I have a 6 ft plus indoor date palm that started out as a 6 inch terrarium plant 36 years ago and I have to move it from Phoenix, AZ back to Oregon. I will have to lean it on its side and transport in the back of a Ford Explorer. Anyone have experience in moving this or any large plant and will it damage the roots in any way moving it this way in a car for approximately 3 days????
one day when we were moving a weeping willo. the wind had striped all of it's leaves off. when we planted it a few hours later with no leaves, we waterd it corectley and correct sunlight and everthing els. It did not live, no new leave buds or anything It just stopped and died. Some of my advise is to cover up the plant with a tarp!!! And keep the soil moist. I would also lean it on its side and bungee it down so it cant move when you are on the road. I hope you arnt putting it on the roof of the truck. Hope I helped! Blake09
Like Blake said water it, I'd do it twice, once in the morning before travel and again that afternoon. Carefully watching spikes, tie the fronds together (sort of like putting it's hair up) and that will keep foliage reasonably protected. I don't think you'll have many problems other than a little wind burn which will grow out. Loosing soil out of the pot will be your biggest drama from laying it down for a couple of days. By the way how do you get a Large Pygmy?;} does that now make it a Dwarfed Giant? (sorry:})
Thanks for the advice on moving the date palm (giant pygmy???). I know its a date palm but maybe it's not a pygmy after all. It has a very thin trunk, but has always been indoors and will be transported inside a vehicle. I appreciate the watering advice and will try to get it out and upright when possible, but it will be packed in pretty snug. Never thought of pulling the fronds up to protect them... so thank you for that suggestion!
They are pygmy when compared to the likes of a Canary Island Date palm, but will still reach a good 4 - 5 metres (15 foot). They are more commonly called Dwarf Date palms here.
