Moving is never anybody’s idea of fun, but doing it with plants can add a layer of complication and risk to your relocation. Moving plants can be stressful and daunting, but there are ways around it. People often think plants cannot survive on their own during transport. When you pack up your stuff, don’t forget the importance of packing up your plants too.
Inventory Your Plants
Before you start packing your plants, take inventory of how many you have and the light conditions they are currently in. Do a walkthrough of your new apartment space and be sure that you can provide your plants with a similar environment. If you cannot, it may be time to find your plant baby a new home. For plants that need a humid environment, chances are your new apartment won’t provide the same level of humidity. If you hold on to them they will most likely die a slow and painful death as a result.
You’ll want to take some time going over each plant’s needs and requirements beforehand so you can plan accordingly.
Prepping Your Plants for Transport-How to pack plants for the move is
There is no single correct way to do it, but here’s what you need to know: plants should be packed in such a manner that they won’t dry out or topple over during transport.
You don’t want plants with long leaves, like Dracaena and Yucca plants, to be in direct contact with the sides of a box or they might break. So when packing plants that have long leaves scrunch them into tight bunches and tie each bundle with string so they won’t fall apart when you unpack them at their new home.
Even plants like Peace Lilies, which don’t have long leaves, can topple over during a move.
To prevent this don’t pack plants with large surfaces flat against the box. Leave them at an angle so water won’t collect in their crowns and cause rot or mold to form.
Water plants thoroughly before you start packing them up for transport. This allows plants to store more water in their leaves and stems, which they will use as the soil dries out during transport.
How to Pack Your Plants
If you’re moving plants yourself, your options are to pack plants in boxes or bubble wrap them for safe transport. If plants are small enough they can be packed into boxes along with other things. If plants are larger, you might consider buying plants in pots that are already contained or covering plants with bubble wrap.
Two plants can be strapped to the top of a moving truck using bungee cords.
Moving plants in pots is easy – just pack them in boxes along with your other belongings, being sure not to put them on the bottom level so they don’t get squished.
When moving plants, the goal is to make sure you pack them well enough so they stay healthy and don’t arrive in poor condition. Moving plants are delicate creatures that need special attention when being transported from one place to another.
If you are moving a long distance, consider having your plants shipped to your new address using FedEx or UPS because it’s relatively inexpensive and plants tend to get handled with care when they are transported via these services.
For plants that need bright light, pack them in such a way so they can see some sun during transport. You don’t want the plants to be in the dark for very long. If you are taking plants with lots of airy foliage, pack them in such a way that they can get some fresh air during their travels.
You should also invest in plants boxes/containers to use while moving plants around. They are usually made out of corrugated cardboard and will last you longer than just this move.
Settling Plants into their new home
Be sure to give your plant babies some time to adjust to their new environment before placing them back into your home or office. Keep plants in the garage or outside for a few days, if possible, so plants can adjust to being back at home.
After plants have adjusted, introduce them to their new environment slowly by placing plants in a shady area of your home or office for a week so they can get acclimated. Be sure plants are close enough to an electrical outlet so you won’t have any dark days during the winter months.
We know plants rely on us to take care of them and provide a new environment, which they can thrive in. Our plants deserve the best and we don’t want to disappoint them!