Tips for Maintaining Your Tower Garden While You’re Away This Holiday Season

It’s that time of year! Winter weather has arrived, and the holidays are around the corner, which, for a lot of us, may mean traveling to see friends and family. Traveling can be hectic no matter what time of year it is, but the holiday season seems especially frenzied. To top that off, you might be wondering how your Tower Garden, which you have lovingly tended to and harvested, will withstand some alone time while you’re away.

A lot can go awry with a garden that’s left unattended for long periods of time. Crops can overgrow, plants can become ill or die, pests may flourish, or unexpected bad weather can ruin the garden altogether. Well, we have good news! There are many tips, tricks, and techniques you can implement to allow you to ‘hit the road’ with reassurance that your plants will flourish. The short answer: plan ahead! For things to run smoothly, you’ll need to consider what crops you’re currently growing and what proactive measures to take before you leave. Here are a few tips:

Tip #1: Keep Your Garden Limited to Low Maintenance Crops

If you’re a frequent traveler, plants that flourish on their own with little attention are your best bet. Herbs like rosemary, lavender, and parsley are especially low maintenance plants. Plus, if you’re growing indoors, you’ll come home to some delicious smells! As far as lettuce and tender greens go, Swiss chard and kale are some reliable options.

Tip #2: Have a Garden That Doesn’t Need Constant Watering — i.e., Tower Garden!

This tip is extra easy, because Tower Garden is already less reliant on water. In fact, it requires as little as 2% of the water traditional growing methods do, and depending on the climate for an outdoor garden, you can typically go 10 days or more without adding water to your unit. Whether indoors or out, just make sure you top the water reservoir off before you leave town. Worried about drastic change in temperature while you’re out? Consider wrapping your garden in a weather protection blanket.

Tip #3: Give Things a Thorough Checkup

It’s important to make sure your plants are in tip-top shape before you leave town if you want to avoid coming home to problems later. This means pruning your plants, as well as looking for any early signs of trouble from pests. If you find something of concern, be sure to take care of the issue ahead of time.

Tip #4: Harvest as Much as Possible

An abundant garden is wonderful, but an overabundant garden could mean trouble! Pick all of your ripe and soon-to-be ripe produce to keep your crops healthy, as well as preventing rot and disease. If you’re lucky enough to live in a warm winter climate and are growing outdoors, be sure to harvest any squash or cucumbers to avoid coming home to gargantuan-size crops! If you’re traveling on the road, take your harvest along to use for those delicious holiday dishes!

Tip #5: Find a Garden Sitter

If you’ll be away for more than 10 days, or if the thought of leaving your budding plants alone is too stressful, consider hiring someone to stop in and tend to things. They can fill the reservoir as needed, monitor for any problems, and, of course, harvest anything that’s ready.

Happy travels this season! We hope you enjoy time with friends, family, and fresh food!