Plants and traveling - RV-Dreams Community Forum

Steve and Kate · RV-Dreams Family Member

Plants and traveling

Loretta · RV-Dreams Family Member

I travel with violets. They seem to be doing OK and we have been on the road for about 7 months. So far, we have had no problems.

Lucky Mike · RV-Dreams Family Member

HHHHmmmmm.........my Brown thumb is so bad I killed all my plastic plants!!!!!!!!!

NWescapee · RV-Dreams Family Member

We've been debating that ourselves. Our issue will most likely be California, they have somewhat restrictive agriculture rules but we're hoping to take our African violet. If you plan to travel to CA, be aware that they have agricultural checkpoints at the border.

The rest of our plants were all donated last week to a charitable organization who was holding an auction as a fund raiser. We were sad to see them go as some are plants we've had more than 15 years, but happy to know they were going to homes where they were wanted and where people were willing to donate to a worthy cause to purchase them through the auction.

Cindy T · RV-Dreams Family Member

I had hugh plants that I gave to various family members. I'd had some of those plants for more than 20 years & couldn't throw them out. I moved 4 small plants into the RV & they've doing fine.

Loretta · RV-Dreams Family Member

I had belonged to our local violet club and the national one and had many violets that were registered. I gave most away and only travel with some very small ones. I am hoping that when we reach CA there isn't a problem.

NWescapee · RV-Dreams Family Member

Loretta, this is from the CA Agricultural website:

Q. How does CDFA define the category "house plants"?
House plants must meet ALL the requirements below:
grown in your home
not for resale
pest free
potted in sterile, packaged, commercial potting mix
ornamental plant (usually tropical and subtropical)

Q. What basic guidelines can I use to help me evaluate if my house plants are suitable for entry into California?
House plants must have been grown in an indoor setting only, such as in a home or enclosed greenhouse, and planted in sterile, packaged, commercial potting mix. They should not have been grown or maintained outdoors, even during the warmer times of the year, or planted in soil taken from outdoor or backyard sources.

Loretta · RV-Dreams Family Member

Thanks. Mine fit that. They have never been outside. They were all just repotted too.

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

Wow! Some folks don't have the problem that I have.....your plants last for 15 to 20 years.

Oddly enough, even though Jo and I both have extensive agricultural experience in our pasts, we can't seem to keep house plants alive. At work, I am in a department with six ladies and all but one has plants. One year, one of the ladies felt that I "just had" to have a house plant. I have no idea of why she thought that, so she gave me one.

How do you refuse a gift? Well, I couldn't. So I took it in tow, repotted it a couple of times over the years but after a while, it started to suffer. So, I bucked up a little bit and went back to that lady and told her that I was going to have to give it back to her. I couldn't make it look right and it would have disturbed me to let it die.

So, she gracefully took it back and it is doing just fine now.

Jo and I have even killed cactus.

Maybe we gave it too much water.

Terry

Loretta · RV-Dreams Family Member

You really can't kill a violet. They take alot of abuse. They have the self watering pots and when you use them your work is done. Just feed them whenever you refil the bottom with water and they will bloom and bloom.

Hina · RV-Dreams Family Member

I have a cute little garden, and they are thriving. I recently had to "liberate" one succulent that was getting too big, I planted it out by the water connection.

I have a lavender African violet, a coleus, a yellow kolancho, a peach flowered Christmas cactus, hearts and flowers succulent, one of those cactus's with the "red head", and oregano. They all ride in the kitchen sink when we hit the road. When I go full time, I am also planning on growing sprouts, for eating. It's easy, and it will give me fresh, organic leafy greens everywhere!

Hdrider · RV-Dreams Family Member

We have a African Violet, a Jade and a Ficus.

NWescapee · RV-Dreams Family Member

Hdrider - how do you deal with a Ficus in an RV? Seriously, we donated our "big" ficus, but my husband has a small planting from that one that he doesn't want to give up. However, ficus tend to be finicky, they really don't like moving so I'm curious how yours survives.

One more note on plants, Dale is trying to figure out how to take along our orchids, he manages to get them to bloom year after year and is a bit reluctant to give them up. I keep thinking they are too fragile to travel with, but who knows?? He's definitely the green thumb in this household, I do better with silk plants that just require dusting.

MarkS · RV-Dreams Family Member

CA doesn't give you any trouble with house plants. They are looking for plants you intend to set out and large quantities for resale.

Hdrider · RV-Dreams Family Member

NWescapee wrote:
Hdrider - how do you deal with a Ficus in an RV? Seriously, we donated our "big" ficus, but my husband has a small planting from that one that he doesn't want to give up. However, ficus tend to be finicky, they really don't like moving so I'm curious how yours survives.

One more note on plants, Dale is trying to figure out how to take along our orchids, he manages to get them to bloom year after year and is a bit reluctant to give them up. I keep thinking they are too fragile to travel with, but who knows?? He's definitely the green thumb in this household, I do better with silk plants that just require dusting.

It is a small one,, roughly 2ft tall. It lives on a table over our steering wheel while we sit unless we are in a windy area then we move it away from the door. It hasn't dropped any leaves in some time now.

It was given to my by my emplyee's when I was still working and went through a tough stretch so I couldn't bring byself to just leave it. It's a real trooper and is LOOKING GOOD!!

janieD · RV-Dreams Family Member

I grow some of my own herbs. I took them into California, even told them about them with no problem. I think they are more worried about fresh fruit and vegetables. Mine ride in the shower when we are moving.

WestWardHo · RV-Dreams Family Member

I've wondered about fresh herbs and a flower to two. Love your ideas here. I'll get an African violet and some herb pots!

Thanks,
Sherry

kb0zke · RV-Dreams Family Member

Good information. Our plans are visit every state, so maybe if we head to California first we can get it done with and then do some container gardening for fresh tomatoes and peppers.

MarkS · RV-Dreams Family Member

All I want are a few of our favorite herbs and some easy small vegetable plants. I would like to take my brewery along but I haven't figured out how yet. I am considering designing a drom box for behind the cab that would store the pots and supplies.

Loretta · RV-Dreams Family Member

Bill makes wine and we were trying to see how we would do making it on the road but we decided against it. We didn't think we would be in one place long enough to let the wine do it's thing before we bottled it. Since then, we have been in AZ for the past 5 months so it would have been a perfect time. Oh well. Violets and herbs it is!

MarkS · RV-Dreams Family Member

We have an aero garden (translates to, crap you buy off TV in a moment of weakness). I think the concept works well for an RV but its just one more thing to take up space and eat electricity. However it does a great job growing herbs inside when the temp outside is cold.