Be Gone for More Than Two Weeks
When you plan to be gone for more than two weeks, there are two options for you: continue taking care of your lawn or let it go and deal with it when you come back home. The problem with the last one is that it will require you to almost start from scratch. So, it is still better to continue taking care of your lawn even if you are not around.
To keep the lawn growing strong, you have to ask a friend or a neighbour to see to cut the grass and water the plants. If you don’t have anyone to ask, better hire a professional who can keep the lawn healthy despite your absence. They will trim the shrubs, mow the lawn, and water the plants. A smart watering system will also work wonders because it can sense rainfall so that the grass will only get the water it needs from the sprinkler system.
With these tips, you can spend as much time on your vacation as you want. Sure enough, when you get back home, you will feel more energised about your lawn. Instead of seeing it go dormant, the only acceptable option is to make sure it is well-taken care of even when you are not around.
