Memorial Day Weekend, I am taking a 4-day trip with family. My plants in 5-1-1 outdoors in larger (1 gal or greater) should be fine for 4 days if I water right before I go from what I've seen so far.

However, I also have some seedlings outside in 32-cell Rootmaker trays - they are root pruning cells about 2 X 2 inches, about the size (or a tad larger) than what veggie transplants are normally sold in.

These have a modified 5-1-1 in them (I screened the bark a bit finer - to 1/4") and need water about every 36-48 hours or so - they do a great job but dry out FAST.

I know this for a fact as I lost my first few seedlings in early April between going to work at 8:30 AM (when the surface was still slightly moist) and coming home in the early evening (around 6) on a sunny 72 degree day.

Short of asking a friend to come water them (which is a lot to ask on Memorial Day Weekend), what can I do? Unless it rains (never can count on that), they'll almost certainly die by the time I get back. They're already in shade most of the day (they get about 2 hrs/sun) so more shade probably won't help enough to make a difference.

My random thoughts:

1. Get a soaker hose and timer - not sure how well the soaker hose will wet a 5-1-1- type mix (not sure it will wick through the whole thing or just wet the area directly under the house).

2. Get spray stakes and a timer.

3. Just ask a friend and pay them a few bucks for the inconvenience.