Making any significant move is stressful enough, but when you include actual live things like pets and plants, the stress of moving becomes even more difficult to manage. Have you thought about how to care for your plant buddies while moving? You may already be planning on how to keep pets content during the move.
Here are some excellent tips for keeping your plants happy and healthy on the lengthy journey to a new home.
Plant preparation. Remove all dead leaves and branches from your plants a few weeks before the relocation, and give them a good pruning. Dust, vermin, and weeds should be removed one week prior to your move.
Pot again in plastic. Take plants out of their heavy pots and planters a few weeks before your move and give them new homes in lightweight plastic pots to make transporting plants easier on your body.
Keep an eye on the weather. Transporting plants in a temperature-controlled space, such as your automobile, is preferable. Bring your plants inside with you if you spend the night at a motel (this is especially important if the weather is unusually warm or cold).
Provide the correct amount of water to them. Plants do not like the mix of cold and wet or hot and dry. Plants have a difficult time remaining comfortable, even in an air-conditioned vehicle. Water plants thoroughly on moving day and during your trip if you are moving in the summer. If you’re traveling in the winter, water your plants one last time a few days before you leave to keep the soil dry.
learn the law. Check with customs if you’re relocating to a new country to be sure you can bring your plants with you; some nations won’t permit particular species over their borders. Moving across states necessitates some planning as well; due to pest control measures and regional restrictions on growing specific plants, the US Department of Agriculture mandates inspections of plant materials crossing some state lines. Although California is known for being particularly stringent with its botanical visitors, other states also inspect plants upon arrival (a chart is available on this page).
Avoid depending on relocation companies. Many moving firms decline to carry plants with the rest of your household due to the aforementioned laws as well as potential liabilities. Be careful, too, because packing up your plants and having the movers transport them unwittingly could breach your agreement with them and void any insurance you may have for damage to your other equipment during the move.
Post them. You can mail plants ahead of you, but there is undoubtedly a risk to their health. Plants should be removed from their containers, with the roots pruned and the root ball wrapped in a moist cloth and then plastic. Put the entire plant in a strong, new box and secure it with lots of newspaper and bubble wrap (seriouslyfill every space in the box and lock that thing down). Send the box on its way with plenty of “Fragile,” “Live Plant,” and “This End Up” stickers after adding some weight to the bottom of the box, if necessary, to keep it upright.
And if you can’t move your house plants…
Observe a cutting. Keep a cutting and try to re-grow your favorite botanicals at your new house if your plants are entrenched in the yard or are too large to transport.
Send them out. Your plants may be portable, but if you think they won’t make it, make plans to gift some of your healthy, happy plants to your friends and neighbors before you leave.
Can you cross-country move indoor plants?
Have you ever wondered how to transport indoor plants across the country (or the city)? If so, you’ve arrived at the ideal location.
Move smoothly People have always had a tendency to be somewhat green. In fact, you could say that we began in and around plants—precisely, strawberries (fragariaananassa).
We have consistently been Portland’s most dependable and reasonably priced moving business. But Greg relocated to his sister’s strawberry farm in Sandy, Oregon, more than thirty years ago, and that is where we got our start working with strawberries. Using the vehicle that was previously used to transport the gear for his band, he began making local deliveries.
Greg’s firm prospered during the ensuing years, so he acquired more trucks and added personnel. He eventually purchased a building and started a moving business there.
And this? People now use Smooth Move People for all of their residential and business relocation needs.
Can all House Plants Survive a Cross Country Trip?
First off, it’s crucial to keep in mind that not all house plants can make it across the nation. It might be challenging to provide plants the regular care and attention they require while moving because they are frequently delicate.
If you absolutely must keep some indoor plants, though, we’ve found some advice on how to transport indoor plants across the country.
Even if it’s improbable that you have a plant in your home that is prohibited in another state, it wouldn’t hurt to conduct some research to see if you’re allowed to ship a specific species of plant across state boundaries.
