Last year I shared tips from a master gardener on how to move your plants to a new balcony with as little damage as possible. They were pretty good tips, but required you to move your plants inside an enclosed moving van and not in a car or the bed of a pickup truck. But what if you have to move your beloved plants in a car or pickup?!
(By the way, the comments of that old post are pretty funny in light of the fact that I had to move my plants in a pickup)
If moving your plants in an enclosed moving van isn’t an option, I have some first hand experience I’d like to share.
- Smaller potted plants are easy to move if you pack them tightly into a laundry basket and then seat belt the basket into a spot in the backseat of your car. Use newspaper to make the pots secure if it isn’t possible to place the pots against on another in the laundry basket.
- If you have trees you have to move, pack crumpled newspaper tightly into the pot around the base of the tree, covering all of the dirt. Then use a strip of packing tape on either side of the trunk to secure the newspaper in the pot. If necessary, turn the pot 90 degrees and place another two trips of tape on either side of the trunk.
- If you have to move a tree or larger shrub in the back of a pickup truck, put a large trash bag over the plant and either tie it around the trunk, or tape the bag to the pot. This will help keep the leaves from being ripped off while you’re driving.
- If possible, lay trees and large shrubs down in the back of the truck instead of placing them upright. Make sure to strap the pots down or pack the pots in tightly to prevent the pots from sliding around as you drive.
- If possible, don’t drive a pickup on the freeway/highway. The higher the speed, the worse it is for the leaves that are trying to stay attached to the tree.
The five tips listed above are what I did to move my plants, and they all arrived in good shape. Now I just need to lug them upstairs. If anyone knows how to make that easier, let me know.
Photo credit: ‘Finding Room for Plants’ by leapsters
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I love how the last 4 tips are about moving trees/large shrubs in a pickup. Did they make it safely?
Good ideas! Another one I use when loading plants in the back of my Silverado is when you lay your large tree or shrub down, lay the pot closest to the cab and the top of the tree towards the tailgate. That way if you have to drive on the highway at least the wind will be going with the direction of the branches/limbs/leaves instead of against it. Cuts down on damage!
Congrats with the new place! Can’t wait to see what you’re going to do with the balcony, I’m sure it’s going to look awesome.
Bob–Moving large plants was the hardest. All of my plants made it okay. The rainstorm we had a week or so ago did more damage than the move. Whew!
Jenny–That sounds like a smart way to do things.
Louise–You’ll like tomorrow’s post then.
Funny story for you: 22 years ago when husband and I moved in together, he went to his former house to pick up his stuff. Included were his, what I refer to as, “Bachelor Pad plants”.
He loaded them into his Dad’s little pick-up and boldly headed up 405 to our new place.
Upon arrival, I met him outside as he jumps out to show me what was once a lovely 4ft tall variegated Diffenbachia, shredded into a gazillion little tiny pieces in the back.
We laughed pretty hard and have never forgotten this since!
I used to excel in getting plants in clients cars to get them home from the Plantcentre if they were outside our delivery area, – I found trees taped up like Fern said, in the passenger footwell, with the seat leaned right back get home in the best condition. – The main thing is remembering to water them in the weeks after moving with all the excitment in the house/ appartment
Hope the move went well. I’ll keep these tips in mind for when (if ever) the balcony garden has to move! Enjoy the new place.
Christina–Aww. Too bad for the Diffenbachia!
Claire–That seems like a good way to do it too.
Prue–Thanks!
Hope you have managed to lug all your plants upstairs. Great tips, I did sorta the same thing when we moved down here from the Peace. I had to move everything in a pickup truck It was a 4-5 hour drive. everything survived.
help moving trees up stairs….
cook lots of delicious smelling food and open your windows…preferably mid-afternoon. hungry teenagers should wander by and then you can barter goods for services…