As a rule of (green) thumb, plants don’t like to be moved. However, there are steps you can take to prepare and pack your house plants for moving without them feeling the stress:
- Hire an Experienced Removals Team
- Prune Plants
- Repot Plants
- Check for Insects and Parasites
- Water
- Pack, Wrap and Protect
- Recreate Conditions and Avoid Shock
1. Hire An Experienced Removals Team
Above all else, make sure you hire an experienced removals team who you can trust to move your beloved house plants with care. We’d recommend going for a team with excellent Google reviews, as these are often an indicator of how reliable a service is.
If you’re thinking of storing your plants, most storage facilities won’t let you store plants. So, if you’re planning to store your plants while you move, this is a good point to arrange a sleepover with a trusted friend for them instead.
2. Prune
Moving house is a great time to declutter – and this includes your plants. Pruning will remove dead leaves which tidies up the plant and makes it more compact for travel. It also promotes growth so you can expect some shiny new leaves in your new home!
3. Repot Plants
If your plants are in expensive or china/clay pots, repot them into shatter-proof plastic pots before the move. To give your plants time to adjust, you should do this at least three weeks before the move – if not more.
Some plants, like the monstera, will require supports to keep them growing tall instead of sprawling out. This is a good time to consider if your plants can be better supported with a pole.
4. Check for Insects & Parasites
You should also check for insects and parasites and remove them from your plants. This step will depend on the type of plant and the type of insect, so double check with Google before you do anything else.
One of the most common types of plant pest are aphids and mealybugs / white insects – which are notoriously hard to get rid of. There are some great videos online on how to debug your plants, including this great solution for insects from Garden Up.
5. Water
Water your plants as you would on a regular week, but avoid overwatering. The soil should be moist, but not too wet, so the roots remain damp during the move. Too much water is bad for your plant.
If you’re worried about your plants leaking, you can line the base of your boxes with towels to soak up any excess liquid.
6. Pack, Wrap and Protect
Although most house plants can take a bit of a beating without long-term damage, it is crucial to protect your plants for the move.
We’d recommend that you wrap your plant pot in bubble wrap, and then pack with packing paper or newspaper. If you are storing more than one plant in a box, you should also cushion the space between these plants to stop them falling over. For taller plants, you can also use supports on either side to put stretch wrap around the plant, so the sides are protected too.
On top of this, you can wrap the base of your plant in a plastic bag to avoid dirt spilling out – but don’t cover the whole plant.
Depending on the size, most small and medium plants will fit into moving boxes just fine – but leave the lid open so it can get oxygen.
7. Recreate Conditions and Avoid Shock
You should try to replicate the condition your plants are in in your current home, in your new home. This will help your plant get used to its surroundings and become acclimated quicker.
Read our blog for more tips and tricks on how to move and store like the experts – including how to prepare your furniture for storage and how to cope with the stress of moving house.
To find out more about our removals and storage services, check out our website or contact us.
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Written by Holly Charman, for Falconer Removals.
