How to water plants while you are away for 2 weeks
By Devendra K Jha · updated 2026-09-27
For two weeks away, a bottle or spike will not last and a neighbour may forget. Group the pots in shade, water them deeply the day before, and set up a drip kit on a schedule with a tank sized for the whole trip. Test it for two days before you leave.
Why two weeks is harder than a weekend
Most pot plants in a flat can go two or three days without water if they start wet and sit out of afternoon sun. After that, small pots, flowering plants and herbs start to wilt, especially between March and June. Two weeks is past what any single watering can cover.
What lasts two weeks and what does not
| Method | Lasts two weeks? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| One deep watering | No | Small pots dry in a few days in warm weather |
| Bottle on a watering spike | Rarely | One bottle usually empties within a few days |
| Self-watering pot | Sometimes | Depends on reservoir size, plant and weather |
| Drip kit on a schedule | Yes | Waters on set days from a tank or tap |
Size the tank for the trip
Multiply the number of pots by the water each pot gets per watering and by the number of waterings in the trip. Add a quarter in summer for evaporation. Our calculator does the sum once you enter the water per watering for your pots.
Two days before you leave
Run the schedule on two mornings while you are still home. Check every dripper is wet at the soil, the tank level has dropped as expected, and no tube has slipped out of a pot. Move pots out of direct afternoon sun and group them so they share humidity.
While you are away
With the WiFi kit you can see the schedule and water now from the app. If rain is forecast for an open balcony, use delay mode to skip a day.