Top Tips to Help You Transport Your Plants During a Home Move

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Top Tips to Help You Transport Your Plants During a Home Move

Top Tips to Help You Transport Your Plants During a Home Move

Moving to a new home is an exciting time, but it can also be stressful (just ask anyone who has or is in the process!) In particular, it can become even more taxing when you have specific items to transport that could be considered fragile or otherwise valuable. Houseplants often have a special place in most homeowners’ hearts for the satisfaction and beauty they can impart to a living space. Consequently, when moving, most folks want to bring over their prized plants but are fearful of irreparable harm to them.

Frtuently, with careful planning and the correct technique, you can rest assured that your green companions are not simply moved over to your new abode but will thrive in their new environment. This post discusses techniques you can utilize to help you pack and move them so they remain intact and bring you joy and happiness in your new home.

Begin Preparations Well In Advance Of The Actual Move

Plants need a period of adjustment when big changes occur, and most experts agree that allowing sufficient time is key to helping your believed greenery successfully transition between locations. When searching for how to move plants tips online, most articles will suggest giving them a head start by starting the moving process weeks before the scheduled move date.

This gives your foliage time to acclimate to different conditions, which should reduce the shock they will invariably encounter. Gradually exposing indoor plants to lower, indirect sunlight mimics their future environment. It strengthens their constitution to withstand potential transportation trauma.

Starting the hardening-off process early is especially important for prized specimens with low-light tolerance. With sufficient time, you can properly research and prepare for the various moving methods best suited for each species you own. Taking a strategic approach and not rushing the moving process helps plants and owners stay one step ahead of potential problems.

Give Them A Haircut To Allow For Simple Relocation

Trimming your plants back will help reduce their size and make them less unwieldy to transport. It’s also beneficial for the plants’ health. Less foliage means less for each plant to support during the stress of relocation. A haircut helps relocate the plant’s energy to root growth, which is vital to adapt to new surroundings. Moreover, fewer leaves and branches mean less is at risk of snapping or tearing during loading and unloading, which, if we’re honest, is where most damage tends to occur.

This minimizes shock and reduces cleanup after the fact. While it may seem counterintuitive, giving plants a trim a few weeks before moving day helps them adjust to the transition more smoothly. The haircut promotes vigor and helps prevent damage so these green companions can settle into their new home with the homeowners.

Acclimate Your Plants If They Have Been Indoors

Indoor plants that have lived in low-light areas (natural light) of your previous home may struggle if suddenly placed in a brighter area of your new one. Additionally, even the shock of exposure to natural light during the move could prove too much for plants of a more delicate disposition. You don’t want to shock your plants by abruptly placing them from a darker corner to a sunny windowsill or area exposed to harsh light.

Instead, most horticulturalists will suggest beginning the acclimation process two to four weeks before moving day, which, if you adhere to the first point in this post, should be something you are doing already. Move plants to an area of gradually increasing natural light, like near a north-facing window. This allows plants to adjust their metabolic functions and strengthen leaves and stems.

Come moving day, plants will be prepared to thrive in whatever lighting conditions their new home offers. You should note that even with sufficient preparation, you could still experience lower growth rates, drooping, or leaf loss. As long as you take good care of them when you move in, there is no need to worry about this at all.

Secure Your Plants In Special Boxes

Due to their inherent fragility, it is vital to secure your plants in special boxes designed for foliage. Without proper protection, the usual shaking and jostling experienced in moving trucks could easily cause them to break or snap under pressure. Specialist plant boxes have air holes to allow for airflow and drainage if watered prior.

The container should be slightly oversized to avoid root disturbance but not too large to leave room for plants to slide around. Furthermore, adequately packed plants can sometimes be stacked to maximize space and ensure a more expedited transition.

Wrap Larger Plants To Prevent Damage

Wrap Larger Plants To Prevent Damage

When transporting plants with a lot of leaves, it is best to use plastic wrapping, just like you would for a suitcase at the airport. All the leaves and branches will remain in their proper positions, and they will not have to worry about falling to the ground and breaking. Wrapping them also creates more space in the moving van, thus saving you money on trips.

If Your Plants Are Expensive Or Hard To Move, Hire Professionals Specializing In Transporting Plants

Moving companies without plant experience may not take the proper precautions through no fault of their own. If you hire an average moving company, chances are high that they won’t know how to transport them correctly, resulting in damage that could have been avoided had you hired a moving company with experience. Precious plants that are fragile, oversized, or have high monetary value need experts to transport them safely. Professionals have the right equipment, like padded plant dollies and blankets, to fully protect plants during loading, transit, and unloading.

Unpack Them Quickly And Allow Them To Adjust To Their Fresh Surroundings

Once you arrive at your new home, one of your first priorities should be unplacing them and setting them up in the new environment. This process also involves ensuring they are adequately watered and given enough nutrition to allow them to settle. Simply dumping them in a corner and ignoring them until you begin to see the leaves drop and the flowers brown won’t do if you want them to last any longer than a week.

Moving your plants may seem like a daunting task, but with some preparation and knowledge of what is involved, you can make the process much less stressful. The trips in this post should get you started, but if you are serious about entering your new home, replete with an array of verdant vegetation, you should consider hiring a moving company specializing in moving plants.

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