Safely moving plants to your new home

For many people, moving house also means moving plants. But how should you approach the challenge of packing up your old plants and safely transporting them to your new home? It’s not easy, and most people tend to get it wrong. Let this guide help you make sure you get it right from the start through to the end.

Shock Prevention Tips

Water, light and temperature are the three things that matters most when it comes to preventing shock. If your plants are exposed to too much shock, it can cause lasting damage to them, which is the last thing you want. If your plants are going to be starved of light during the transportation, it’s a good idea to reduce the amount of light they’re exposed to in the build up to the move. That way, the shock won’t be as extreme. It’s important to ensure your plants are watered properly before the move begins too.

Prune and Repot

Just before you start moving your plants is the ideal time to prune them and put them in better shape. Remove the leaves that are obviously dead, and get rid of any of the excess from the plants. When you’ve done that, you should repot the plants. Clay pots are to be avoided when undertaking a big move like this. So, stick to firm plastic pots that are more likely to hold strong.

The Season

Many people who move their plants during a home move don’t give much thought to the season, but that’s a big mistake. It’s always best to move plants when they are dormant. It’s easier, and it involves fewer risks for the plants, which is pretty important. Your plants will be dormant in early spring and late autumn, so this is the best time to be moving your plants if you have the luxury of being able to choose when all this happens.

Packing Tips

Packing paper should be wrapped around the pots before you transport them. Newspaper can do the job perfectly well. Find appropriate boxes that are capable of providing your plants with the right amount of room, without sacrificing security or protection. If you’re going to be packing multiple small plants in the same box, be sure to pack them as closely as possible to prevent movement and clashes during transportation.

Indoor Plants

The best way to deal with indoor plants is to pack them in open boxes. Shutting them off from light and air for too long is not a good idea, but they will remain pretty resilient in open boxes as they’re transported. You can secure them further by packing the space between the pots and the sides of the boxes with newspaper to hold everything in place where it should be.

What To Do When Your Plants Reach Your New Home

When you finally reach your new home with your plants, it will feel like a big relief. But you can’t relax just yet. It’s essential to unpack them from any boxes they’ve been in for the duration of the journey. What you should then do is let them stand for a while in their new environment. This will help to minimise the upheaval and reduce the shock levels the plant will experience.