How to Hire a Plant Sitter for Vacation
Do You Need A Plant Sitter?
Did you have a new year's resolution to travel more? Whether you're jet setting on a vacation around the world or traveling more for work this year, you might need someone to stop by and take care of your plants while you’re gone.
Many house and pet sitting services will throw in plant care on top of walking the dog, scooping the litter box, and grabbing your mail, but if you don’t routinely use a pet service you might not have a good lead on someone who can take care of this for you. While we can’t guarantee a stress-free trip, our tips and tricks can help you de-stress when it comes to taking care of your leafy friends at home.
How to Find a Plant Sitter
The easiest option is to ask someone close by if they can drop in for you. A friend, relative, or significant other can easily swing by and check on the plants. But if you don’t have anyone local (or your brother has a forgetful streak), we get it. Check out a pet sitting or house sitting service that lets you filter for plant care, like House Sitter.
Try to book your plant sitter early enough that you’re not panicking and doing it at the last minute. Nobody needs that stress.
If your friend or sitter is willing, you could even take your plants to their house for the duration of your trip, but be sure they’ll have similar lighting to avoid shocking them with a change. If your plants tend to get upset when you move them around, don’t do this.
Truthfully, this won't be needed for most houseplants unless you plan to be gone longer than a week. Most plants will be fine if you water them before you go and as soon as you return.
Be Prepared
Leave your home in good condition for your plant sitter to easily and quickly handle their tasks. Leave a list of plants and how much water they need (including ice watering instructions for Max’s plants, or special tips for Miles’ succulents and foliage).
You can even make a list of where all the plants are located in the house, so none of them are left un-watered. Leave a watering can or measuring cup out in plain sight so your sitter doesn’t have to go looking for something to use.
Do Some Sitting Yourself
If you’re confident in your plant care abilities, why not advertise your services and become your area’s best known plant sitter? Make some business cards or flyers and ask if you can leave them in the floral areas of local grocery stores, farmer’s markets, or even bookstores. Sign up for a house or pet sitting app to expand your side hustle.
Safe Travels!
Whether you need a plant sitter or not, we hope your next trip is great! Let us know if you’ve ever considered hiring a plant sitter before.