Automatic watering flowers during the holidays: a few simple and effective methods. How to leave flowers without watering during the holidays How to protect flowers during the holidays

The main thing that plants need in your absence is water. There can be two global outputs:

Keep the moisture that the plant received with the last watering for as long as possible. This is a good option for a two week break. It can work with reservations even up to three weeks. He has only one advantage: he practically does not require financial investments.

Think about how to provide plants with water without human help. There are a variety of, including automatic ones. They are indispensable if the plants have to exist on their own for three weeks or more.

First, consider how to get out of the situation with a minimum of costs. So, indoor flowers can last up to fourteen days without watering, and even a little more if they are properly prepared. Of course, this is a last resort method, which has its drawbacks.

We remind you that this method of preserving plants is still quite stressful. Therefore, if you are away for more than a week, it makes sense to stock up on cuttings from your favorite species. They will take root in a jar of water while you are gone.

Now about how ensure moisture supply. The construction described above will last longer if you add additional source water. It could very well be "handicraft" variant. For example, make holes in the lids, pour water and place the bottles upside down between the pots. Moisture should seep in drop by drop and moisten expanded clay. The hole size is determined experimentally.

Bottles prepared in this way can also be placed directly into. Required size bottles depends on the size of the root ball. For example, large tubers may need several bottles at once. But for plants in small pots, this method is hardly suitable.

Meanwhile, this is an effective method: there are similar devices industrial production . The simplest ones are called aqua globs in English (glass aqua globes, glass watering sphere, watering tubesArchimedes by Brigadier Werkzeuge). They consist of glass flask, connecting with a ceramic cone, which is immersed in the ground for more uniform moistening of the earthen clod.
Due to the capillary-porous structure of its walls, water oozes into the pot drop by drop. For big plants such devices are recommended to be used in the amount of several pieces at the same time. Ceramic cones Blumat Austria can be mentioned in the same row). They do not have a water tank that is screwed on top. They are connected to the water supply with a thin hose.

Another well-known and most common among amateurs passive irrigation method indoor plants - "connect" plants to a container of water using improvised wicks. It can be ropes, laces, woolen threads. different diameter, twisted bandages and so on. One end of the wick must be lowered into a container of water (for example, a basin), and the other end must be attached to a pot (for reliability, it will need to be fixed, for example, with a peg). Water will flow to the flowers due to the difference in capillary pressure.

In any case, both industrial and homemade systems moisture must be tested in advance. For example, to track the speed with which a particular wick conducts water. And it may turn out that in an hour or two the basin will be empty, and the plants will be in a pool of water. It is also important to choose a container right size so that the plants have enough water, and determine at what level in relation to the pots it is best to put it: at the same height, higher or lower.

good decision for passive irrigation can become capillary mats- mats made of hygroscopic material. They are sold in many garden centers and they are inexpensive. (For home use, do not purchase capillary geotextiles made from recycled materials.) The capillary mat can be spread on any flat surface, for example, on a table by lowering one of its edges into a container of water. Be sure to lay a film under the rug to protect the surface from moisture. If it is difficult to lower the end of the rug into a container of water, you can cut off strips from its edge, moisten them with water, and then lower one end into the container, and place the other under the rug. By the way, you can try to adapt these same stripes as wicks.

There are ready-made pallets for automatic watering of plants using capillary mats, for example, manufactured by Garland (England). They consist of a deep outer pan, an inner pan and a capillary mat. Pour water into the outer tray, insert the inner tray lined with a rug into it, and make plants on it. The mat will draw water from the pan and give it to the plants. Manufacturers promise that in this way the plants will be able to survive up to two weeks of your absence. Moreover, the roots of the plants are guaranteed not to rot.

It is not worth composing directly into a container of water. Even if you do not want to buy capillary mats or expanded clay "in industrial" quantities. This method is well suited, for example, for, but in most other species common in room culture, if the pot is immersed in water for a long time, the roots are likely to rot.

It is likely that after considering all these "easy" ways to water your houseplants, you will decide to purchase an automatic watering system that is similar in design, but works more efficiently and reliably.

We thank the online store Mastergrow.ru and Nikolai Vavakin for the samples provided for shooting.

