I’m in the process of moving and have a four-year-old, handsome indoor sweet pepper plant I want to take with me. I’ve never moved a large plant before. The pepper is still sitting in the same mould (dirt? Soil?) as the day it was planted in a pot. I’m thinking this would be a good opprotunity to replace the original soil, given that it’ll be nigh impossible to move the entire plant with it’s huge and heavy pot. This time of year isn’t optimal, I know, but is it possible? How do I prepare and protect the plant so it A) survives the trip itself B) recovers from shock and takes off in the new place? I guess I shouldn’t try to lose any more dirt off the root system than what readily falls off. Is a moist plastic bag over the root “ball” enough? Any tips are welcome.
It’s easier to get out of the pot dry,
I’d check a garden site (via googling) about any particular type of plant. Some tolerate transplanting better than others.
Toxylon, how are you going to transport the plant to your new location? And how much time will elapse between getting from your current site to your new location?
Since this is an indoor-only plant, the time of year isn’t going to make that much difference, as long as you’re not going to be exposing it to sub-freezing temperatures in the move.
If it’s dry and root-bound enough that you can easily lift the plant out of the pot, put a plastic bag over the root ball and move it that way, as long as it’s going to be somewhere (like in your car) where you’re sure it won’t be exposed to temperature extremes, damage by shifting cargo, whatever.
One of the things that is the biggest transplantation shocks for plants is damage to the root ball. If the plant comes out of the pot with the root ball intact, you’ll be in good shape.
If the plant is root-bound, when you get to your new location, plant it in a slightly bigger pot and put in new potting mixture. If the root-ball is a solid, pot-shaped tangle, use your hands to gentley spread the roots a bit.
Bigger is not better in repotting. If the new pot is a lot bigger than the old pot, you risk overwatering, because all that soil that’s not occupied by roots is going to hold water next to the roots, promoting root rot and other diseases.
Try to find a location in your new place that approximates where the pepper was flourishing in your old place. Keep the soil moist, but don’t overwater.
Good luck!