Moving My Plants Outdoors for the Season
I love large urns filled with tropical plants.
I have a rather sizable collection of tropical specimens at my Bedford, New York farm. During the winter, they are all stored in special greenhouses. Once the warm weather arrives, they are all brought out for display. Most of the plants are placed in various locations here at Cantitoe Corners, but a selection will also spend the summer up at Skylands, my dear home in Maine. It is a big undertaking to move all these plants at the beginning and end of each season. Thankfully, I have the help of a strong outdoor grounds crew and some heavy-duty farm equipment to get the job done.
Enjoy these photos.
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- Here at the farm, I have five different greenhouses. I call this one the citrus greenhouse. It works by heating and circulating air to create an artificial tropical environment. All my citrus plants and tropical specimens spend about seven months of the year in these temperature-controlled shelters.
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- And every spring, they are taken out of storage, cleaned up and repotted if needed, and then moved to their warm-weather locations.
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- I am so fortunate to be able to grow citrus here in the Northeast. My potted citrus plants thrive in the hoop house during winter and provide such delicious fruits. This is one of my calamondin trees, Citrus mitis, an acid citrus fruit originating in China.
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- Phurba, Dawa and the rest of the crew are working very hard to get all the plant out. Here is the hoop house about a third empty. This structure is very large. It is built using heavy gauge American made, triple-galvanized steel tubing. I chose this gothic style because of its high peak to accommodate my taller plants.
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- The plants are placed in front of the hoop house and stable barn until I can go through the collection.
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- And everything is grouped by type, so it is easy to assess what we have and how many.
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- Here are several potted bird’s nest ferns. Bird’s-nest fern is a common name for several related species of epiphytic ferns in the genus Asplenium. Asplenium nidus forms large simple fronds visually similar to banana leaves, with the fronds growing up to 20 to 59 inches long and 3.9 to 7.9 inches broad. They are light green, often crinkled, with a black midrib.
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- The bird’s nest fern gets its name from the center of the plant which closely resembles a bird’s nest. It is also occasionally called a crow’s nest fern.
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- Next door to my Equipment Barn is another large hoop house where I store my tropical plant collection along with various other agaves and palms, etc.
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- This structure is also getting emptied – all the plants are brought out one by one.
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- My outdoor grounds crew uses this Kubota model M7060HD12 tractor to move many of them. This vehicle gets so much use here at the farm every single day. Moving such a large potted plant requires strength, care, and the right equipment. A moving blanket cushions the pots on the loader as they are moved.
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- Fortunately, on this day, the temperature was not too hot. The most critical factor in moving plants is temperature. Avoid prolonged exposure to heat or cold, with temperatures below 35 degrees Fahrenheit or higher than 95-100 degrees Fahrenheit.
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- This is a Bismarkia palm, Bismarckia nobilis, which grows from a solitary trunk, gray to tan in color, and slightly bulging at the base.
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- Beaucarnea recurvata, the elephant’s foot or ponytail palm, is a species of plant in the family Asparagaceae, native to the states of Tamaulipas, Veracruz and San Luis Potosí in eastern Mexico. Despite its common name, it is not closely related to the true palms. In fact, it is a member of the Agave family and is actually a succulent. It has a bulbous trunk, which is used to store water, and its long, hair-like leaves that grow from the top of the trunk like a ponytail, giving the plant its renowned name. The one on the left is planted in a very heavy antique lead vessel.
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- Once the plants are out of storage, I go through all the potted specimens and decide where they will be displayed for the season. I always try to vary their locations. The bright orange markers indicate which plants will go to my home in Maine.
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- I have many agaves, including this blue agave with its beautiful gray-blue spiky fleshy leaves. Do you know… tequila is actually distilled from the sap of the blue agave? These potted agaves are so beautiful, but be sure to keep them in low traffic areas, as their spikes can be very painful. And always wear gloves and eye protection when potting them up or dividing as the sap can burn.
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- This is also an agave. All agaves do best in full sun and sandy, well-drained soil, and thrive on the scantest amount of water. Some are more cold-tolerant than others, but they can’t handle damp cold.
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- The sago palm, Cycas revoluta, is a popular houseplant known for its feathery foliage and ease of care. Sago palms prefer to be situated in well-drained soil, and like other cycad plants, do not respond well to overwatering.
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- Blooming right now is the Stephanotis floribunda, or Madagascar jasmine, though it is not a member of the jasmine family. It is one of five to 10 species identified within the genus of twining vine-like shrubs. Stephanotis flowers have long been treasured for their beauty and sweet scent.
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- Each flower has a crown of five lobes and stamens. The leaves are leathery, oval shaped, and opposite and the plant’s woody tendrils can grow to 20 feet in the wild.
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- By the afternoon, the shelves in both hoop house are empty. These shelves are made from wood milled right here at the farm. The long planks are secured to stumps from felled trees. It is a great way we use and repurpose natural elements here on the property.
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- And here is the large citrus greenhouse – now empty for another season. It is so wonderful to see everything thriving here at the farm – I love this time of year when all my potted plants are outside in the fresh air. What plants are you bringing out of storage this week? Share your comments with me below.
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