Are you planning to travel during holidays? With these easy home remedies, your plants will remain green for weeks even without water.

As soon as the summer season arrives, people start planning to visit the mountains or their favorite places. But during this time, we are constantly worried about the plants at home, which we water with great love. It often happens that when we return from a trip of 4-5 days, the beauty of the balcony garden has disappeared and the plants completely wither due to the strong sunlight. If you also want to go on your holidays this time without any mental stress, then you do not need to buy expensive automatic watering systems. There are some things available in our homes, using which you can prepare excellent desi jugaad. These smart methods will keep your plants’ roots moist even during your travels. 1. Make a ‘mini drip system’ from an old plastic bottle. This is the easiest and tried method. For this you just have to take an empty plastic water or cold drink bottle. How to use: Make small holes in the lid and bottom of the bottle with a needle or any sharp object. Now fill the bottle completely with water and bury it upside down a little deeper in the soil of the plant. Benefit: With this the water from the bottle will reach the roots of the plant drop by drop. This method is very effective for small pots and does not allow the soil to dry out for 2 to 3 days. 2. Magic of Coconut Husk (Cocopeat) Coconut peel or husk has amazing ability to retain water. In the language of gardening it is also called coco peat. How to use: A day before going out, remove some of the top soil from the pot, spread a layer of coconut husk there and then water it abundantly. Advantage: It does not allow water to evaporate quickly even in strong sunlight. Due to this, the temperature around the roots remains cool and the plants remain fresh for a long time. 3. ‘Desi swimming pool’ with water tub: If you have many small pots, then this method will be very useful for you. How to use: Fill two to three inches of water in a large plastic tub or deep vessel. Now place your indoor and outdoor small pots inside this tub. Advantage: Through the small holes present at the bottom of the pots, the soil will continue to draw water from below as per its need. This method keeps the plants safe for 4-5 days without any maintenance. 4. ‘Catalytic Jugaad’ of cotton cloth or rope: This method is best for those who are going away from home for a week or more. How to use: Fill a big bucket with water and keep it at a place slightly higher than the pots. Now take a thick cotton cloth or thick cotton rope. Insert one end of the rope till the bottom of the bucket and bury the other end inside the soil of the pot. Advantage: The fibers of the cloth or rope will slowly absorb the water and transfer it from the bucket to the pot. This is called capillary action in science, which maintains moisture in the soil for weeks. Which jugaad is best for how many days? (Quick Reference Table) Name of Desi Jugaad is best for trips of how many days? Main Benefits Plastic Bottle Trip 2 – 3 days Water reaches the roots drop by drop directly. Tub filled with water 4 – 5 days Safest for small and indoor plants. Cotton rope/cloth system provides continuous and slow water transfer for 7 – 10 days. Mulching (dry leaves and grass) prevents soil moisture from evaporating for long periods of time. 5. Keep the plants away from sunlight and shift them to the shade. Before leaving the house, change the place of the plants kept on your balcony or terrace. Keep them in a corner where there is no direct and strong sunlight, but there is light light or shade. When there is no direct sunlight on the plants, the water in the soil will not dry up quickly and they will be able to survive for longer days even in less water. 6. Take the help of mulching technique. You can try this technique used in the fields in the pots of your home also. Spread a thick layer of dry leaves, chopped grass or small pieces of wood (sawdust) on top of the pot soil. This is called mulching. This layer acts as a protective shield between sunlight and soil, thereby retaining soil moisture for a long time. 7. Help from a neighbor or a close friend If you are going out for a very long time (like 15-20 days), along with the above mentioned jugaad, you can give a key of your house to a trusted neighbor or a friend living nearby. Just ask them to come twice a week to give some water and look at the plants. This is the safest and most reassuring solution. An important tip on the way: On the day you are going to leave for the trip, water all the plants thoroughly in the morning, so that the soil gets completely wet till the bottom. Only after this set one of the jugaad mentioned above. By adopting these easy and cost-free methods, you can enjoy your holidays to the fullest without worrying about your balcony garden.