moving plants across the state

10 years ago

so I am moving from melbourne FL to tampa to go back to school for a degree that I might enjoy more (industrial engineering instead of civil engineering).

I am thrilled to have found a condo for rent with a backyard (not a balcony, a backyard!) that gets plenty of sun. as such my worries about not replanting in bigger pots for space considerations are no longer valid, which is awesome. but that's not the point of this thread.

have you ever had to move your plants to a new house? how did you do it? did it work out well for you? do you know of any horror stories to tell me?

I'm getting a moving van, so thankfully I don't have to drive 120 miles with them in the back of a pickup truck, but I imagine there has to be a 'proper' way to do it, and I wanna learn about it.

thanks!

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Comments (14)

PepperGuy222
10 years ago
Hey there,

When my plants were young, for the past two seasons, I would drive them to and from BGSU to Cleveland Ohio which is a 2 hour trip. It's not long but I did this 2-3 times a month in the summer because the weather was totally different in each area so it benefitted my plants.

During the move, I packed them tightly together in boxes that are taller than the pots they are in for maximum stability. Also, I put boxes next to each other for added stability I didn't lay them on seats either.

Two hours wasn't long but for long trips I think a spray with a bottle of water on the leaves would help keep them hydrated. You should have no problems.

A story? Haha I once had a ford ranger and didn't want to put my plants in the bed of the truck. So, haha, I decided to jam all my plants in the cab, it looked like I opened an almond joy in my truck, I got so many looks but it was worth it because BG had tornado warnings and severe hail that weekend which would've destroyed my plants.

You'll be okay, enjoy the nice, hot weather!

Steve
habjolokia z 6b/7
10 years ago
I just moved from MD to PA, I threw them in the back of the UHaul and made sure it was semi stable with stuff around it and my neighbor threw the other one in and I was not sure how he placed it. They were fine. The final plant was put in the car and did well. This was all evening travel so not sure how they would have done in the heat of the day in an enclosed space. I am sure you will fine.

Mark
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judo_and_peppers
Original Author
10 years ago
OK, so far this doesn't sound too hard. I'll just make sure they're the last things in the truck, and the first things out of it.

priorities like that oughta drive my wife insane, but she's come to realize I'm a chilihead now, so she's given up on using logic with me.

I cannot say enough how happy I am to have found a condo with a back yard. I'm not gonna lie, we were looking at 2 different places, one with a balcony and a great lake view, and the one with the back yard. it was the back yard that made me make the final decision.

so what if it's $50 more every month?

there will of course be pictures posted of the final setup, but that's still a month away.

apparently it rarely rains in tampa, you should see how bad the grass is pretty much everywhere there. so overwatering will no longer be a concern to me.
abnorm
10 years ago
It's a different grow zone also....many microclimates with the Gulf and Bay
jifjifjif
10 years ago
Judo, remember, we on the GardenWeb try to be as helpful as we can, so if you have trouble fitting all of your plants in the moving van, feel free to drop off a bunch of healthy plants at my house in Melbourne before you make the trip cross-state. :)

J/K. Glad you found a place with a great yard. That's awesome!
judo_and_peppers
Original Author
10 years ago
abnorm, can you give me a bit more information about this? what is different, and what should I do differently?

jif, I appreciate the offer, but I've already promised to give one to my buddy up the street who isn't doing too well with his own. not sure how I feel about giving plants to someone who has failed miserably with his own, but I'm only giving him one, and technically he's the one who gave it to me initially.
abnorm
10 years ago
Location...Location....Location.....

Where are you landing ?....how close to the water ?

Some of Tampa is Zone 10.....with local MicroClimates due to the waters influence......

Come visit the Florida forum and ask about your location .....we've got folks with great gardens in your New neck-o-the-woods

Here is a link that might be useful: GW Florida forum
abnorm
10 years ago
Location...Location....Location.....

Where are you landing ?....how close to the water ?

Some of Tampa is Zone 10.....with local MicroClimates due to the waters influence......

Come visit the Florida forum and ask about your location .....we've got folks with great gardens in your New neck-o-the-woods

Here is a link that might be useful: GW Florida forum
judo_and_peppers
Original Author
10 years ago
I've spent a bit of time on that subforum as well.

I am moving about 1/4mile west of USF (in a surprisingly good neighborhood, given the 'mixed' nature of the area)
rodnebridges
10 years ago
Please clarify what you mean by "mixed".
judo_and_peppers
Original Author
10 years ago
I mean there are some neighborhoods where I feel safe leaving my wife home alone, and others that I don't feel quite so safe doing that in.

because of the way tampa is laid out, these areas are often very near to each other. hence the use of the word 'mixed'.

my apologies if I offended anyone. that was most certainly not the intention.
sunnibel7 Md 7
10 years ago
Judo, plants are shipped to garden centers all the time, so no worries. They are usually in enclosed tractor trailers with no AC. Pretty much pack them so they stay upright and nothing crushes them and water them well beforehand. Cheers!
jifjifjif
10 years ago
Safe travels, bro.
greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
10 years ago
Yep, they ought to be fine if you follow everyone's advice.
When they get to their destination, I'd put them in the shade until the following morning. Whenever I bring a plant to a new location, I set it on the northside of my house (or other structure) to adjust. Maybe over-cautious, but it's something I do out of habit.

Josh

moving plants across the state

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habjolokia z 6b/7

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