You may have put all the means to water your plants on vacation but, on your return, you find that some have not resisted, either because they have dried up and appear dead, or because there has been an excess of water that has ended up killing them. Has that happened to you? Well instead of throwing them away, it's time for you to know how to recover the plants you have at home when you return from vacation.
To do this, you must be attentive to the needs of each of the plants and the possible solutions that you can give to try to save it. Before giving up your attempts, you can try to save it (we already told you that some manage to recover easily).
What to do when you get home to retrieve the plants
The first thing you do when you have plants and you get home is to check their status, right? It is possible that you have used the means not to find a disaster at home, but that you are surprised by one that you did not expect and you think that it is too late, but the truth is that it is not.
In case of having several plants, It is convenient that you analyze them one by one, seeing if they have dry branches, leaves, etc. in addition to pests or diseases. Make two groups, the ones that look healthy and the ones that seem to have not made it through the vacation period you have taken well.
What to do with healthy plants
Plants that look healthy after returning from vacation will not have much trouble recovering their day to day. But calmly. If you have left them indoors and they have not had good lighting, you cannot put them suddenly with a lot of light, much less let them shine in direct sunlight. This could load the plant.
You should start by putting them in semi-shade and then move them to their ideal location. With this you get that it adapts much better and that the plant is not stressed.
Try to water it as usual, but checking in the following days if there is any indication that it is too dry or too watered. In the beginning it is better to fall short of watering, even if that means watering more often, than passing yourself.
Recover the plants after the holidays
Unfortunately, and something you must do when you return from vacation, is put yourself in the worst. There will be plants that cannot stand, despite everything you have done, the days when you are not there to take care of them, and when you arrive you will see that that plant that you have so much affection for will be wrong. Some what they do is directly throw it away, but the truth is that there is still something you can do.
Cut dried leaves and flowers
The first step you must do to recover the plants that have not made it through the holidays is remove both leaves and dried flowers. Those, no matter how much you want, you are not going to get them back, and they do not do the plant any good.
In fact, when the plants show dehydration, what they do is dry the leaves in an attempt to retain the little water they still retain in the stem and roots, so it is not advisable to cut the stems or branches, but only the leaves. and flowers.
It is important that, when cutting, you do not use any scissors. Have specific ones for plants on hand, that are well sharpened and, before cutting, as well as after doing so, disinfect them with alcohol to avoid infecting some plants with the diseases of others.
Check for pests
The next step you must take is to check that the plant does not have any pests. It is common in summer, and in the vacation season, which is when we are not available to check daily, that they affect them more. So analyze both the stem, soil, leaves and branches, on all sides (in the case of the leaves on the top and underside) in search of those bugs that can compromise your plant.
If you find them, try have a suitable insecticide on hand.
The most common pests are the red spider, the cochineal, the aphid ...
Once you add the product, 24 hours later you should give it with an old toothbrush to remove any possible remains (and, in most cases, you will have to repeat the treatment a week later).
Watering the plants
We now go to the watering of the plants.
A mistake that is often made is to water the plant when we arrive and see that it is dry. However, you may find that the water comes out as fast as when you pour it, and this is because the soil is so dry that it does not soak. That is to say, no matter how much water you add to it, it will not nourish it. In this case, it is much better to place the pot in another container with water and leave it for about 10 minutes so that the water soaks all the earth and, then yes, it can be used to drink. However, even this can be a mistake for some plants that do not need as much water (for example, orchids).
If it is too hard, or too dry, another option you have is immediately change the land. This way you make sure not only that you will have water, but also the necessary nutrients to get ahead. Also, by the way, you can check the roots and see what state they are in to see if the plant has any hope of being saved or has already passed away.
Spray the leaves
In addition to hydrating it with irrigation water, it should be use a spray bottle and spray the leaves with water (If they are plants that tolerate this, since some do not like it, especially if they have flowers).
If you spray it, be generous, as if it were raining, because the plant will like that, especially if it has spent time indoors.
How to know if a plant recovers
The best answer to this is observation. During the days after returning from vacation you have to observe the changes that occur in it. If the limp leaves rise again, if they start to sprout, the stems remain firm and do not break easily, then there is hope and it is possible that sooner or later it will come back to life.
On the other hand, if there is no answer and you see that the stems break easily, you will have done everything possible for the plant, but without success.
Has it happened to you? How have you recovered your plants after the holidays?