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Moving houseplents?

Gardening Reference » Gardening in 2005
by QuincyKel on July 09, 2005 12:40 AM
Hello everyone...
I am moving soon, and I have quite a few plants that have been in their same, sunny location for over a year, and I was wondering what the best way to get them to the new place was. I don't want them to go into shock or something because of the lighting change; they have been in southern facing sunroom with lots of windows and now I am moving to an apartment that doesnt have as many windows to hold my plants, and I don't know which way it faces. [dunno] In addition, are there special precautions that I need to take when transporting them in this hot summer weather??? (I tries to search the forum, but I couldn't find anything...I may not have typed the right words...)
Thanks a lot!!!
by RugbyHukr on July 09, 2005 01:25 AM
It depends on how far you are moving. If it across town, just put them in an air conditioned car. Preferably at night. Or when there is little sun.

Last August, I moved from northern West Virginia to southern California. I chose the plants that I thought could survive the journey, and brought them. The rest I, sadly, gave to friends that had a love of plants.

I brought dracaenas, anthurium, and a rare type of aglaonema. I gave away pothos, peperomias, ficus elastica, crotons, and (saddest of all) my 20 foot long syngomium vine.

The ones that I left behind were due to heat tolerance, mostly. I could not bare the thought of my 20 foot syngomium perishing during a cross country drive. The last 1/2 through desert.

I put them in the back of my SUV with tinted windows to protect from the sun. You may need those "baby shades". Each night, I took them into the hotel & watered + misted them. After 4 days in a car, they were droopy, but survived. The worst was my aglaonema. It struggled for months & then died. It was the wrong type of plant for the trip. But, I hoped to keep it, as I have never seen another of its' type.

Do your best to keep them shaded. Water thembefore the trip & at night during the trip.

Good luck!!!

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by QuincyKel on July 09, 2005 02:08 AM
OK, well that sounds good...sorry to hear about your aglaonema. I am only moving across town, so it would be better to do it at night or in the evening then? What about air conditioning, do I need it or not? Thanks!
by Nako on July 09, 2005 07:38 PM
*thinks* I transport my plants to college whenever. Just make sure it doesn't get too hot or too cold in the car. DON'T leave them in the car if its sunny out >.o you don't want them to dry out and wilt or anything >.< But ya, make sure you get em into ur new place quickly i guess. Just try to give them the sunniest location possible when positioning them. I donno if they'll all survive with a suddin loss of light though. I know when i brought my plants home for winter vacation, i ended up losing three or four >.< But that's because of crappy winter lighting in places in my house where normally there'd be lotsa light in the summer.

~Phoebe

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by Will Creed on July 10, 2005 09:36 AM
Phoebe's advice is good, as usual. I would add that it helps to prune back plants sharply if they are moved to lower light levels. That will help them make the transition.

Your biggest problem in moving them across town is keeping them stable and secure so they don't get knocked lose from their pots or so stems don't get snapped off.

Good luck with your move and your new home!
by QuincyKel on July 12, 2005 12:42 AM
Thanks guys! Wish me luck!

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