Usually in the winter months plants don't need that much water because they don't dry out very quickly.

But, you might have a problem in August when it is hot and your plants need more water.

Make friends with a neighbour.

well I know a few of the neighbouts but the problem is I only have one key... so that's gonna be a bit of a problem if the neighbour isn't in when I get back.

You cauld have a key made. Any hardware store or locksmith should be able to cut a key for you.

One thing you could do is put everthing in the bathtub with towels laying in the bottom of the tub, plants on top of the towels, then turn the water on a very slow drip, so the water wets the towels and wicks through the soil to the plants. Then pull the curtain, close the door, and your plants are in their own sauna for two weeks. You may have to throw the towels away, so use old towels, but this should keep your plants wonderfully for a few weeks.

Carlisle, think of how you normally water your plants in winter. You probably do not water your plants on a schedule of two weeks or less. So leving them for the 2 weeks you will be away wont be that much different will it.

Just be sure to water the plants as you would normally the day before you leave. Any plant can take two weeks without watering and you are sure the plants have been given sufficient water to last that long.

As for any humidity, just place a container of water --a tray or bowl near the plant so affected.
If you can, bring all the plants together in a group. Each plant then can give to the other humidity. Lower light values at this time will not cause plants to take up much as they will do later. Don't change their light values in any attempt to further slow down their requirements. It isn't necessary. Besides, giving them less light than the low light they currently are receiving wont do the plant any good.

Unfortunately anything involving the bath is a non-starter as there is no window in my bathroom. I have heard about using a bowl of water with a lid and a pair of tights pushed through a hole in the lid and the other end pushed through the drainage holes in the bottom of a pot, so that the water wicks up into the pot.

Has anyone ever tried this... I'm more worried about summer. I don't want to go away having put all my trust in some method I know little about and come back to find it hasn't worked and all my plants are dead.

Not so keen on asking neighbours to do it, I don't feel I know them well enough to impose like that and there is always the risk of my landlord coming round while I am on holiday and discovering I have had a second set of keys cut.

Carlisle

Too late for now but for the future i strongly recommend these self watering containers - They have a 'reservoir' in the base that can take from 1-4 litres of water depending on the pot size and give water to the roots of the plant rather than to the top of the soil which may other systems involve.

Anyway see what you think - i have lots of them and they've made my plant care very easy.

Oh and its a UK based site.

http://www.houseofplants.co.uk/self_watering_plant_pots.htm

Here is a link that might be useful: self watering pots

interesting. I think I've seen something similar at my local garden centre. It's a bit expensive though, I wouldn't be able to get one for every plant, but I'm sure there is some way I can adapt the idea... I might see if I can knock up a wick waterer for when i go away this week put a more demanding plant on it and see how it goes. If it works I'll make more for summer.

The instructions in 'The House Plant Expert' (D.G. Hessayon) say to use an old pair of tights... does anyone know of anything else easily obtainable that will have that kind of wick effect?

I've found an irrigation system in Wilkinson's... basically it's a long tube into which you can insert little things that drip water, and you attach the other end to a dripping tap and put all your plants in the middle of the room with a drip waterer each. I haven't the time to test it out with this holiday, also I don't want it's first run out to be when I'm away from home... so I've given my plants a good water and feed... topped up all the pebble trays and fingers crossed, they'll still be alive when I return.