by Raleigh Magazine | Mar 28, 2024 | April 2024, Real Estate & Home
I’m gearing up for a move and am already stressed about transporting my plant babies to their new home. What are the steps I should take to ensure they’re moved properly and arrive unscathed?
—Plant Passenger
Moving can be daunting as you try to pack up your life and relocate. The stress can be overwhelming, especially if you’re a plant person because you’re likely trying to figure out how to keep your plants happy. Well, there are a number of steps you can take to ensure your plants are at their healthiest and happiest during your relocation.
A few weeks out from your move, you should begin to prep your plants. Remove any dead leaves, branches and flowers. This is a good time to prune your plants back to make them more manageable. You’ll also want to repot all your plants into plastic nursery pots to make them easier to transport.
Do not rely on movers to transport your plants. Most moving companies don’t move plants anyway and those that do will not give your plants the attention they need. Instead, transport your plants yourself in a temperature-controlled environment like your personal vehicle.
On the day of your move, make sure your plants are well-hydrated and the soil is moist. Wrap larger plants with old cloth to protect their leaves and stems. You can pack smaller plants into moving boxes, stabilizing them with packing materials.
After your move, unpack and place your plants where they won’t be disturbed, removing any broken leaves or stems. Water if needed and allow them to acclimate to their new environment.
Jose Harvey owns Urban Pothos Houseplant Shop in DTR and brand-new second location at Raleigh Iron Works. His goal is to help everybody develop a green thumb and be the best plant parents they can be.
by Raleigh Magazine | Mar 28, 2023 | April 2023, Stuff
Dear Plant Pundit,
Clearly, I’m not the best plant parent. My plant baby is dying (see photo evidence)! I got her this summer and she’s thriving outside (I was told it was an outdoor plant)—until it got cold, when I brought her in. I water her about once a week, which was also recommended. I’m not sure if she needs more or less water? To be repotted? To have her dead leaves trimmed? Or… a plant funeral?! Womp womp. Help!
—Am I the Problem?
Dear Am I the Problem?,
You aren’t to blame! You sound like a conscientious plant parent who tried to follow instructions. However, you were the victim of bad info. That plant is an Aglaonema—aka Chinese evergreen. For us in NC, it’s a houseplant most of the year. It’s only an outdoor plant if you live at the equator or if you keep it outside when temps are ideal (nighttime temps consistently 55+ degrees).
Cold damage on plants doesn’t always show up right away—so it might’ve been dealt the death blow before you brought it in… and it was too late. A large portion of the top was damaged and not taking up water. What was left of the plant didn’t need much water and perhaps was victim to root rot.
The best you can do is take it out of the pot, pull or cut away any brown dead roots, and separate/cut away the brown leaves up top. Repot whatever is left in a smaller pot with fresh potting soil; place it in an area of low to moderate indoor light; and keep the soil lightly moist.
April through summer, feed monthly with half-strength houseplant fertilizer according to the frequency on the label. If it bounces back, you can return to regular strength next summer.
Tina Mast is the communications director for Homewood Nursery & Garden Center in North Raleigh. When not gardening in her shady woodland, she spends her time taking lots of flower and kitty pics, practicing ukulele, or finding a new restaurant to check out.
by Raleigh Magazine | Sep 30, 2022 | October 2022, Stuff
As we head into cooler fall weather, how do I prepare my houseplants for success?
–Stayin’ Alive
Dear Stayin’ Alive,
Down here in NC, we are fortunate to have a long growing season! Many of us—myself included—will throw our houseplants outside during the spring and summer months to bask in the glory of summer showers and humidity. Once the leaves on the trees start turning and fall is on the horizon, it can be a little daunting to think about bringing all of your plants back inside. Here are some of my go-to tips for getting ready for colder temperatures and longer nights:
Have a plan + watch the temps! Many of the houseplants we know and love come from tropical climates—meaning once the temperatures start to drop into the low 50s, you’ll want to make sure your plants are back inside where it’s safe and warm!
If you’re like me, you’ve probably accumulated tons of new plants over the summer, and it can feel like musical chairs getting everything into the right place once they all come back inside. Keep in mind the ideal lighting conditions your plants will want. Group plants around windows and, when necessary, supplement with grow lights! Congregating plants together will also help keep humidity levels up, which is extra-important once the heat kicks on and our homes get much drier.
When we grow our plants outside, they can be subject to bugs, critters and everything else under the sun. The good news is most of the bugs outside are pretty harmless for our plants—but bugs can still be a little icky when they come inside! Whenever you’re moving your plants indoors, it’s a good idea to hose them down or give them a spa treatment in the shower. The dry heat in our homes can also make some plants susceptible to pests, so using an insecticide to prevent any outbreaks is key!
Last but not least—don’t fret! Some plants may slow down quite a bit during these colder months. If you don’t see much new growth, cut back on watering a bit and keep checking in on your plant until spring. If you do continue to see new growth—be it a new leaf, roots or both—it’s still the growing season for that plant, so carry on with business as usual!
In this series, Copperline Plant Co. owner and founder Anna Grace FitzGerald offers tips on how to plant-parent like the pros. You can find Copperline Plant Co. in City Market downtown and online at copperlineplants.com
