You really don't want the soil to retain too much water if your goal is to extend periods between watering for when you go away. What you want is some kind of self-watering system, the simplest of which would be some kind of wicking system.

There are two schools of thought on the product's efficacy. One is that since it holds more water it must be a good thing. The other is that since it holds water much more tightly at reduced tensions (when the soil is getting dry) it becomes a considerable disadvantage as the soil passes the point where it's moisture retention is low enough that you normally would have watered.

Al

So what is your advice Al on how to deal with extended absence?

Enlist a helper. ;-)

Al

I guess, that would be the ultimate self watering system, LOL, at least if you got a gardener to do it.

In my experience though helpers that are willing to do it, can cause more problems then if you let the plant starve ;)

Wicking systems aren't perfect either, but less likely to fail then mechanical or electrical systems. I'd sure like to know a better method if there is one out there.

Here's a solution I have used in the past for vacations, etc. It requires that you can reach the plants with a garden hose. I set mine up on the deck. I'll set a sprinkler timer to water, say 10 min per day early in the morning. Then hook the hose up to a chain of small garden sprayer type sprinklers, and arrange the plants around them. Test it a couple of times to make sure that all the plants are covered by the spray, and that your "on" cycle provides an appropriate amount of water. Downsides: first, it's one size fits all. I'll set the plants that require less water further from the sprinklers, but for the most part, they will all receive the same amount of water. Once it's set up and you're not there, you have no control - even if it rains all week, your sprinklers will still go off. But that being said, you've got a functional system that waters as per your specifications, and you don't have to rely on a "helper" not to forget.

That could work maple, but I am always concerned about leaving automated watering systems unattended with pressurized water. If it fails, or a hose burst or whatever, you could have several days of potential flooding without knowing about it. That's why I prefer a more passive system that uses a reservoir that has a limited capacity, then hooking to a hose that's at well or city water pressure.

In fact, If I am away on vacation, I usually shut off my well pump and take the pressure off my lines to avoid a water surprise while I am away.

An alternative could be a drip system that uses a rainbarrel as a reservoir, but that could be an expensive solution.

You've all given me a lot to think about! I so appreciate the input. This is so fun, but scary and new too. Thank you, guys. :D