You Be The Judge: Should My Roommate Water My Plants While I'm Away?

The charge: Shaneel

It's the height of laziness for Zubir to walk past my plants every day and watch them wither

< p class="dcr- 3jlghf">My roommate, Zubir, is a bit lazy. We've been sharing an apartment for two years and every time I leave my plants are almost dead by the time I get back. It's happened three times now, and it's broken.

I love plants and I have them all over the house. In the living room there is a giant peace lily, several succulents and a hanging plant. I have medium sized palms elsewhere and two large fiddle leaf fig trees in my room. Figs, peace lilies and palms should be watered weekly, while the hanging plant should be watered several times a week in the summer. I also spray the leaves with water so they don't dry out.

The first time Zubir took care of my plants was when I left with my girlfriend for three weeks. I have written tips on how to water each plant. I expected them to all look pretty much the same when I got back, but I was surprised at how well worn they were. The palm leaves were crispy at the tips and the white flowers of the peace lily were dead. When I challenged Zubir, he claimed to have watered the plants "here and there", but he said he wasn't really responsible for it because he had other things to do.

The other times I've gone the plants didn't look so bad, but they were still neglected. I could tell that Zubir hadn't sprayed the leaves. The soil in the pots was also very dry. When I asked Zubir why he didn't take better care of the plants, he denied neglecting them, but also said I would have to hire someone to come and do the watering if I was so worried.

I don't think it takes that much effort to water seven or eight plants twice a week, and I wouldn't pay for it. It's the height of laziness to walk past them every day and watch them wither.

These may be my plants, but Zubir better have them. have in our apartment. They look amazing, brighten up our space and are great for our health. I think he should take some responsibility for their care. We're good friends as well as roommates, so I'll be upset if the next time I leave he lets them dry out again.

Defence: Zubin

These are Shaneel's plants, not mine. When he's away, watering them comes to mind

I like having Shaneel's plants in our apartment: they look cool and are good for the atmosphere. But I told him they weren't my responsibility when he went away for weeks.

When he went on vacation with his girlfriend for three weeks, I did my best to keep them alive. During the first week, I watered each one and followed their instructions conscientiously, but the third week I was really busy and had a lot of work to do. I work in finance and I usually go to the office. When I have a long day and come home late, the only thing I want to do is eat and collapse in bed.

Shaneel exaggerates when he says the plants looked terrible when he got back. He went on vacation at the height of summer and the plants were already beginning to suffer. A couple is high-maintenance, and any deviation from routine seems to ruin them - the peace lily wilts quickly. I tried to keep an eye on that one as much as possible, because I know it's his favorite.

Before he goes there next time I told him right away that I couldn't be responsible for all the plants. He said, "Just do your best." Then when he came back he decided my best wasn't good enough and got mad at me. But I had already given him my disclaimer and he chose to take the risk anyway. I can't really do more than that, can I?

I disagree with his comment that I'm lazy. It's quite the opposite - I'm busy and out of the apartment most of the time. When I'm around I do my best to remember, but if I'm not around there's not much I can do.

I can't promise to be as caring for the plants as Shaneel is because they are not mine. They mean a lot more to him than to me because he's had them for years. When he's away, watering them comes to mind. I have my own life. I can't be counted on to water them to his exact specifications. Shaneel should consider asking someone else to come take care of them. In this way, he can guarantee that the plants will stay alive and that we can preserve our friendship.

The...