There is such a thing as plant turgor. Turgor is the fullness of plant cells with water. If the plant does not have enough water, the leaves and branches droop, become lethargic, then they talk about the loss of turgor. If the plant was not dehydrated for a long time, then it is enough to thoroughly soak the soil with water so that the turgor is restored. But if the roots are very dry, watering will no longer help, the plants will die.

Probably everyone had to leave the house for a while, leaving flowers and even animals. During our absence, we worry about our pets - how are they without supervision. Everyone is looking for their own way out of the situation, depending on the timing of the business trip or vacation. Someone will leave the keys to the apartment to a neighbor or relatives with an order to water on time, but many do not have such an opportunity or simply do not trust an inexperienced person in such a delicate matter.

You need to prepare for your vacation in advance, while you are choosing a swimsuit for yourself or just looking at the colorful illustrations of travel agencies, you should not only take an interest in ways to automatically water plants, but also try them in practice, spending at least two days in advance.

After all, improperly organized automatic watering can lead to disastrous results when the plants turn out to be dried out or, on the contrary, flooded. If you leave the care of plants to a neighbor or friend, at least take care of the exact instructions in this regard. Any person may have concepts of measure different from yours, and if for you abundant watering means a glass of water per pot, then someone may mean by abundant watering and 2-3 glasses of water.

The frequency of watering, as you know, depends on the type of plant, air temperature and season. Therefore, it is impossible to give an unambiguous answer as far as it is possible to leave a plant without water without referring to its physiological state. Since cacti and some succulents are in a state of growth in summer and will painlessly endure the lack of watering for about 2 weeks. In winter, during the dormant period, this period can be up to 1 month.

Plants with leathery leaves, such as ficuses or scindapsus, will endure without water for about a week in summer, 10-14 days in winter. But plants with thin and velvety leaves, such as Calathea red-bearded Calathea rufibarba, survive without water in the summer for 4-5 days, depending on the temperature, and in winter for about 7-10 days. Bulbous and tuberous plants during the growth period will withstand without watering for about a week.

More and more ways of automatic watering are being invented, in a large flower shop you can even buy special devices and entire systems for providing plants with water. Many indoor plant lovers who have to leave the house quite often for several days solve the problem radically - they switch to hydroponics, which greatly simplifies the task (but does not deprive them of care problems in general).

Automatic watering of indoor plants

If we talk about plants planted in the soil, there are several ways to provide plants with water:

Feodor: The system - "Smart Pot", appeared quite recently, but I already have a lot of plants growing in them. Its great advantage is the ease of planting and care. I add water 1 time 3-4 weeks and the plants feel great. Fertilizers are added along with irrigation water.

Method one - Plants are watered abundantly, so that earthen clod completely saturated with water. If the pots are clay, then it is advisable to wrap each pot with moss, which is also thoroughly moistened. You can also place a clay pot in a plastic one, bigger size, and fill the space between the walls of the pot with moistened expanded clay. In plastic pots, the soil is covered from above with wet moss or expanded clay. Watered plants are placed on pallets or in wide basins with water, without saucers, so that the lower part of the pot is in the water. Plants that categorically do not tolerate when "feet in the water" are left on saucers, and the water that has drained after watering is drained. This method is effective if the plants are left for 7-10 days and if there are many plants.

Method two - Useful if there are not many plants, and also if the plants are very sensitive to excessive moisture(both soil and air). The plant is watered so that the earth ball is saturated with water. A plastic bottle with water and a thin knitting needle (or vice versa with a thick needle, you can also use an awl) heated over a fire is taken, a hole is made in the cork, then the same hole must be made at the bottom of the bottle. The bottle is dug into the pot with the neck down to a depth of 2-3 cm. Water, flowing out drop by drop, moistens the soil. There is very important point- you need to practice on the bottles in advance in the size of the holes. After all, it may turn out that the water will flow out too slowly, or vice versa too quickly. It is best to try this method some time before departure on a pot without a plant filled with dry earth.

Watching for several days how the soil is filled with moisture, you will determine for yourself whether such a hole in the bottle is suitable or you will have to change it. When you are able to optimally "tune the bottle" - then the problem of watering during your absence will be solved once and for all. The duration of such watering depends on the size of the bottle.

Third method - A wick is twisted from a bandage or strip of fabric, one end of which is placed on the surface of the earth in a pot, and the other is lowered into a container in water, which should be located above the pot. Here you should provide for the number of wicks for a certain size of the pot. So for a pot with a diameter of 10 cm, one wick is enough, and for a pot with a diameter of 25-30 cm, 3-4 wicks are needed for an adequate supply of water. This method is effective if the plants are left for 7-10 days.

