Something of a Spiky Move: How to Move Large Potted Cacti to Your New Home
Posted on: 20 June 2017
Share
Moving large plants from one location to another is a challenging enough task as it is. Moving large cacti is a whole different ballgame all together. Not only are cactuses very brittle, but when they reach heights of 5 feet or more, they can be awkward for your movers to transport safely.
Fortunately, you don't have to leave them behind. With a little ingenuity and a lot of tenderness from your team of removalists, you can get your cacti to your new home in one piece.
Store Your Cacti in Garbage Cans
The key to moving cacti without breaking them is to ensure that they are not jostled while on the back of the moving truck. One way to do that is to place each of your cactuses into their own garbage can. Of course, you will need to add some padding to the garbage can to secure the cacti for the journey.
For padding, fill in the remaining space around the circumference of the pots with sand to secure them. Finally, to ensure the main trunk of your cactus does not move around and snap on the journey, fill the space around the trunk with packing peanuts. This will leave no room for movement and provide a soft cushion for your cacti.
Surround Your Potted Cacti with Bags of Mulch
If you would rather not have to purchase garbage cans just for this purpose then you can use bags of mulch or soil to provide the support your cacti need on the journey to your new home.
Place the cactuses onto the back of the moving truck. Next, stack the bags of mulch around the pots of the cactuses to hold them in place. Bear in mind, however, that this method only secures the pots and not the trunks of the cacti.
To secure the trunks, you break open some boxes and wrap these around the cactuses. Ensure you wrap from the top of the pot rim so as to leave some space between the cardboard and cactus where you can pour in some packing peanuts. To secure the cardboard, wrap it with cling film.
This will secure both the pot and the trunk of a cactus plant, ensuring that they arrive at your new home intact and ready to be safely lifted inside.
Before moving day, inform your removalists of your cactus situation. This will allow them to plan ahead. An experienced removals service will likely have even more ingenious ways of helping you to move your cacti without causing them any damage.