The prosecution: Shaneel It’s the height of laziness for Zubir to walk past my plants every day and watch them wilt My housemate, Zubir, is a bit lazy. We have shared a flat for the past two years and whenever I go away, my plants are almost dead by the time I come back. It’s happened three times now, and it’s out of order. I love plants and keep them all over the house. In the living room there’s a giant peace lily, several succulents and a hanging plant. I have medium-sized palms elsewhere and two big fiddle-leaf figs in my room. The figs, peace lily and palms need to be watered weekly, while the hanging plant has to be watered a few times a week in summer. I also spray the leaves with water so they don’t dry out. The first time Zubir looked after my plants was when I went away with my girlfriend for three weeks. I wrote down advice on how to water each plant. I expected them all to look pretty much the same when I came back but was taken aback by how worse for wear they were. The leaves of the palms were crispy at the ends, and the white flowers on the peace lily had died. When I challenged Zubir, he claimed to have watered the plants “here and there”, but said he wasn’t really responsible for them as he had other things to do. The other times I went away the plants didn’t look as bad, but they were still neglected. I could tell Zubir hadn’t been spraying the leaves. The soil in the pots was also really dry. When I asked Zubir why he hadn’t taken better care of the plants, he denied neglecting them, but also said I should hire someone to come in to do the watering if I was that concerned. 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 wilt. They might be my plants, but Zubir benefits from having them in our flat. They look amazing, brighten up our space and are great for our health. I think he should take some responsibility for their care. We are good friends as well as housemates, so I’ll be upset if, next time I go away, he lets them dry out again. The defence: Zubir They’re Shaneel’s plants, not mine. When he’s away, watering them just slips my mind I like having Shaneel’s plants around our flat: they look cool and are good for the atmosphere. But I’ve told him they aren’t my responsibility when he takes off for weeks at a time. When he went on holiday with his girlfriend for three weeks, I did try my best to keep them alive. During the first week I watered each one and dutifully followed his instructions, but by the third week I was really quite busy and had a lot on at work. I work in finance and usually go into the office. When I have a long day and get home late, the only thing I want to do is eat and then collapse into bed. Shaneel is exaggerating when he says the plants looked terrible on his return. He went on holiday at the height of summer and the plants were already starting to suffer. A couple are quite high maintenance and any deviation from the routine seems to ruin them – the peace lily wilts quickly. I tried to keep an eye on that one as much as I could, as I know it’s his favourite. Before he went away the next time, I told him straight that I couldn’t be responsible for all the plants. He said, “Just do your best.” Then, when he returned, he decided that my best wasn’t good enough and got angry with me. But I had already given him my disclaimer and he still chose to take the risk. I can’t really do any 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 flat most of the time. When I’m around I try my hardest to remember, but if I’m not here, then there’s not much I can do. I can’t promise to be as caring to the plants as Shaneel is because they aren’t mine. They mean a lot more to him than they do to me, as he’s had them for years. When he’s away, watering them just slips my mind. I have my own life. I can’t be relied upon to water them to his exact specifications. Shaneel should consider asking someone else to come in and look after them. That way he can guarantee the plants will stay alive and we can preserve our friendship. The jury of Guardian readers Should Zubir take care of Shaneel’s plants when he goes away? Shaneel is being presumptuous by thrusting responsibility for the welfare of his plants on others, then complaining about the results. Just because Zubir enjoys the plants doesn’t mean he has an obligation to them. Ella, 39 Zubir has been honest with Shaneel in saying he can’t always be responsible for the plants, but Shaneel chooses to leave them in his care anyway. Of course, it would be nice for Zubir to water them if he can, but he shouldn’t be expected to. He isn’t lazy, he just has different priorities. Mali, 23 It’s not unreasonable to be asked to water the plants in a flat you’re living in. Leave big reminder signs everywhere. Though Shaneel could maybe lower his expectations and not expect his plants to be in perfect condition when he returns. Jane, 52 Zubir is guilty. I have several plants in my home and it really isn’t difficult to spend 5-10 minutes watering them a few times a week, despite how busy I might be. As the plants are in a shared space, it is Zubir’s responsibility to look after them when Shaneel is away. I agree with Shaneel – his housemate is lazy! Mustafa, 26 I’m with Zubir – the plants aren’t his responsibility. However, nurturing a living thing is good for the soul. Zubir could think of it as an opportunity to connect with nature. And a peace lily isn’t really that high maintenance … although I did kill mine. Steve, 57 You be the judge So now you can be the judge. In our online poll below, tell us: should Zubir look after the plants to Shaneel’s specifications while he is away? We’ll share the results on next week’s You be the judge.