Method four- If your plants are grown in pots with good drainage holes in the bottoms, then this method will work for you. An oilcloth is spread on the table (so as not to spoil the furniture), on it is a wide strip of any dense woolen fabric (cloth, felt, an old children's blanket, batting folded in several layers, etc.), previously soaked in water. Pots with already watered plants are placed on the fabric (of course, without saucers). The end of the cloth should hang down from the table and fall into a large container of water placed slightly below the level of the table with the plants. The fabric is kept moist all the time and the plants receive water through the drainage holes in the pot. This method is effective if the plants are left for 10-20 days.

Method five - If you are leaving not for 7-10 days, but for 3-4 weeks, and more than once a year, then it would be advisable to purchase an automatic watering system. Now they are sold in any major city and represent a container with water, a set of thin tubes and a program control that turns on the water supply at certain intervals, for example, 2 times a day.

If you are going on vacation and rejoice in the upcoming pleasant days, then your indoor flowers are unlikely to rejoice the same way as you, because they will face hard trials and suffering from thirst! Therefore, take care of their well-being in advance.

Of course, you can ask relatives or neighbors to look after the plants. But what if you don't have any? Then let's resort to the automatic watering system! There are many ways to save plants.

But first you need to prepare the flowers for your departure:

1. Remove the flowers from the windowsill or close the curtains more tightly. The less light, the slower the life processes in plants, which means they will need less moisture.

2. Water the soil well so that it is saturated with water. The pot can be wrapped with a damp newspaper, and on top also with cellophane. This will reduce moisture loss.

3. Small plants should be covered with plastic or glass caps, bottles, but so that they let air through from below. Evaporating water will condense on the walls and drain back into the ground.

4. 5-7 days before departure, carefully check if the plants are affected by pests and diseases. Remove from the plant all dried and disease-damaged shoots and leaves, as well as large buds and flowers. Treat diseased plants with the appropriate preparations.

5. It is better to cut off too large leaves.

6. Plants should be placed in a lit place, but not in the sun.

7. Close both doors and windows so that there are no drafts in the room where the plants will remain.

8. 2-3 weeks before departure, stop all types of top dressing.

9. If you leave plants in a tray of water, place flower pots on an elevation of stones or on wooden coasters so that their roots do not freeze.

10. flowers in ceramic pots better tolerate "separation" than those that live in plastic containers.

The simplest and most commonplace ways to maintain soil moisture.

• For plants in clay pots. If you keep indoor plants in clay pots, then each pot can be wrapped in moss - both moss and the plant are abundantly moistened. If there is no moss nearby, place the clay pot in a larger container. Expanded clay should be poured at the bottom, and the gap between the walls of the container should be filled with the same expanded clay. This will maintain a more or less constant soil moisture. The top layer of earth in a pot or container can also be sprinkled with expanded clay, it will prevent drying out.

• This method is effective if the plants are left for 7-10 days.

• Drip irrigation. A plastic bottle is taken, depending on the volume of the pot, filled with water, a small hole is made in the cork (with a hot gypsy needle), you pre-water the flowers and stick the bottles into them with the cork down. As the soil dries, the flower will absorb water from the bottle.It is not bad to fix it on both sides with chopsticks (for example, from ice cream).
• Such a dropper is valid for 5-7 days. Several bottles are placed in large flowerpots and the stock will last longer.

Watering through the "wick". It can be ropes, laces, woolen threads of different diameters, twisted bandages, and so on. One end of the wick must be lowered into a container of water (for example, a basin), and the other end must be attached to a pot (for reliability, it will need to be fixed, for example, with a peg). Water will flow to the flowers due to the difference in capillary pressure.

One 10 l container is enough for 7 days for 6-7 plants

Moisture-loving plants can be placed on pallets, deep trays or in wide basins of water so that the lower part of the pot is in the water. PThe top of the soil is covered with wet moss or expanded clay.

Hydration through fabric. Lay on kitchen table oilcloth film (you can also place the pots in the bathroom if the plants are not whimsical to light), lay a fabric soaked in water (cloth, felt, an old baby blanket folded in several layers of batting) on ​​the oilcloth. Place pots with already watered plants on the fabric, dip the end of the fabric into a container of water. Pots should have drainage holes, saucers are not needed.

