Rent a Uhaul box truck if they are worth that much to you. Next best in the open back of a pickup truck at slow speed if that is practical. You may find that if there are holes in the bottom of your containers (like there should be) that some roots have found their way down through them into the ground beneath. Other than that, I guess that you could prune them back severely at the last minute to move them, unless the new owner of the proper that you are leaving placed some value upon them.

It will be interesting to know what you do with this, and congratulations on the new home.
Bill P.

I'd take them just get a truck/UHaul with ramp and use a dolly to load them. You have put too much work and time to leave them for others to harvest, good luck. :)

NS

I've moved container tomatoes in a truck and broken more than half of them, simply because I didn't include sturdy enough stakes and support for them while in transit. So if you move them, for heaven's sake, make them secure for the move!

If you can't move them, can you get an agreement with your new owners to share them and get your containers back after frost kills them? Maybe not, but in this part of the country, some folks would do that under those conditions.

Road Trip!
I'm picturing a trip to a furniture store or somewhere similar where you could get decent size pcs of cardboard.
Create a tube around the plants and pots, add some duct tape and you should be good to travel.

1 roll of chicken wire 5-6' tall.

1 tin snips

1 roll of strong twine/sash cord or similar

1 two wheeled dolly/cart

1 trailer with ramp if possible

I would remove any almost ripe or ready to ripen fruit and also if the stakes in the pots are not sturdy, drive one or two more in along the edge of each pot and wrap with some twine before wrapping in the chicken wire. After you are done, you could use the chicken wire to make some cages for next year?

Lots of great ideas but it's going to be a two person job to move them one to steady the top and the other to man the dolly, wish you all the best. :)

Yes, some great ideas here but I'm worried about tearing up the roots. There's definetly roots that found their way through the drain holes and into the ground.

Don't worry about the roots, it'll make them ripen faster if they tear.

I would take them as chances are very high that whoever is moving in won't have the time (or perhaps even the desire this year) to care for them. I was thinking why not secure the stakes and wrap the stems and foliage with some frost cloth or burlap? That might help to contain them enough to lay them down in whatever you use to move them, then place at your new spot and unwrap.

Rent a U-Haul?
Come on, they're plants. 50 cents worth of seeds.
Unless they're your great grandmothers heirlooms from the old world, I say, Plant them in the ground, take the pots and move on.
:-)
oohh, I can hear the flaming insults coming already.
Please be gentle.
Tom

The roots will be fine. I had some in grow bags on top of the ground last year, and roots did go through the holes. But I moved them a few times and could hear the roots ripping. lol I felt so bad. :( But they were fine and never missed a beat!
When you move them, you can make 'sleeves' using several layers of newspaper or kraft paper, to help support the plants and protect them (much like the commercial ones available in the below link).
Plants should be fine if you take a little thought in moving them.
Best Wishes with the new home!
Cathy

Here is a link that might be useful: Sleeves

it will cost more to move them, time, gas, truck plus the wind will tear em up think about how many you could buy for what it will cost but people here do some wired things

Whatever you decide to do, those are some great looking plants!

Jean

U-HAUL!!!!

It only costs $19.99 for a box truck, plus a fee per mile. If you are moving somewhere close, it's totally worth it. If you are moving far away, it won't work. But if you are moving a few miles, it's worth the money.

Oh..... My....... GOODNESS!!! I am in tomato ENVY!! My tomatos are under so much stress and I can't figure it out! TAKE THEM WITH YOU, WHATEVER THE COST!! If those were mine, I would rent a U-Haul just for them!

Best, and Happy Gardening!

Brenda

darkcloud Quote:
"it will cost more to move them, time, gas, truck plus the wind will tear em up think about how many you could buy for what it will cost but people here do some wired things"

I wasn't sure if you were referring to me so I looked up the word "wired" and have concluded that your statement is just plain weird. :D

Wire, wires, wired, wiring:
noun 1. a slender, stringlike piece or filament of relatively rigid or flexible metal, usually circular in section, manufactured in a great variety of diameters and metals depending on its application.
2. such pieces as a material.
3. a length of such material, consisting either of a single filament or of several filaments woven or twisted together and usually insulated with a dielectric material, used as a conductor of electricity.
4. a cross wire or a cross hair.
5. a barbed-wire fence.
6. a long wire or cable used in cable, telegraph, or telephone systems.
7. Nautical. a wire rope.
8. Informal. a. a telegram.
b. the telegraphic system: to send a message by wire.

9. wires, a system of wires by which puppets are moved.
10. a metallic string of a musical instrument.
11. Underworld Slang. the member of a pickpocket team who picks the victim's pocket. Compare stall2 (def. 5).
12. Horse Racing. a wire stretched across and above the track at the finish line, under which the horses pass.
13. Ornithology. one of the extremely long, slender, wirelike filaments or shafts of the plumage of various birds.
14. a metal device for snaring rabbits and other small game.
15. Papermaking. the woven wire mesh over which the wet pulp is spread in a papermaking machine.
16. the wire, the telephone: There's someone on the wire for you.

Âadjective 17. made of wire; consisting of or constructed with wires.
18. resembling wire; wirelike.

Âverb (used with object) 19. to furnish with wires.
20. to install an electric system of wiring in, as for lighting.
21. to fasten or bind with wire: He wired the halves together.
22. to put on a wire, as beads.
23. to send by telegraph, as a message: Please wire the money at once.
24. to send a telegraphic message to: She wired him to come at once.
25. to snare by means of a wire.
26. to equip with a hidden electronic device, as an eavesdropping device or an explosive.
27. to connect (a receiver, area, or building) to a television cable and other equipment so that cable television programs may be received.
28. Informal. to be closely connected or involved with: a law firm wired into political circles.
29. Informal. to prepare, equip, fix, or arrange to suit needs or goals: The sales force was wired for an all-out effort.
30. Croquet. to block (a ball) by placing it behind the wire of an arch.

Âverb (used without object) 31. to send a telegraphic message; telegraph: Don't write; wire.

ÂIdioms32. down to the wire, to the very last moment or the very end, as in a race or competition: The candidates campaigned down to the wire.
33. pull wires, Informal. to use one's position or influence to obtain a desired result: to pull wires to get someone a job.
34. under the wire, just within the limit or deadline; scarcely; barely: to get an application in under the wire.

35. Typo for weird.