Moving With Your Garden

Copyright 2004

Moving With Your Garden

     Moving day has arrived. You're packed and ready and excitement fills the air. But what about the garden you're leaving behind? Here's how to move a garden…

     Why leave behind all those valuable memories and labors of love? During one of our family's moves, a precious rosebush given to us by our daughters was forgotten. Thankfully, we were able to retrieve it later when I explained the situation to the new owners, but I regretted not planning ahead. I should have transplanted it into a pot before we moved.

     More and more gardeners are learning the importance of planning ahead for moving day. It's easy to gather seeds, dig bulbs and take stem cuttings that can be transferred to a new home. Take time to research the climate and soils of your future home, and determine which of the plants in your current garden are suitable for moving. Your favorite plants and garden keepsakes will impart a sense of familiarity to new surroundings, while giving you a head start on creating a new garden.

Seeds. Many gardeners perpetuate their favorite annual flowers and open-pollinated vegetables by gathering and storing their seeds. We have taken our favorite Ozark purple pole bean with us on three different moves. Saving seeds allows you to move part of your garden without having to transport much weight or bulk. Seal the dried seeds in envelopes and label them with the variety name and date collected. Seed collecting can be done a year or even longer before the move; just be sure to store the envelopes of seeds in an airtight container, such as a plastic food storage container.

Dormant Bulbs and Roots. Depending on the season, you can dig bulbs, rhizomes and tubers well in advance of your move. The timing is best, of course, if your move happens during the natural dormant season of plants. Many spring-blooming bulbs, such as crocuses and daffodils, can be dug immediately after their foliage withers naturally, dried and stored for up to six months before replanting. Tender rooted flowers like dahlias and caladiums are typically dug in fall, so are easiest to transport during their winter dormancy. A mixture of loose, dry peat moss and vermiculite provides a lightweight, yet protective transport medium.

Potted Plants. Many perennial flowers are best moved in a container of soil. Several weeks - or even months - before the move, transplant divisions or offsets of prized perennials into plastic pots, so by the time moving day arrives they will have acclimated to their containers. Moving plants in damp soil is a heavy proposition, so use a lightweight potting soil instead of garden loam, and the smallest size pot that will sustain the plant until it has reached its new home. As you pot plants to move, examine them pests and diseases; you don't want to move your problems with you. To lessen transplant shock, keep potted transplants out of direct sunlight, and check their soil moisture daily.

Garden Tools. About one month before you move, take inventory of your garden tools and accessories. Decide which are to be packed and moved and what will be discarded or left behind. While doing so, take time for some routine tool maintenance. Clean and sharpen the blades of pruning shears, clippers, lawn mowers and edgers. Apply a thin coating of household oil or motor oil to protect the paint and metal parts. A thin coat of linseed oil protects wood handles.

Clean and disinfect trowels, rakes, hoes and sprinklers before packing them. Mix one part household bleach to ten parts water, then let these tools to soak in the solution for one hour. Rinse and dry them thoroughly before packing. Even birdhouses and feeders can be cleaned in the same manner. The bleach kills most bacteria, snails, insects, their eggs, and even weed seeds.

Regulations for Moving Plants. There are many specialized rules that govern transporting plants, especially across state lines. It is important to learn the rules ahead of time for your destination state and any state you may cross en route. Some states, including Arizona, California, Florida and Texas. You may even be stopped for plant inspection. Hawaii has quarantine laws governing plant importation.

     The inspectors are looking for plants infested with insects or disease - especially troublesome pests such as gypsy moth, imported fire ant, Japanese beetle and Mediterranean fruit fly. Inspectors may refuse entry to plants that show signs of infestation. To find requirements for states where you are relocating, or your local county agricultural agent.

     Air carriers and commercial highway movers have specific guidelines for transporting plants. Check with your county agricultural agent to learn if you must have plants certified before shipping. Consider the size and weight of packages and pots before deciding to transport too many plants. Plants transported in a commercial moving van may remain unattended for several days and should be packed to withstand any temperature extremes they will face along the way.

     With all its work and aggravation, moving can also bring excitement and challenges for a new beginning. As you prepare to move, don't forget to share extra seeds, bulbs and perennial divisions with friends, family and neighbors. These garden mementos are a beautiful, long-lasting way to say good-bye, but not to your precious garden heirlooms.