Is your next move in the middle of the growing season? Whether you have a full backyard bounty of flowers, fruits, and vegetables or you prefer pots and planters, take a look at what you need to know about moving your gardening supplies in the summertime.
Do Inventory Your Gardening Gear
An inventory can help you to organize your move. Before you prep or pack anything, create a spreadsheet, write a list with a pen and paper, or use a moving app to categorize your to-move belongings.
Everything from your clothes to your furniture will go onto the inventory — including your outdoor gardening gear. Create a separate category for gardening items. If this isn’t specific enough to sufficiently organize your gear, use subcategories. These could include tools, watering items (such as watering cans, hoses, and hose nozzles), garden décor, or planter pots. List each item (with a description and quantity) under its matching category or subcategory.
Don’t Pack Your Plants in a Moving Truck
Your garden is an investment. But that doesn’t mean you need to pack every flower, vegetable, or other plant in your yard. Along with what is growing in the ground, you also don’t need to take every potted or container plant with you.
Why shouldn’t you pack and move all (or even some) of your plants? There isn’t one answer to this moving question. Some plants are extremely sensitive. The process necessary to remove the plants from the ground or the existing pot or container could shock delicate garden flowers and vegetables. Beyond damage to the plant, you may have difficulty transporting these living items from point A to point B.
Most moving companies won’t transport living plants or the soil they need. Unlike your books, clothes, and other indoor items, plants aren’t easy to pack. A boxed or bagged plant could tip over inside the moving truck, spilling soil everywhere. This poses a potential damage risk to your other belongings and the truck’s interior.
Even if the soil doesn’t spill, dirt from your yard could carry pests. Ticks, fleas, flies, and other bugs could jump from the plants to the truck. These pests could infest your furniture and moving containers or make their home in the truck.
Before you bring plants onto a moving truck, talk to the contractor about their prohibited item list. Get specific and ask about both garden and potted plants. If the movers don’t allow plants, you will need to either leave the greenery behind or find an alternative method to move them. A leave-behind approach is best for in-ground plants, while another approach may work for the potted ones. You may need to move potted plants in your own vehicle.
Do Use Sturdy Containers for Garden Tools
Heavy metal or sharp garden tools don’t belong in flimsy cardboard boxes or plastic bags. While boxes and bags can protect these garden items during the move, the boxes or bags may break. This could result in damage to the tools or other items in the moving truck.
Instead of boxes and bags, pack garden tools in sturdy plastic bins. If the items leave space in the sides or top of the bins, fill the rest of the container with rolled towels or bubble wrap. This will help to protect the tools during the transportation process. Never put in tools that contain gasoline, oil, or another potentially flammable substance (such as gas-powered weed trimmers). These are typically prohibited by most moving companies.
After you pack the tools, label the outside of each bin. Refer to your moving inventory to make the labels. Each label should match the name on the inventory list.
Do you need help with your next move? Contact Dixie Moving & Storage, Inc., for more information.