Wed Aug 16

Moving Day Tips: The Dos & Don’ts of Relocating Plants

Written by Rory Da Costa

Are you excited about moving home but nervous about turning over a new leaf when it comes to your garden?

If you're a green thumb, you’re probably going to find it hard to say goodbye to some of your favourite plants. Before you start digging, learn how to avoid killing them in the process with these dos and don’ts for moving plants.

When moving plants, DO:

Specify any plants that you intend to move in your sale contract. If you’re renting, make sure that you don’t take any plants with you that belong to the house, and avoid confusion by outlining in the entry and exit condition reports what was in the garden before and after you moved.

Look up tips for transporting particular species before you take them out of the ground. There are plenty of gardening groups on Facebook that will be only too happy to answer any questions you have.

Try to keep as much of the ball root of shrubs and small trees in tact as possible when digging them up. It’s also imperative to keep these plants hydrated throughout the move.

Make sure that any plants you bring with you interstate aren’t prohibited in your new town/city. Each state has registries of restricted species that you can easily search online.

Have the holes for your plants dug in your new garden in preparation for their arrival.

Transport smaller house plants by packing them tightly in an open box - you can use newspaper to secure the pots at the bottom.

Relocate plants to areas with conditions similar to where they used to live, taking into account hours of sunlight, exposure to wind and proximity to pools or grey water run off. Unlike boxes, plants can't wait to be unpacked!

When moving plants, DON’T:

Try to move large trees or shrubs with complex root systems yourself. Hire a professional tree removal service and give them plenty of notice as different plants require different moving practices and not all can be taken care of overnight.

Expose the roots of a plant you're relocating to too much air or sunlight.

Leave plants shut in hot cars while you move other things.

Assume your Brisbane Removalist’s expertise and insurance includes your plants - make sure that you ask!

Forget that you can take cuttings of any beloved plants that you'll have to leave behind.

Assume that you’re legally allowed to remove trees on your property - check with the local council to see who owns the trees on the street or property borders.

Prune off dead branches of excess growth right before the move. Doing this can cause your plants to go into shock. If you want to make your plants lighter and less bulky for the move, prune a few weeks before you take them out of the ground, so they have time to recover.

Brought to you by #1 Most Trusted removalists Brisbane.

Platinum Furniture Removals

Level 6/140 Creek st, Brisbane, QLD, 4000

0477 775 935