I was driving down 95 the other day, and saw a U-haul pulling a car. The car was loaded with plants. It made me think about our next move :) Christy

When I moved across the country once I took some with me in my luggage on a plane (before security measures were put in place) and some stuff I boxed up and had mailed so that it would reach there after I did. Since you have a lot and you are pairing it down if you have a plant friend you trust you can have them ship some plants to you.

CD, when I worked at a plant outlet store, we'd package plants in plant sleeves..I'm sure you can find them online. What you'll need to know is the size of your pots. Plant slips directly in sleeves. I hope you can find them..they are perfect for a move..Toni

Thanks for all your advice. The plant sleeves sound like a really good option- I'll do some searching on the internet. Regards-

cd

Once I moved my entire collection from Germany to Spain. 'Only' 30,000 plants (smaller seeedlings not counted) in about 30 big moving boxes. Later we moved with 2,000 bare root plants (most rapped in newspaper) from Spain to California in 6 moving boxes. So it is possible and pretty easy to handle.

Jordi

c. d. I would assume it would depend on just how much time the plants are without their natural care---light, moisture and air.
Since your move sounds like the plants are not going to be out of sight for longer than a day or so...
? where is ABQ.....and you are moving from a 7....to a 6, 7, 8 or 9....it sounds like the plants wont be burdened too long.

Damp newspapers is the thing to wrap them in just prior to the move...put them into a bed of peat moss--also dampened.(use hot water)...and give them a front seat position--at least let them sit on top of furniture...not buried under it. If they have sufficient air pockets so as to not be crushed or confined without air, they should do OK for the short drive.

Please forget 'damp newspapers' or dampened peat moss, when transporting cacti and most succulents.... even if the transport takes 1-4 weeks!!! They don't need moisture and would rather rot due to it.
And I would recommend, put them UNDER the furniture and not on top of it in full sun. They don't like being baked or -in damp newspaper- boiled.

Jordi

Hello there,

I thought several states had rules about moving plant-type things into them. I thought this is to keep Mediterranean fruit fly and other pests from being imported. Now, I did move several plants in and out of both Arizona and California at various times, so I'm not trying to be self-rightous here, but maybe cactus dude should be forwarned about these rules?

asiap

jordi, I must say, you are taking a lot for granted....
one to four weeks?....to drive.....where?....to the moon?

It takes the average snowbird two days to travel ...by car...from most parts of Canada to Florida....
where might The Dude be that has to take one to four weeks to get there?

As far as the plantsbeing on top of furniture, that is so the plants are not crushed ....and the thought they could be in jeopardy from a hot sun....that would be very poor packing.

The damp newspaper allows a plant to keep its moisture level without drying out. Rot? For so short a time?
Peat moss is just another way to ensure the newspaper doesn't dry out and the newspaper allows for the plant to be not burdened by any weight.

Plants, shipped from growers and greenhouses are commonly packed in newspaper....sometimes with spaghnum moss wrapped around the roots....which has been dampened.

I asked C. D....but maybe you can tell me...

where is ABQ? Is this possibly a shortened form of
Alberquerque?
That being the case, the drive should take just a few hours.

ABQ certainly stands for Albuquerque, NM.
All my ideas about packing and transporting plants are referred to cacti & succulents only. They should rather be stored or transported dry than moist. The 1- 4 weeks I only mentioned to demonstrate what these plants can stand and sometimes actually have to stand when shipped from continent to continent. In fact it's not a big problem for a previously naturally grown cactus to be completely neglected (no water and/or even bare rooted) for at least 2 years if not exposed to full sun.

Jordi

BTW C-D is certainly enjoying the warmer AZ climate already.

jordi, I will agree with you.....about posssibly avoiding any protection in that regard....such a short distance.
It doesn't hurt a plant to be given some moisture to its roots----as long as ...what you suggest doesn't happen, moisture breeds mildew and rot.

And I apologize for the misspelling of the New Mexico community.......A.L.B.U.Q.U.E.R.Q.U.E....that's quite a mouthful of q's to spit out on a typewriter....

my favourite was C.O.N.S.T.A.N.T.I.N.O.P.L.E.
since it was the eastern capital of the Roman Empire....and fell in 1450. It takes me less than 2 seconds to spell it out.

AND C.H.A.R.L.O.T.T.E.T.O.W.N. (capital of P.E.I.)

Schoolkids don't have to spell the Turkish capital any more....they changed it..the capital
.....and the city's name to Istanbul
now I spell it out just to amuse.

You could use newspaper to make an excellent sleeve, and use making tape to hold it together. I don't know the size of your plants, if they are that large you would need a large UHaul, lay them down on their sides, and to protect them you make need carpeting so you won't get stuck and to protect their spines, This all depends on the size of the plants. 1 gal-4"- 8" - 5 gal or larger. I would not use anyting damp either, I have seen shipments of small plants barely rooted just wrapped in paper napkins dry. Shipped in from SWitzerland no damage. You don't want to put them near the top of the furniture because heat rises, but this is a good time to move them, if they are in only 4" to 6" pot just set them into card board packing boxes, to hold them up right, if only small pots put them plastic flats, put newspaper inbetween any spaces so the plants won't shift. If going across border, you may need to remove all soil and wash off the roots and spay them with Safer's soap, do not use Neem oil on the roots. Bring a bottle of alcohol mixed 50% with water in case you need it. Making sure that they are spotless. I have never been stopped at the border with flats of plants, but you can never tell. I have never seen border guards from State to State. Norma

we have moved our 150 plants - from large to small - twice in u-haul, over 2 days (nc to ny and back). packed all in cardboard boxes with open tops: were moving in hot weather and afraid they'd suffocate. leave tops open: tape flaps vertically as guards. cut holes in the top/sides to let them breath. the main problem: shifting: make sure pots are tight and stuff cardboard dividers in-between. for a giant euphorbia i use a tall cardboard box that fit over it, resting on top of the pot (secure with tape, and to the outside box, so it does not shift. all cacti/succulents should be totally dry to prevent rot/cooking. the other plants i watered well sev days ahead of time. we stopped sev. tomes and lifted the door to ventilate, give them some light. park in the shade if possible. i do not wrap anything to allow air circulation. it's good to put some metal shelves in between boxes, so you can double-deck some boxes with air spaces in between.