How Should Plants Be Prepared for a House Move?
May 19. 2021
Many of our customers are keen gardeners and have nurtured their gardens for many years, so when it comes to moving house, they understandably often want to take their prize perennials and well-honed herbaceous specimens with them.
Here we’ve put together a few useful points on the logistics of taking plants with you when moving house:
- Consider the garden of the property you’re moving to. Take into account that it may have a different soil type, and the orientation (north-facing/south-facing) and amount of shade, maybe different, which can determine whether some plant species will survive or not.
- Talk to the buyers. Bear in mind that your garden may have been one of the reasons the buyers were drawn to your property, so it’s important to clarify what you’re taking and what you’re leaving.
- Communicate with your removal company. Talk to your removal company about which plants you plan to take with you, as they will need to know the volume of what you’re taking, in advance so as to factor in enough room on the vehicles. Plants obviously can’t be stacked on top of each other and do need to be allocated sufficient space and protection on a vehicle. Where plants are in heavy pots, the removal crew may need to use trolleys.
- In preparation for moving day itself, it’s worth checking over the pots to ensure that they’re in good order and not damaged and if possible (depending on the type of plant and the season) it may be a good idea to prune them a little, if that’s possible. Where necessary, plants with long stems and branches can be carefully tied in a little and for more unwieldy plants, canes can be used.
When up-rooting outdoor plants, digging as far around the plant as possible will help to keep the roots intact and give it a better chance of surviving in its new spot.
- DuringPlants will need to be hydrated during the move. Don’t saturate them ahead of the move as this maybe too much and will also cause the plants to become heavier and harder to move. Some gardeners opt to use a water sprayer during moving day to top up hydration levels on the move.