This method is suitable for a period of 10-20 days.

Watering through the "wick" at the bottom of the pot. You will need your flower pot and another container to put under the pot. Make holes in the pot and thread the string as shown in the picture. Place a pot on a vessel with water so that the end of the rope falls into the water. Water along the rope will rise up and moisten the ground.

DFor a pot with a diameter of 10 cm, one wick is enough, and for a pot with a diameter of 25-30 cm, 3-4 wicks are needed for an adequate supply of water.

Today, almost according to the same principle, all sorts of "soil moistening" systems work.

Let's say system Archimedes, which consists of a glass flask - a water tank - and a ceramic cone that is immersed in the ground. Water oozes through the capillary-porous ceramic walls drop by drop and constantly moistens the soil. In a balcony box or big pot You will have to put several of them, of course. It looks very cute, by the way! From an aesthetic point of view, this is perhaps the most glorious option. They cost about 180 rubles a piece.
A cone in a flower pot is enough for 5-7 days

Or here - cones Blumat, only in addition to the cone, some kind of remote container with water is also required. The cone itself is installed in a pot, and the tip of the hose with a weighting agent is lowered into a container of water. These devices draw water "on demand" - when the soil in the pot dries out, the cone gradually releases water to the surrounding earth. The inconvenience is that the water container should be higher or at least on the same level as the pots. You don't always get along, to be honest. Well, the price is not very happy - about 4 thousand for 25 cones.

Auto irrigation systems. Remember that all of the above methods are designed for a maximum of three to four weeks of your absence. If you have to leave for a longer period, then you can’t do without complex store-bought automatic watering systems.

The most popular item is gardena, which is capable of watering, according to the manufacturer, up to 36 plants at the same time. Sold in OBI and other large shopping malls. The kit includes a pump with a filter, a transformer with a timer to power the pump, a supply hose, three distributors (each with 12 outlets), a capillary hose, holding pegs, end caps and a 9 liter plastic water container.

One or more branches can be connected to each plant - find out right amount will have to be experienced. If, for example, 60 ml of water per day is not enough for plants in a large container (namely, that much has time to flow out in a minute), the amount of moisture supplied will have to be increased by installing additional capillary tubes. The hose is attached to the pump, the pump is immersed in the above tank, the system starts to work.
If the water in the tank suddenly runs out, the pump will turn off automatically, and when water is added, it will continue to function. Disadvantage - requires an outlet to which the system will be connected. It costs from 3 thousand rubles per set

Do you know?

... that tradescantia, begonia, dracaena easily tolerate a temporary lack of moisture (up to 7 days)

...that aloe, agave, euphorbia comb tolerate temporary "droughts" well and love sunlight, so it is better to leave them in a room on the windowsill, after watering well.

... that palm trees and ficuses that live on the balcony are better to bring into the room during the holidays. They are also unpretentious to moisture, but they can get sick in three weeks of your absence.

Taken from: http://jenskiymir.com/blog/43655947575/Kak-sohranit-komnatnyie-tsvetyi,-uezzhaya-v-otpusk!?utm_campaign=transit&utm_source=main&utm_medium=page_1&pad=1

Indoor flowers are beauty and comfort in the house, as well as fresh air enriched with oxygen. However, they require systematic care and proper watering otherwise they may die. This problem becomes especially relevant when you need a long absence, when you need to leave for a vacation or weekend.

It is good when there are relatives or close friends who could be trusted with watering flowers during the holidays. But in the summer they can also go on vacation. In order to save plants, it is better to familiarize yourself in advance with the options for self-watering systems and how to use improvised materials.

Plant preparation

A long break in the care and watering of plants is stressful, so you should prepare them for it in advance, make sure that there are no problems.

• In the light, metabolic processes are more active in plants, so they consume more moisture. To slow down metabolic reactions in plant cells, it is necessary to provide them with a more shady shelter - draw the curtains more tightly and remove the pots from the windowsill.
• The soil under the plants should be well moistened, then wrap the pots with wet paper, and on top of it with plastic wrap.
• Small flowers for the holidays can be covered with glass or transparent plastic tank, but loosely - air must flow from below for their breathing. Evaporating moisture, condensing on the walls of the hood, will flow back.
• Remove large buds from flowers that require more moisture, as well as dried leaves.
• If there are diseased plants, they should be treated with preparations a few days before departure.
• Ten days before the holiday, stop feeding.
• Eliminate drafts in the room where the plants are located.
• If the pots are standing in water, it is better to place coasters under them so that the roots cannot freeze.
• Flowers will feel more comfortable in earthenware than in plastic.