Asking your moving company if they even permit plants on their trucks is a smart idea as well. You might need to find other transportation arrangements for your plants, including driving them yourself, as many businesses view plant moving as being too risky.
We at Smooth Move People have offered some recommendations for home relocation. Please take note that we advise handling “pets, plants, and some of your own belongings. In addition to the advice in this blog post, we are delighted to offer further recommendations for moving indoor plants. Simply ask!
By the way, we are also able to supply you with all of the packing materials you’ll require for your relocation, including boxes, tape, paper pads, shrink wrap, and more. It’s one of the services we provide to remove the guesswork and hassle from packing your house.
It’s time to prune your home plant for packing when you have two to three weeks before your move, for example. To discover the best ways to prune and pack your beloved and green companion, it is recommended to refer to online sources (or perhaps your local college botanist).
Take It, But Gently! by way of the garden The following tips are provided by our partners at The Spruce for transporting your outside plants: “Take some cuttings if you want to move some of your outdoor plants but don’t want to destroy the new owner’s landscape. Get some flower tubes, put water inside of them, and cap them. By doing this, you should be able to get your cuttings to your new house and garden in good condition.
Prepare Your Plants For Action You’ll need to first locate boxes that will fit your plants before you can transport them across the country. To prevent the boxed plant from moving about too much during the relocation, most moving professionals advise lining the box with plastic or bubble wrap. Especially if the plants are tall, you’ll probably need to put them on the floor of the backseat of your car.
Make sure you are aware of the climates through which you will be moving the plants and the climates into which you wish to relocate them before beginning any of these activities. Moving a plant that requires a lot of sunlight to an area with little to no sunlight doesn’t make much sense.
Always make sure to properly mark your plants once you’ve boxed or bagged them to prevent accidental loading into the moving vehicle.
Summary of Transportation of House Plants Across the Country You’ll definitely need to complete your research because there are too many aspects of plant life and needs to cram into a brief blog post like this. We hope that the information provided here will help you prepare for transporting your indoor plants across the country.
After all is said and done, it could be wiser to wait until you move into your new house before purchasing fresh house plants and garden plants that will flourish there. Just make sure to give someone who will treat them well and meet their demands just as much as you did the responsibility of caring for your previous plants.
How are potted plants transported across the country?
- bringing them along in your car
- flying alongside them
- delivering them
Additionally, how you pack depends on how you’ll be crossing state borders with your plants. Let’s determine which of these choices is best for you.
Put them in the car
This is the simplest and quickest way to carry plants, and you can take care of them while driving. This is usually the best option, provided that there is space in your car. To prevent them from being harmed by high temperatures, don’t forget to bring them inside when you stop over night.
Bring plants on a plane with you
Can plants be brought on board a plane? Yes! If you’re flying, you can either check your bags or carry them as long as you adhere to TSA regulations. Verify the size restrictions and packing requirements with your airline.
Ship live plants with a parcel service
All three companies—USPS, UPS, and FedEx—will ship plants, but they all operate under distinct rules. To ensure that your plant arrives quickly, use the quickest shipping mode and avoid shipping on weekends or during major holidays.
Protect live plants and cuttings
No matter which moving technique you use, start with a bug check and some water before packing.
Check for pests. Contact the local agriculture department office for an inspection and paperwork if your new state requires a certified inspection. Otherwise, be sure you are not relocating any animals by inspecting the soil and the plant.
Water it. Two or three days before relocating, water your plants. Although not drenched, the soil should be damp. Most plants can survive for 7 to 10 days without water, but it’s crucial to provide a drink a few days before packing to make sure the roots stay moist during transportation.
Shipping
If you need any packing advice, ask the shipping firm. Visit a neighborhood nursery if none are present. Usually, they may provide you advice on how to best safeguard your plant before shipping it. When packing it, take the weather into account as well. You might wish to insulate the cargo if it needs to travel through extremely cold temperatures, for instance.
