Keeping Plants?

[April Wilcox]

I was wondering if anyone has successully kept plants in their camper? I have a nice collection of succulant plants, aloe, cactus etc... and I had some ideas on building a small window garden that could easily be moved outside when we stop. I wonder if there would be problems with crossing states with cactus plants in our camper. I am sure this would only work if we are fulltiming it, if we stopped for any length of time, I would have to take it out. I just hate to leave all our plants behind when we move, and most of the ones I have can be grown from small cuttings, which will take a while to get big. HMMMMMM

[Daniel V.]

I was wondering if anyone has successully kept plants in their camper?

I don't have a direct answer to your question, but one thing worth mentioning is that things really can get tossed around quite a bit in a trailer, so you'd have to come up with some sort of cover or bag system to keep all the parts together and prevent the soil from flying all over the place or having to repot them each time. I suspect that the car might be the most stable place to store them while travelling, but it will be interesting to find out if/how others did it.

[Frederick L. Simson]

I wonder if there would be problems with crossing states with cactus plants in our camper.

California has inspection stops near the border(s), especially with Arizona and Mexico, whose primary purpose is just this issue. They have been known to confiscate "plant material" in order to prevent insects and diseases from damaging the state's commercial agriculture.

[Alf S.]

Hi: All To keep plants in your trailer...try "SILK"
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

[Donna D.]

Moving the plants from point A to point B will be delicate. Having plants while camping... not for me.

webguy once described tugging a trailer like this:
"Going down the road is like a constant moving earthquake." So, I think Daniel has a good answer.

[April Wilcox]

Hi: All To keep plants in your trailer...try "SILK"
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

Could you expain??

[pjanits]

Plastic or fake plants made of silk.
I can just picture my Burro with plants in it after a run down the road.
Piles of dirt all over the place. hard enough keeping most stuff where it belongs.
By the way tie wraps on the curtain rods did the trick there.
Nope too much bounce for plants. Can't tie them down.
You could put them on the floor but something would surely fall on them and crush them.

Anything in these trailer need bunji, tiedown or velcro to survive.
I believe I have the most problems on roads with bad plates causing the trailer to oscillate.

[Dan R]

I think the best thing for the plants' sake is to leave them. I know Houston isn't the best place to leave anything, particularly something you love. You will be able to make new plant friends when you are less flux, meaning when you plan to stay in one place. After you pick up your trailer, you will find space to be a commodity that you will need for your other possessions since you plan on living out of your trailer.

[Kevin K]

http://silkplantdesign.com/

[james kent]

I like Alf's method. My wife keeps a small potful on the dinette and you can hide a small air freshener in it. Both available at a dollar store and no watering chores.
I don't think that you are allowed to take any plant material North or South across our joint border. 'THEY'LL' confiscate your plants along with the foodstuffs.
PS
That reminds me..... You can take a horse to drink but you can't make him water.

[CindyL]

I had success with an air fern from Walmart. It is small, and we store it where it would be safe. The clay pot broke a bit, but we still have the plant.

I did NOT have success with a bonsai. We did not know what to do with it while we were gone, as it needed attention about every other day, so we took it with us to Rocky Mountain. Interestingly enough, we camped next to a couple who also had their bonsai with them for the same reason. We put them together on the picnic table
The tree survived the trip (and I babied it by spraying it everyday) but when we got home, it deteriorated and died. Now, maybe it would have anyway, but I think it did not like being moved around.

CindyL

[Donna D.]

The tree survived the trip (and I babied it by spraying it everyday) but when we got home, it deteriorated and died. Now, maybe it would have anyway, but I think it did not like being moved around.

CindyL

Or, maybe it like camping more!

[Alf S.]

[quote]http://silkplantdesign.com/

Attachment 15957
Hi: Kevin K. A picture really is worth "a thousand words" Thanks for the explanation!!!
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

[Vi Turner]

Or, maybe it like camping more!

At the Meet at Bullard's Bar this past summer, I saw someone camping with a full array of plants that she had lined up on the outside table, so I guess you can carry plants, but maybe the tow vehicle would be a safer place to haul live plants?

[Robin G]

I think what April is saying is she has a collection of plants that she wants to take with her when they completely make their move. Am I right April? If so, I will say this, Your talking added weight and lot's of it if you have a lot of plants. Remember what you load into the trailer is adding to your over all weight. The plants alone are heavy, pots, dirt, etc. But then you want to build a window box. I think you really need to let them go then when you get moved to where you want you can start over. Sorry to tell you that, but your little trailer can only hold so much. And your tow car can only pull so much. Plants go thru so much stress on any move, and a move that is going to be over time would also add more stress to them as well as you guys moving in and out of the trailer just so you can sleep. It's hard to let go, I know but maybe you could get someone to babysit them for you until you get settled. Best of Luck! Robin