Keep Houseplants Safe While Moving!

Getting ready to move?  Are houseplants part of your home?  If you answered yes to both questions, chances are you are concerned about how to keep your plants healthy while you make your move.  Below, Lexington Mini Storage has some tips to make the transitions for your houseplants as easy as possible!

If your plants are in large, bulky pots, it may be best to replant them into lighter, plastic pots.  Although this is time consuming, it will be save you time in the long run – doing this will allow your plants to become acquainted to the new planters before the move. 

Water your plants well two or three days before your move. You don’t want them to be sopping wet (and therefore heavy!), but you also don’t want them to be thirsty.  When it’s time to move, place your plants in sturdy boxes and pad them with plastic bubble wrap. This will create a stable base for the time that you pack them into the vehicle for transport.

Try to pack your plants in your vehicle at the last moment. A van is ideal if you have tall plants. If you don’t have access to one, you can place taller plants on the floor of your vehicle and smaller ones on the backseat. Take multiple trips instead of trying to pile plants on top of each other to make sure that the branches are protected.

When you arrive at your new place, uncover your plants and try to find a location in your new space that’s similar to its location in your last home. Plants can be very sensitive to extreme changes in light exposure, so try not to move a plant that had been living in a south facing sunny window to a north-facing window that gets little light. You will have a very unhealthy plant very quickly if you don’t pay attention to its placement, so keep that in mind.

Wait a week or two before returning your plants to their original pots. Again, letting them get acclimated to their new location will give them a chance to recoup from the move.

Once you place them in their original planters, the plants will finally fill at home again.