Tips For Moving with Your Plants

You’ve ordered boxes and it feels like the holidays in your household since you are surrounded by tissue paper and tape. Piles have been made, mail has been forwarded, and travel arrangements are done. As you are packing some of your kitchen items, you move your favorite plant, and then you find yourself wondering how in the world to pack up your plants.

Making Sure Your Plants Can Move With You

Before you start getting creative, you’ll want to make sure your plants are welcome in your new location. Surprisingly, there are some restrictions on carrying plants across state lines, and the last thing you want is trouble from something you didn’t know was a problem.

Making the Move Easier on Your Plants

If your plants are welcome, then how you plan to move them becomes an issue. If you have hired a moving company, they may not be willing to transport them due to the extreme temperatures inside of vans possibly killing them. Airlines may also have restrictions on plants, so you will want to check with them in advance about their guidelines as well.

When moving your indoor plants, there are a few things you can do to make the move easier on them. You’ll want to make sure they are healthy so that moving is less of a stressor. If you can place them or replant them in plastic pots so they don’t break it will help protect them. For taller types of plants, adding stakes to tie them to can help them withstand constant movement. Most importantly, keep them moist. If you are replanting them, you can add sponges to the soil to help hold in more water than the pot would ordinarily hold, reducing the amount you need to water them during transit.

For your garden plants, you should first determine if they will thrive in your new location. You can read up on your plants and determine what zones they do well in, and if your plants will be compatible with the area they are going to. Checking with your local nursery can answer any other questions you may have, and they may have additional tips about fragile specimens. Waiting until the last possible minute to dig up and replanting as soon as possible is recommended.

Special Considerations

One other item to consider is where your plants have been placed before your move. If they have been outside for any length of time (on your porch, patio, garden), then dousing with a pest killer and covering overnight is recommended so you aren’t bringing these with you too to your new home.