As I’m daydreaming about rainforests and sandy beaches, cocktails and seafood, while hopping from holiday articles to booking websites, my own flora and fauna at home is in need of an equally thorough plan.

First on my list is my adorable cat, fully taking advantage of the right to roam, and occasionally enjoying my plant room. I believe Spot is actually going to enjoy being home alone and in need of a bit of time without being chased for cuddles.

Next on my list are my plants, a bit less independent, but with the will to survive without a plant sitter, as it is easier to put protocols in place than teach someone the quirkiness of each plant.

Last year I went away for two weeks in August and returned home to almost the same jungle I left behind, so I learned a thing or two about it, with the power vested in me by checklists.

However, there isn’t one strategy that applies blindly over any type of collection, but I have a few tips and a general checklist prepared.

First of all, it helps a lot to test any strategy before boarding for a sunny adventure. Leaving the greenery behind for two weeks? Check two weeks ahead to see if they’ll survive with your protocols in place without being touched. This way you can see which ones would be perfectly fine and which ones would need extra attention.

Of course, soaking moss poles, topping up self-watering pots and watering vigorously mature plants is the sensible thing to do closest to departure. Smaller pots, that would dry quickest, benefit from a small greenhouse and being packed together.

Not all plants dry at the same pace, especially since they have different substrate needs. Aroids, happy with chunky blends, can get water stored in perlite, coco chips, orchid bark. Succulents store their own water in their juicy leaves. Begonias need special arrangements, like being grouped together and away from any rays of sun. Tradescantias are forgiving with a dry spell.

Alocasias, big fans of drama, absolutely cannot take a bit of a dry spell. My only workaround is the leca and moss combination, which will keep them happy in this self-watering setup. My calatheas (the ones that made it) are in aroid blends and this will keep them going, with the same treatment as aroids.

I moved my hoyas into the conservatory this summer, and although they grow faster kissed by the sun, they also dry faster. Moving them into the shade will keep them from drying completely.

One last thing: keeping the plants together in a room, away from the sun and with a humidifier and ventilation, while potted in the right substrate for their needs, is one of the best strategies. At the opposite end is to leave the pots in water, hoping they’ll have enough for your holiday. Most likely, you’ll return to root rot and a fungus gnat infestation.

Last year I worried about finding dead plants, and I was surprised by how much many of them grew, without me hovering over them every day.