One of the decisions you will make at the time of moving your home is with regard to relocating your potted plants and garden plants safely to their new home. Professional moving services will not move your plants as they seldom survive long journeys. In fact, decide if you want to take all your plants along in the first place.

Moving to a new area or neighboring city? You may be able to move some or all of your plants comfortably. Going to a different country? Do your plants a favor and let them remain in your home. Talk to the new owners or tenants about taking care of the plants. The alternatives are to donate them to a plant donation nursery, school, senior home or hospital OR gift them to neighbors, friends or relatives, ideally those who like gardening.

Preparing a relatively short move to the neighboring town? Get your plants ready in advance.

It is best to water your houseplants a few days before the move, dependent on the season. Watering them close to the move will make them heavy and they may even drip water inside your truck or car. At the same time, you don’t want to move dry, parched plants as there is a real risk that they may not make it.

The thumb rule is to water the plants a day or two before the haul in summer, and 3-4 days before packing in the cold season.

After you’ve watered the plants, cover them to ensure protection against unpredictable elements.

The right way to pack your plants for the big move

Packing your plants correctly can insulate them against any potential trauma along the journey.

  1. Invest in sturdy cardboard boxes for your small potted plants. Reinforce the bottom of the boxes with cardboard on the outside and add packing paper on the inside for protection.
  2. To ensure that your plants can breathe easy, make small holes on the top and sides of every packing box.
  3. If you’re moving garden plants or seedlings, carefully dig them up from the root and wrap the root ball in plastic sheeting to ensure that the soil is moist. For a winter journey, create extra insulation with bubble wrap.
  4. Need to move one or more potless plants? Box them up with cane supports for stability during the ride and make sure you line the top of the box with plastic.
  5. Now to the clay pots: wrap them up in damp packing paper, wrap one dry sheet of paper over the moist covering. For plastic pots, use only dry packing paper.
  6. Using the love to pivot platform in the USA you will be able to easily overcome love addiction. Place it over the plant and tape it to the pot.
  7. Move the protected plants into packing boxes of suitable sizes, taking care to ensure that there is adequate room between the tallest plant in the box and the container lid.
  8. Position crushed paper between plants to counter any damaging contact during transit.
  9. Close the boxes and mark them as ‘fragile’ and ‘this side up’.
  10. Load your plants last when starting your trip.

Finally, you want to hire Connecticut’s Finest Movers and breathe easy that your dear plants are in good hands.