Q: We'd like to spend a month in Florida this winter, but we can't find a house sitter for the whole time that we'll be gone.

Can we leave house plants well-watered before we go, let them sit for two weeks and water them well when we get back? (We normally water every three to four days to a week for all the plants.) Or should we harden them off by not watering as much for a while before we leave so that they're used to less water? Could we put them in a dark and cool room so that they won't need as much water?

We don't have anything rare or expensive, but we don't our plants to die. There are about 50 in total. Some are in small, 4-inch pots, and some are in 18-inch pots, and all have saucers underneath.

A: I guess that some of the answer will depend on how healthy your plants are now and how healthy you want them to be when you get back.

The vast majority of your plants will do best if you water them well just before you leave. When you return, most of them will look a bit wilted, but they should come back just fine. Some will lose a few leaves, but plants like succulents that have thick, water-filled leaves will do fine.

Don't try to harden them off, as that will just stress them and make them weaker before you go. The healthier and stronger they are, the better able they'll be to make it. A cool room in the 50-degree range will slow them down, so they'll need less water, but a dark room will probably cause them to lose a lot of leaves. Having heavy curtains drawn could do the same.

Plants in small pots will not do as well as the bigger ones because they have so little soil to pull water from. Since they're not easily moved, they can go to the cooler and shadier room.

Normally, we don't want water left standing in a tray under a pot, as the roots can rot. Leaving the saucers full of water just this once could draw out the time necessary between waterings.

There are a variety of watering devices that use a wick to pull water from a bucket or bottle into the saucer or bottom of the flowerpot. You can use them on plants that are too big to move or that are near a heating vent that dries them out too quickly.

Check with your local garden center for a product called, appropriately enough, Vacation. It's a sugar-alcohol-based plant extract that causes the plant to go into a self-induced and temporary state of drought resistance. It contains no toxic chemicals and has no components regulated by either the EPA or the FDA.

Plants treated with Vacation don't need to be watered for up to two weeks. Normal watering will cancel the effects and the plant will need to be watered after that. It can be used on houseplants; outdoor plants; lawns; and vegetables and herbs. It not only works to make a plant more drought-tolerant for a few weeks, but it also helps plants recover from transplant shock. It's safe and non-toxic for people and pets.

An 8-ounce bottle of Vacation costs about $15 and will treat up to 128 6-inch flower plots or a single, cut Christmas tree. Vacation is made in the United States by Natural Industries.

Email questions to Jeff Rugg at [email protected]. To find out more about Jeff Rugg and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.