Why You Need to Hire a Plant Sitter
We’re well into the part of winter when the daydreams start, and we’re all thinking about sunny beaches or southern mountain towns. If you’re planning a spring break trip, you probably have all the essentials down. Book your travel, plan what you’ll pack, put together the perfect road trip or airport playlist… and find a plant sitter. Yeah, we didn’t know that was a thing, either.
It’s totally a thing, and if you’ve got plants at home, it’s a thing you need to think about! We’ve found examples of plant hotels (think doggy day care but just for plants!) and services like House Sitter that let you filter results in your area for plant watering, mail collection, and more. We’ve even seen examples of what not to do.
Luckily, we’ve got some tips for you to find a quality sitter for your leafy friends while you’re on vacation.
Find a Sitter: You can usually find someone to stop by and water your plants if you use a pet-sitting service. Or you can just ask your sister to stop by while you’re out of town. Either way, try to line up your sitter well in advance of your trip to check this off your list.
Leave a Detailed List: Err on the side of leaving too much info for your plant-sitter, so there are fewer questions and surprises on their part. Send them a link to our Care Instructions so they know what’s up. You can also make a list of your plants and which room of the house they’re in, so your sitter doesn’t miss any.
Make it Easy: If you have a watering can, leave it full on the kitchen counter so it’s ready to go the first time your sitter drops by! Also, make sure the sink is empty and clean so there’s nothing in the way the next time your sitter needs to fill up.
Drop Off: If your sitter is willing, consider dropping the plants off at their place to make things easier. Try to find a location in their home with similar lighting to your plants’ location in your own home so they aren’t too shocked by the change of scenery.
Return the Favor: If a buddy or family member stops by to give some TLC to your plants, offer to return the favor. And if they don’t have a plant, buy them one as a thank you gift, since they clearly know how to embrace their inner green thumb!
Considering becoming a plant sitter yourself? Here are some tips:
Compare Rates: Do some research on other pet-, house-, or plant-sitting services in your area to see what the going rate is. Figure out a way to differentiate yourself and jump in to find your first gig!
Advertise Your Services: Place ads on online services like Nextdoor or Craigslist for your local area during popular travel times like spring break, the winter holidays, and summer vacation time. You can also sign up on house- and pet-sitting websites and make some extra cash walking dogs when the plant gig is running a little dry.
Leave a Calling Card: When you’ve completed a sitting job, leave a thank you note or gift in your client’s home to let them know everything went well and you look forward to seeing them again.
Safe travels to you and your plants!