It’s time to calm down once you’ve moved your monstera plant!
Even if you package and send your monstera carefully, there may definitely be some damage. It’s acceptable if you lose a few leaves or break a few stems. Your monstera will begin to grow again and replace any fallen leaves once it has settled into its new location and is content with the care being given to it.
The most crucial step is to put it back on a regular maintenance schedule. These are the critical actions:
Find a spot with lots of light.
Put your monstera where it will receive a lot of direct and bright sunshine. If the plant was shipped with bare roots, plant it in a container that is at least 2-3 inches larger than the root ball.
Prune any damaged leaves or stems.
Repair any damage so the plant can concentrate on new growth rather than on supporting components that aren’t working properly anymore.
You might be able to propagate and create additional monstera plants by trimming the ends of broken stems and using a little rooting hormone if the leaves are in good condition.
Hold off on fertilizer.
Don’t fertilize now when the roots are so delicate because your plant just underwent a significant transformation and will likely experience some shock. Prior to starting your regular fertilizing schedule with Monstera Plant Food, give it around four weeks.
Give it time.
As it adjusts to its new environment, your monstera could appear a little drooping for a week or longer, but with regular care, it will brighten up! You and your monstera will soon be content in your new home if you just give it some time and affection.
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The original fertilizer made especially for monstera plants, Monstera Plant Food promotes healthy growth, dark green foliage, and disease resistance.
By car
A automobile is the greatest way to move a monstera plant. If your plant is little, you might be able to just set it down on the car floor or in a basket in the backseat that is lined with butcher paper or a thin sheet. You might need to lay down your monstera plant in the backseat or cargo compartment if it is huge and/or has a support.
To accomplish this, completely enclose the pot with plastic wrap to ensure that all of the soil is kept inside. Then, where you intend to place your plant in the car, spread out a sheet, tarp, or blanket. If your plant has a moss pole, you might also want to put down some pillows or small boxes to support it.
Turn the plant carefully on its side, clearing the leaves as you go to save them from getting trampled. Finally, to protect the plant from sunburn, lightly wrap it or cover it with a light sheet of paper.
Avoid blowing hot or cold air from the car straight onto your monstera leaves while you’re driving. To be safe, try slanting the vents away from the plant rather than using the sheet or paper to help with this.
Bring your monstera inside wherever you’re staying if you want to spend more than a day in the automobile.
By moving van or truck
Your top priority should be to keep your monstera plant from being crushed, therefore you should place it in a strong box with enough headroom for the leaves. You might need a dishwasher box, bag, or another sizable container to protect your plant if it is particularly tall or wide. To allow your monstera to breathe, make sure your box or container has some openings.
To secure the pot and stop your monstera from moving around in the box once you’ve placed it in the container, pile pillows, foam, or densely packed newspaper around it. To cushion the leaves, pull them upward and loosely wrap them in packing paper.
Additionally, you can take your monstera out of the pot and wash most of the soil away from the root ball. Spray the roots with water before wrapping them in wet paper towels and loosely clinging plastic wrap.
If you believe your moving vehicle will experience extreme heat or cold, try gently wrapping the box with moving blankets to act as insulation. Monsteras thrive in temperate temperatures (though not so tightly that it blocks airflow).
To avoid having your monstera’s box crushed underneath or between goods while you pack the van, try stacking other stuff on top of it.
Your monstera should survive a day or two in a car or moving truck. If the trip will last longer, make plans to bring it inside the hotel where you are staying and, if you shipped bare roots, to open the box and repaint them.
How can I move Monstera?
Because it is a tropical jungle plant, the Swiss cheese plant needs rich, nutrient-dense soil that retains moisture without becoming soggy. Peat moss is a fantastic addition to a typical, high-quality potting soil.
A pot with many of drainage holes and a depth deep enough to fit a stout stake should be chosen. The soil mixture should fill the bottom third of the pot. Lightly press the stake into the center. Very tall and mature cheese plants will require assistance from a second person to support the upper sections when being potted.
The original soil line on the plant should be slightly below the location of the new line when the base of the plant is placed within the container. The area around the aerial roots and base roots should be filled in. Utilizing plant ties, secure the stem to the stake by compacting the potting material around the stake.
Do Monsteras enjoy movement?
Repotting is not frequently required for mature Monsteras. But there are several telltale signs that your Monstera needs to be repotted, such its size, water absorption, and how long it’s been since the last time.
Repotting mature Monsteras is typically advised every two years, while there are many variables to consider. Remember that every plant is unique when determining whether your Monstera has to be transferred to a new pot.
