How to babysit your houseplants

Usually when Ken and I are away from home for more than a few days, our friend Lynn looks after my houseplants.

On our last trip a couple of weeks ago, though, I had a dilemma: Lynn would be on the trip with us.

I pondered this problem for several days. We'd asked a neighbor to check our house regularly, but I didn't feel right about asking him to water my plants. Besides, I was afraid he'd prove to be an under-waterer or an over-waterer.

A couple of days before we were to leave, I googled "care for houseplants while away," and I came across this suggestion.

I didn't know if it would work, but I decided it was worth a try.

The day before we left, I filled jars with water and set them above the level of the plant pots. Then I cut lengths of cotton clothesline, placed one end into the soil of each pot and the other end into the jar of water.

Early the next morning, before we headed to the airport, I checked the set-up and could see no indication that the cotton clothesline was even slightly damp.

That worried me. Maybe this system wouldn't work and I'd come home to dead plants.

But it did work! As you can see from the water level in these two bottom photos, the cotton clothesline did, indeed, provide a means for the soil in the plant pots to stay slightly moist.

My houseplants were happy. I was, too.

It's quick, it's simple, and it works.