How to Make Sure Your Plants Survive the MoveWritten by dan the roommate man
If you have house plants, and you're moving to a new location, you have three options: donate 'em, dump 'em, or dare to take 'em with you. So, you may not care for your plants like a "Professional," but Charlie Nardozzi, senior horticulturist for The National Gardening Association, provides some great advice for those who can't bear to leave their precious plants behind:If you're flying to new location: "I believe your first step should be to contact airline you are travelling with. They most likely have very specific guidelines (and I bet regulations) on transporting plant life. Also contact Department of Agriculture in state you are moving to; they may also have regulations to prevent importation of pests." If you're travelling by vehicle: "For plants that are going in truck, you should insure that your plants are in containers that will not break. If they are in terra cotta pots, transfer them to plastic. Perhaps it would be a good idea to go to your local nursery or garden center and ask about those black plastic nursery pots. Around here you can get used ones for a nickel a piece! Be sure to sterilize them however." Other tips: "Your plants will need to be kept moist during their journey. Give them a good watering and then wrap soil tops with sphagnum moss you have soaked overnight. I would then wrap whole pot in newspaper, and then in burlap. It probably would not be out of order to loosely wrap foliage in burlap also to avoid breakage of leaves and stems."
| | Taking The Stress Out of PackingWritten by dan the roommate man
Let's face it, there is no "moving fairy." No matter how long you procrastinate, no twinkling spirit is going to show up, wave a magic wand and instantly transport all your household goods from your current home to your new one. If you're going to move, you have to pack. With that in mind, here are six tips to help you get through this chore with a minimum of aggravation:1. Start early. Packing always takes longer than you expected. The sooner you start, more momentum you'll generate and more likely you'll be able to finish on time, maybe even with a few spare moments to say good-bye to your neighbors. Another advantage of starting early is that you'll have more time to round up other people's reusable moving boxes. If you have a large home, keep yourself and your helpers on track by making a packing schedule that shows a start date and a deadline for packing each room. 2. Ask your mover for advice. Moving companies naturally have a lot of experience with packing. Ask your representative for how-to-pack tip sheets, moving timelines, information about latest packing materials, availablilty of odd-size boxes and so on. 3. Clear out clutter. There's no sense packing items you should give away or will probably throw out after you move. Before you start packing, go through your entire home, including basement, attic, garage and any other storage areas. The opportunity to reduce clutter and eliminate a lot of unused stuff from your life should be one of benefits of moving to a new home.
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