Remote watering methods

How to water the flowers during the holidays so that they do not dry out and disappear from an excess of moisture? Travelers should take into account the following facts.

• Plants in ceramic pots can be left for up to seven days or a little more using easy way: having sufficiently moistened the soil in the pot, it is necessary to wrap it with a thick layer of wet moss. In its absence, you need to put the clay pot in a more spacious plastic container, and between them pour a layer of expanded clay and moisten it well with water.
• Plastic pots with moisture-loving plants should preferably be left in trays filled with water to a third of the height of the pot. From above, the substrate must be covered with wet moss or expanded clay.

• well, water all the pots with excess before leaving them at home;
• then you need to leave them in the pan for a while so that the glass has excess moisture;
• collect all the flowers in the back of the room, as compactly as possible;
• put pots with moisture-loving plants in the middle, surrounding them with more hardy ones;
• arrange around as many containers as possible with large quantity water - evaporating, it will be absorbed by green leaves.

• cover the stand with waterproof oilcloth or film;
• put a soft, damp cloth on top of it - an old blanket, thick batting will do;
• lower one edge of the fabric into a large container of water;
• place pre-watered pots on the blanket;
• flowers will absorb moisture from wet tissue thanks to drainage holes.

Wick watering

• You can organize continuous watering of indoor flowers during the holidays using a woolen twine wick. One of its ends should be put in a pot with a flower, lightly sprinkled with soil, and the other should be lowered into a container located above the pot and filled with water. This irrigation option is very convenient, but you need to correctly calculate the number of wicks depending on the size of the plant.
• The wick method is often used for watering smaller flowers such as violets. But he requires transplanting them into a dish with a cord laid at the bottom. The pot itself is installed on a jar of water, the second end of the cord is lowered into it. Water, rising along the cord, provides soil moisture.

• Since it is very convenient to water flowers with the help of devices that provide uniform drip access of water, thin tubes are often used for this purpose, for example, pharmacy droppers without tips. If there are a lot of pots, you need to tie the same number of droppers. Next, you need to tie a sinker to them and lower them into a large bucket of water. Put it on an elevated place, and place pots around, in each of which fix the second end of the tube. If you properly adjust the flow of water, you get an excellent self-watering system that helps out during departures.

• One of the most simple options drip irrigation is a plastic bottle:
• make small holes in it from two ends;
• fix it upside down in a flower pot or above it;
• adjust the flow of water by changing the size of the hole so that indoor flowers do not dry out.

The main thing is to choose optimal size bottles for each plant. Due to its low cost and availability, this method is also widely used in gardens and orchards.

Use of hydrogels

• There are special polymers that have the unique ability to absorb large volumes of water and then gradually lose it. Their soft granules are added to the substrate for indoor plants, so the pots do not need to be watered often. If you transplant the plants into such soil and water well before leaving, they will be provided with enough water and will not dry out.
• Colored balls of Chinese hydrogel can be filled with water for several hours. The swollen granules must be mixed with top layer substrate, and top with moistened moss.

Automatic irrigation systems

Today there is big choice systems for automatic watering of plants. While on vacation, they can be trusted with flowers without fear that they will dry out.

The simplest of them and the cheapest consists of two parts. A ceramic cone with porous walls is installed in the ground and filled with water. It slowly hydrates the soil. With the help of a thin tube, water is supplied to it as it is spent. The system is extremely easy to use and reliable.

More complex devices have approximately the same mechanism of action and differ in price and time period during which watering is carried out. Basically, they consist of the following elements:

• a capacious container for water and tubes through which it will be supplied to the plants;
• special (not clogged with soil) tips made of porous material;
• timer for automatic irrigation control;
• a regulator that determines the flow of water;
• a sensor that measures soil moisture;
• pump for pumping water.

If you know how to organize watering during the holidays, you can safely go on vacation and not worry about the flowers temporarily left at home. However, the chosen method must be tested and adjusted in advance to be sure of its reliability.

