Plants are hard enough to take care of when they’re sitting quietly on your table. Moving them to a new place is a whole different story. Whether you’re taking a road trip, or flying across the country, here’s the best way to protect your leafy friends when you’re traveling to your new home.
What You’ll Need
- Plastic or sturdy pot – Ceramic and clay pots are fragile, so you want to repot your plant in a pot that won’t break in transit.
- Box that fits – Get a box that the new pot will fit in snugly; you don’t want much movement in the box.
- Fresh soil – Fresh, sterile soil to use when repotting the plant into its temporary home.
- Plastic bag – Get one that is large enough to fit over the pot, and one for each plant.
- Twist ties or tape – These are to secure the bags.
- Packing paper or bubble wrap – To be placed in the box around the plant to cut down on movement.
Note: Alien invasive insects and plants are potentially devastating local ecosystems. It is extremely important to make sure your plant is free of pests. The best way to prevent transporting harmful stowaways is to attach a flea collar to the base of the plant for a few days before moving. The sterilized soil also aids in keeping pests away from your pots.
Preparation and Packing
Step 1. Check whether there are any laws concerning moving plants to your destination, and follow their guidelines. If you’re moving within the same state, you can skip this step. Moving to another state or across the country may be trickier, but all the restrictions and rules are available on official government websites.
Step 2. Using your new soil and plastic pot, replant your plant baby 1 or 2 weeks before moving time, so the plant can adjust before the move.
Step 3. Pack your fragile pots the same way you would your other glass or porcelain items. Then, 1 to 3 days before moving, water the soil. You want the soil to be damp when the travel begins. Of course this depends on how much water your plant actually needs. Succulents and cacti do not need water as often as other plants, so make sure you’re not overwatering.
Step 4. Moving time! Time to pack your plant. Here’s what you should do:
- Secure the bag over the pot, and attach it to the base of the plant. You want to keep the soil from spilling.
- Put the plant in the box, and then fill in empty spaces with packing paper (I recommend old newspapers) or another packing material. Don’t squish the plant too much!
- Seal up the box, label it with ‘fragile’, ‘live plant’, and ‘this side up’.
- Lastly, poke some holes in the box to allow some air flow.
These instructions are good to use for any method of travel, but if you’re unsure if your plants specific needs, talk to your local garden shop, or look up care instructions for the type of plant you have. Want to see more things that don’t cross most people’s mind when moving? Check out my post on 10 things most home buyers don’t think about.
Methods of Transport
By car – Taking them in the car with you is the best option, because you can control where the plants are packed, and keep them from being exposed to extreme temperatures. Moving companies usually won’t transport live plants, so make sure to find out ahead of time.
Shipping – You can also ship your plant to your final destination, but there are some risks involved. While delivery people work hard to make sure our packages arrive in one piece, accidents do happen, and your boxes may not stay upright during shipping.
By plane – This is by far the trickiest and most restrictive form of transport. The TSA probably won’t let you take a live plant on board, and unless your plant is small, it won’t fit into the overhead compartments without having to be laid on its side.
Are you looking for a new home, or a property to build on? I’m licensed in DC, VA, WV, and MD. Contact me at sian@sianpugh.com for further information about available properties, or take a look at a few of the communities I work in.
Did you enjoy this post? You may like these as well:
- How to Never Miss a New Home
- The Best Northern Virginia Spring Plants
- It’s a Seller’s Market – Find Out How to Get Top Dollar
Leave a Reply