Driving
Making ensuring your plant is safe while yet receiving enough air is crucial in this situation. Depending on whether it’s a potted plant or a cutting, use the appropriate technique:
How to move houseplants in pots:
Repot the plant into a plastic container with new, sterile soil a few weeks before you move. The original clay or ceramic pots should be packed with other delicate goods using our packing suggestions. next get the plastic pot ready for transport:
- To keep soil contained, place a plastic bag over the pot’s base and tie, collect, and tape it at the base of the plant.
- Prepare a box by thoroughly tape the bottom seams so that it can securely retain the pot. After that, put the plant inside.
- To keep the plant safe yet able to breathe, fill in any spare space around the container and plant with packing paper or newspaper.
- Make a few small air holes on the box’s sides to promote airflow.
- Keep the box upright in the car and mark it “Live Plant” and “Fragile.”
Arrangement of cuttings:
You can take a cutting from outdoor plants or plants that are too large to relocate (a stem or root piece that you can replant at the new place). This is how:
- Cut a section of the bloom or bush with healthy growth that is 3 to 6 inches long in the morning using a clean, sharp clipper.
- Wrapping the cutting end in wet paper towels and fastening it with rubber bands will keep it moist.
- Use a little plastic bag or a stem holder made of plastic (available at a nearby florist) to cover the end.
- Handle it delicately and like a bouquet.
Advice: To keep a cutting moist while in transit, place it in a tiny plastic container first before lightly wrapping it in plastic. Use the preceding instructions and the specifications from your shipping agency to pack the cutting.
How should indoor plants be moved when moving?
Your house plants can travel for up to three days without needing any care if you properly follow our moving-plant recommendations.
BEFORE YOUR MOVE
To prepare your plants for relocating so they can withstand changes in their environment without withering or breaking, follow these instructions:
- three weeks before the actual move. Plants should be repotted from clay pots into equivalent-sized, shatterproof plastic containers.
- two weeks before the actual move. With your thumb and forefinger, pinch back younger growth on larger plants while you remove dead leaves, branches, and blossoms with scissors or gardening shears. Plants that have been pruned will be more manageable and transportable. After your move, it will also produce gorgeous, bushy, healthy plants. Never cut down ferns or succulents (e.g., cactus, jade plants, aloe).
- one week before the actual move. Verify plants for parasites and insects. Apply pesticides with caution and according to label instructions. Have a plan for donating or disposing of any pesticides before relocating since they are on our list of prohibited products.
- two days before the actual move. Regularly water your plants, being careful not to overwater. In cold weather, too much water can cause plants to freeze, while in warm weather, it can encourage the growth of fungi.
MOVING DAY
Pack your plants the night before or the morning of your relocation to get ready. Following are some moving plant packing tips:
- Wrap. To stop branches from breaking, wrap big plants in tissue paper or an old bed sheet.
- Position. A box should fit each pot tightly at the bottom. Use standard moving boxes, such as dish packs, that are offered by your Atlas mover.
- Pack. If required, lay paper around the pot’s base in the box to keep it in place. To allow plants to breathe, poke holes in the box’s sides and loosely fasten the lid.
- Label. Mark the top and sides of the boxes using a sharpie. This will lessen the chance of their accidently being loaded onto the moving truck.
- Control. Ensure that the inside of your car is at a comfortable temperature. Your plants might suffer from extreme cold or heat.
ONCE YOU’RE HOME
It’s crucial to restore your plants to the state they were in at your former residence once you’ve settled into your new one. This is how:
- Unpack. Plants should be unpacked as soon as feasible. To avoid breaking, remove the plants through the bottom of the box.
- Place. Repot plants in containers that are the same size as the ones you had before moving.
- Stabilize. Plants should not be moved until they have acclimated.
- Heal. Give your plant a few days to recover if it experiences transplant shock as a result of your transfer. Follow the advice in “Common Household Plants and How to Care for Them” if your plant still seems unwell.
To avoid breaking leaves and branches, remove the plants through the bottom of the box.
Your plants will transfer successfully if you plan ahead and pay close attention. They’ll be prepared to thrive in their new home, just like you.