Get the “dirt” out on relocating houseplants

Tips for a successful transplant

If you’re like me, the first moment you walk into your new home you’ll be scanning its corners and shelves for the ideal spots for your family of plants. In fact, I just moved into my new home in Lyons, and last night I lay on the floor on a bunch of pillows (I don’t have the furniture yet) and figured out where to put my green friends. “I’m going to hang the vine in the southeast corner, and the Christmas cactus just below it on the little oak table, right next to the amethyst geode,” I thought.

And this morning when I woke up, the sun was shining in the perfect spot in my front yard for my irises. I plan to move my indoor and outdoor plants. But how? I wondered. So I called Mick Gainan, the owner of Gainan’s Heights Greenhouse and Garden Center in Billings, Montana. The store has been around for half a century so they should know what they are talking about I thought.

Regarding my houseplants, Ganian says, “Put yourself in the pot. Plants are like people; they don’t like to move.”

When moving them from one house to another, their entire orientation will be different. Try to find places for them as quickly as possible and with which they are most familiar (ie if they were facing south in the old house, try to find a place facing south for them in the new house). If there is no similar geographic location, don’t worry. It is not uncommon for plants to go through an acclimatization process (just like us!) and lose some leaves. Over time, they will adapt and thrive.

According to ehow.com, the plants should be watered the day before the move. Also, keep dirt from getting out of the pot during the move by padding it with damp newspaper. Then, roll the plants into a tight newspaper cone and pack them tightly together in the car. Upon arrival at the new abode, move them into place as soon as possible and away from direct sun, drafts, or heating vents. Be sure to mist them daily “to avoid shock while the roots settle back into the pots.”
For outdoor plants, Gainan reiterates, “plants need to be relocated as quickly as possible.”

And while I really shouldn’t move my irises right now because it’s early spring, he says I can get away with it because the ground hasn’t thawed yet in Estes Park, which is at an elevation of around 7,500 feet.

“Take about a foot of dirt with them,” he adds. “They are sensitive to temperature. When the soil warms up, the root system takes hold. They may not flower this year, but they probably will.”

When transplanting plants outdoors, Gainan recommends putting them in a burlap sheet.

“Take as much soil as you can and pull the entire plant out of the ground,” he says. “Plant them in the new location as soon as possible, the same day if you can.”
Other helpful tips include using something like Vitamin B1 Plant Starter to help re-establish roots in the soil. The folks at moving.about.com also suggest keeping an eye on them in the short term.

“Observe any garden plants you plant in your new home. The difference in soil, climate and air quality will have an effect on your health. Keep an eye on your progress and ask for local help if you have problems.”
http://moving.about.com/od/movingityyourself/a/moving_plants.htm
http://www.ehow.com/how_6914_move-indoor-plants.html