How to Pack Your Plants Safely for a Move

No matter the type of move whether it's across the country or just across town packing up all of your home's belongings and getting them to a new place can be stressful, time-consuming, labor-intensive, and exhausting. When it comes to packing up most items they can easily be safely stored in moving boxes and then stacked into a truck or a van. But how do you get your beloved house plants from one place to another?

When it comes to your plants it is not as simple as placing them in a box with the rest of your things and getting them from point A to point B. There are different things to consider when it comes to making sure your plants survive and move. You don't want to risk harm to your plants after you've taken so much time and money to care for them. Although it may take some extra work there is a number of different ways that you can safely transplant house plants from one home to another.

Here are some tips for getting your plants safely moved to your new home

Before making any moving efforts

Before you even consider how you will package up your plants and transport them it is a good idea to prepare your plant for a major transition. It is a good idea to give plants time to prepare and adjust before starting the process of moving them. Some plant experts and moving experts suggest that you prepare plants at least three weeks in advance for their big move.

You can begin this preparation process by making sure each plant is in a movable pot. The best type of pots are lightweight plastic ones filled with sterilized soil. This allows you to safely pack away the original pots that they are housed in every day to ensure that they will not break. After they have been in their new plastic unbreakable pot for about a week it is a good idea to prune them. Three days before moving make sure that all plants have an adequate amount of water. This helps to ensure that every plant has plenty of water and is not forgotten about as you become busy in the days leading up to your move.

Transporting plants in a car

The plant expert Bloom and Grow recommends that you transport plants in the car you will personally be driving from one home to another. They recommend that plants sit in the passenger area of the vehicle to enable you to keep an eye on them as well as be able to keep physical control of their environment while you are moving them. If you are driving to a destination that requires overnight travel it is advised that you take plants out of the car and not leave them in overnight. You can place your plants in a box without a lid with cushioning between the pots to help them have stabilization during the drive.

Flying

If you are moving a significant distance and need to fly you may have the option of bringing some of your favorite houseplants on the plane with you. Or maybe on a train or a boat. You can actually pack some of your plants safely in your luggage. You can do this by placing a damp paper towel over the plant's soil to keep it adequately watered and then using a plastic bag and placing the pot of the plant inside. Make sure that this bag is only surrounded the potted area of your plant and then secure it with a rubber band. Once this is done you can wrap the foliage of your plant with newspaper. After this is done you can gently place it on the top of your carry-on bag. As you travel you want to make sure that you keep this bag under gentle supervision.

Shipping plants

If it is not an option to keep your plants with you you can safely ship them to their new home. With the right packaging technique, you can safely get your plants from point A to point B. Need to start by removing them from the breakable pot they are in and separate as much soil from the plant's roots as you can. You want to wrap the roots in a damp moss-covered paper towel and seal it into the plant with plastic wrap. This might take a couple of layers to make sure everything is securely and completely sealed. Once it is sealed grab some masking tape to secure everything. Now wrap the entire plant in bubble wrap or some layers of paper before placing it into the shipping container. You want to make sure there is adequate cushioning to keep the plant from any movement during shipping and ship the plant as soon as possible after packing.

What to do once your plants have reached their new home

When your plants are in your new home you want to make sure that you give them attention as soon as you can. Moving plants puts a lot of stress on your plants and it is important to help relieve that stress by setting them up properly for a quick recovery. You want to make sure to expose them to their preferred amount of sunlight right away.

If you have any plants that have wilted remove any dead pieces of the plant as soon as you can so that the thriving areas can revive any lost energy. Give your plant some fertilizer and extra nutrition to help assist them in acclimating to their new home.

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