Moving With Your Houseplants

If you are someone who looks around your home and sees plants that you have put your heart and soul into for years, then the thought of them not accompanying you to your new home is pretty disappointing. Giving one or two plants away is one thing, but anything more than that is not something anyone wants to do. Well, you will be happy to know that plants can make the move with no problem, even one of significant distance, if you plan properly.

Plan On Moving Yourself
Although you can ask your moving and storage company if they will handle houseplants, it is very rare that you will find any who will. Every company has a different policy, but since they are difficult to put monetary value on them, most can’t move them for insurance reasons. If they were to be damaged, then there would be the potential for a lengthy claim fighting over the value. Not to mention, do you really want someone else handling them? Plus, moving trucks can be very hot in the summer and like a freezer in the winter; houseplants should be moved in a temperature-regulated environment.

Government Requirements
If you are bringing any outdoor plants along, it should be noted that each province may have different regulations. Indoor plants are not an issue, but outdoor plants are. If you have a question, the Department of Environmental Affairs in your destination province will be able to help.

Transplant to Plastic
Unless you are dealing with very temperamental plants, such as bonsai trees, jade plants and cacti, you should transplant any plants you have in breakable pots into plastic ones. If you are not sure if the plant will survive, don’t chance it; just be extra careful with it.

You may even decide that you don’t want to move large plants, but simply bring cuttings from them. In this case, you can wrap them in wet moss and newspaper, place them in an unsealed bag and they should be fine for a couple days until you can put them in water to root at your new house. This is ideal for cross country moves, if you don’t have room in your car for a bunch of pots.

Bag and Box
Taller plants should be wrapped in plastic to help prevent damage. Add a couple garden posts to the soil and cover with a plastic bag. Just make sure to poke holes in the bag so your plant can breathe! Place the pots in boxes or plastic bins so you can set them on your backseat or the cargo floor of your SUV or minivan. If you have breakable pots, use towels or something similar to keep them from vibrating together over bumps.

Arrival
When you arrive at your new home, remove any plastic and place them in appropriate areas depending on their sunlight needs. You don’t want to transplant them out of the plastic pots yet. Give them at least a week or so or you can over-stress them. Any cuttings you brought along can be placed in water immediately to root.

Are you moving soon or in the near future? Moving the traditional way puts an unbelievable amount of trash and other waste into our landfills which are harmful to the planet. Consider getting green plastic moving boxes from us at Rentabox. 

We’ll deliver them to you and pick them up from your new address so you don’t have to worry about it. With Rentabox, moving can be a streamlined, pleasant experience all the way around!