Younger plants can require more frequent repottings to keep up with their growth and ensure that they receive regular access to new soil. To ensure that your houseplant has adequate nutrients to keep growing, repotting the soil is recommended.
How do you move with plants in tow?
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.
My Monstera can I leave in the car?
You might not want to bring in your new plants while it is raining or snowing because you recently purchased them. Maybe you just got back from a long trip and don’t feel like moving your plants tonight. In either case, you might be unsure if your plants will make it through the night in the car.
Therefore, is it okay to put plants in a car over night? If you avoid common dangers, plants can be left in a car overnight and will probably live. Extreme temperatures, freezing temperatures, and dry air are the three main causes of plant death in vehicles. If you keep your plants too long in a car trunk or in a dark garage, the lack of light could kill them.
Of course, there are various ways to safeguard your plants from these risks if you have to leave them in a car overnight.
How are plants long distance transported?
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.
Should I cut Monstera’s roots when I transfer it?
You need to divide or repot your Monstera into two or more smaller plants in order to free it from its root-bound condition. Either way, this will make sure that your plant’s roots have enough room to spread out and grow.
It is best to act sooner rather than later if you find that your Swiss Cheese plant is root-bound, similar to when your Monstera suddenly starts to droop. Your plant might return to growing and producing strong leaves and new stems as soon as you allow it more area to expand.
How do you repot a root bound Monstera plant?
It is straightforward and just needs to follow a few easy procedures to repot a Monstera plant that has become root-bound:
- Take the plant out of the pot, then delicately unwrap some of the roots to prevent further round, constrictive growth.
- Making careful to add enough soil, fill the bottom of the new pot so that when the Monster is placed inside, the top of the root ball will be a few inches below the top of the new pot.
- With one hand, carefully hold the plant while you begin to fill in the area surrounding the roots with fresh dirt. Be careful not to remove all the air pockets as you tap the earth down to support the plant.
- Making sure not to bury the plant too deeply in the pot, fill the pot with dirt up to the top of the root ball of the plant and stop.
- If you want to encourage your Monstera to climb as it grows in its new pot, water the plant and add a support post for it or a trellis.
And considering how much better suited for its continued growth this will likely be, moving your Monstera from its small pot into something bigger that’s going to be the best pot for your Monstera is really all that’s required. As previously said, splitting or repotting your Monstera will work to free up the roots, with both procedures essentially needing the same amount of effort.
Your plant will grow significantly over the next few months since its roots will like having more room to spread out and flourish. Repotting or splitting your formerly root-bound Monstera also provides the plant the chance to get new soil, which will give it the chance to develop and thrive by giving it more nutrients.
Due to this, it is advised that you:
- When handling your Monstera plant, wear gloves.
- After you’ve replanted or pruned your Monstera, thoroughly wash your hands. Before you eat or use the restroom, you should thoroughly wash off any sap that has gotten on your skin, even through work gloves.
- To prevent accidently putting sap in your eyes or lips while working, avoid touching your face.
How do you split a root bound Monstera?
To solve the problem, you can divide a bigger root-bound Monstera into multiple smaller plants by doing the following easy steps:
- The day before splitting, water the Monstera plant well to assist loosen the soil and make sure the roots are not unduly strained. This will prevent you from starting to stress it more by cutting it.
- Use the same procedures as for the other methods to remove your plant from the pot.
- Look for natural branches and offshoots by cutting through the roots and the stems’ junction point with a clean knife or pair of clippers.
- Remember that it is better to have two healthy plants than three stressed plants, so make sure that each new plant you cut off has enough roots and leaves to flourish.
- Take your new pots, fill them with potting soil, and if you’d like, add a slow-release fertilizer for your Monstera.
- Filling in the fresh soil and gently tamping it down will anchor the roots and support the plant in the new container. Support the plant so the top of the roots are a few inches below the lip of the pot.
- Fill the pot to the brim with dirt, covering the topmost roots with a thin layer so they are not exposed but taking care not to bury them too deeply.
- Make sure the plant can stand up on its own, tap the pot gently on your work surface, and then properly water the plant.
- As you would usually, take care of it, keeping in mind that as it gets used to the new growth conditions, some of the leaves may turn yellow and fall off.
Within a few weeks, fresh growth will become apparent. Also keep in mind that your Monstera (now two! ), which might be in shock from the splitting and transplanting, will require more care and attention than normal during this period. This is very normal, and your plants should recover over time.