If your vacation is a joy, then for indoor plants this is a serious test.

Before leaving, try to make sure that they get through the parting painlessly and meet you green and blooming.

The most serious problem that the flowers will experience during your vacation is the lack of water. You can solve it by buying special devices. The simplest is powered by a Krona battery and has a reservoir for irrigation. This should be enough for 2-3 weeks. If you don’t need additional expenses before your vacation, you can do without store equipment.

Eight tips on how to prepare plants for prolonged loneliness.

1 Remove the flowers from the windowsill or close the curtains more tightly. The less light, the slower the life processes in plants, which means they will need less moisture.

2 Water the soil well so that it is saturated with water. The pot can be wrapped with a damp newspaper, and on top also with cellophane. This will reduce moisture loss.

3 Small plants should be covered with plastic or glass caps, bottles, but so that their edges do not extend beyond the pot and let air through from below. Evaporating water will condense on the walls and drain back into the ground.

4 You can place a clay pot in a larger plastic one, and fill the space between the walls of the pots with expanded clay, abundantly moistened with water.

5 Take plastic bottle, fill with water for irrigation and pierce the cork with an awl heated over a fire or a thin knitting needle. The same hole must be made at the bottom of the bottle. Then put it in a pot with the neck down, deepening it into the ground by 2-3 cm. Water, flowing out drop by drop, will moisten the soil for a long time. But such "bottle" watering requires a preliminary check. The holes may be too large, and then the soil will be waterlogged. Or, conversely, the water will flow out too slowly. The best hole size can only be determined by trial and error.

6 You can collect the pots in a basin and put in the bathroom. Plants long time will remain fresh if the bottom of the basin is covered with a well-absorbent pad (felt, rug), and then several layers of newspapers are placed. Open the faucet so that water flows out of it drop by drop. Just do not forget to leave the drain open, otherwise the neighbors will not be flooded for long. However, this method is not suitable for flowers that can not do without sunlight for a long time.

7 Effectively moistens the soil and such " plumbing system": a woolen thread or bandage is dropped from one end into the ground in a pot, and the other end is lowered into a container of water, which should be located above the pot. You can also use wicks from any fabric that conducts water well. It is only important to consider the size of the pot. For a small one, it is enough one connecting "pipe", and for plants located in larger containers, several threads or wicks will be required.If the plant is not afraid of waterlogging, you can use this method of watering to place the pot in plastic bag and tape it over the top.

8 For plants that are grown in pots with good drainage holes in the bottoms, the following method can be used. Lay an oilcloth on the table (so as not to spoil the furniture), on it - a wide strip of any dense, well-moistened fabric (cloth, felt, gabardine rug, old baby blanket). Place pots with already watered plants on the fabric. The end of the cloth should hang off the table and drop into a large container of water placed just below the plants, such as on a high chair. In this case, the fabric lying on the table will not dry for a long time, and the plants will receive water through the drainage holes of the pot.

Remember that all these methods are designed for a maximum of three to four weeks of your absence. If you have to leave for a longer period, then you can’t do without complex store-bought automatic watering systems. However, they can be successfully replaced by neighbors or relatives.

5-7 days before departure, carefully check if the plants are affected by pests and diseases. Remove from the plant all dried and disease-damaged shoots and leaves, as well as large buds and flowers. Treat diseased plants with the appropriate preparations.

It is better to cut off too large leaves.

Plants should be placed in a lit place, but not in the sun.

Close both doors and windows so that there are no drafts in the room where the plants will remain.

2-3 weeks before departure, stop all types of top dressing.

If you leave the plants in a tray of water, place the flower pots on a raised rock or wooden stand to keep the roots warm.

Flowers in ceramic pots tolerate "separation" better than those that live in plastic containers.

The most unpretentious

Tradescantia, begonia, dracaena easily tolerate a temporary lack of moisture. But in a week they will want to "drink".

Aloe, agave, euphorbia comb tolerate temporary "droughts" well and love sunlight, so it is better to leave them in a room on the windowsill, having previously watered well or provided with drip irrigation.

Palm trees and ficuses that live on the balcony, it is better to bring them into the room during the holidays. And also provide drip (or other) irrigation. Of course, they are also unpretentious to moisture, but they can get sick in three weeks of your absence.