You’ve lovingly nurtured, cared and invested money into them, so it’s no wonder many people find it hard to say goodbye to their plants when it’s time to move house.
With Grace, you don’t have to say goodbye to your plants. Relocating your plants on a local move is a routine matter and normally presents few difficulties. However, when it comes to long distance moves, things can get a little tricky so it’s important to be prepared.
Long distance moves are not conducive to the health and well-being of plants. There are also varying quarantine regulations if you’re moving overseas so it is vital you obtain the relevant approval from the appropriate department (your Grace consultant can advise you who to contact). Even with approval, you need to consider which plants you are going to move. As New Zealand is such a diverse nation, it’s a good idea to think about the soil type and the climate in your new garden, as the growing conditions may affect which plants you decide to bring.
If you have concerns that a particular plant may not survive the move or thrive in its new home, or you wan’t to leave the plants for the new owners, a good option is to take cuttings with you instead of the whole plant.
That being said, with a little preparation, many of your plants have a good chance to not only survive the move but thrive in their new environment. Give your plants the best chance with these tips:
- Prune back any excess foliage where possible.
- Tie/bind together any branches that overhang their respective bases. This will minimise the chance of ‘snapping’ when travelling.
- For the transportation of large plants/trees that are potted in ceramic terracotta pots, it is strongly recommended that plants be removed and bound with hessian/plastic, ensuring roots are protected. This will allow for the separate packing and therefore safer transportation of the pots.
- Give plants a good soaking with water at least two days prior to the move day to ensure adequate drainage time.
- Where possible, smaller/hanging plants should be packed into boxes prior to removal. This ensures ease of handling and best possible protection. Larger plants will be handled by our removal crews on the day of move.
- Transfer plants to be moved into a designated area to avoid risk of being overlooked on day of uplift.
- Treat plants for pests and disease.
- Wet, scrunched up newspaper around the leaves will help if high temperatures will be an issue.
- Dig up garden plants (those not in pots) on the day of the move to ensure the greatest success in relocation.
Don’t forget that when your plants arrive at your new home you need to make sure you remove the plastic immediately, take them out of their boxes and give them some water and plant food.
If you have transplanted them into plastic containers and you want to put them back into their original pots, make sure you wait a week before doing this. Seek advice from your local nursery if your plants are struggling in their new environment.
