Love of house plants can be a important part of your life especially when you about to move to a different location. So you trend to worry how to do a gentle relocation of your green collection, especially because there are so gentle to handle. But we in INTERMOVE have a lot of experience with plant moving and can give you a few advices so you can relax about your safe moving of your plants.

Therefore here is our useful tips to ensure the move is as stress free for them as it is for you

Preparing them for the move !

First of all our plants need time to prepare before moving. You don’t want your beloved peace lily to die in transit when you’ve been religiously tending to it for the last four years.

So, it’s important to prune and prime them so they’re looking and feeling their best ready for moving day. This means getting rid of any dead branches or leaves, deadheading old flowers and removing any pesky weeds.  You don’t want to be taking a ball of foliage with you when you could be taking a nice neat plant.

Any potted plants should be re-potted a few days in advance from their ceramic pots to much sturdier plastic ones, reducing the chance of broken pottery being scattered around your car or moving van. The original pots can be packed up separately and reunited with their inhabitants on the other side.

When digging up plants from your beloved garden, place larger shrubs and bushes in temporary pots where they can sit happily for a few days. For small plants make sure to wrap their root ball in plastic sheeting, so the soil stays moist and they don’t dry out. Try not to store the plants anywhere too hot or too cold, so they don’t accidentally think spring has sprung or winter is setting in. If you’re worried about more extreme cold, use old sheets or left-over bubble wrap to insulate plants from colder conditions.

Handling them on the Move !

When packing up, make sure any plants in containers are secured, safe and won’t tip over, so that you don,t find them, after opening a van door, lying destroyed on the floor.  Try wedging pots close together if possible or use padding to keep everything in place. You could also use garden tape on any branches that have a habit of sticking out too much, keeping them compact and less prone to breakage.  

In a case of  smaller plants try sitting them upright in cardboard boxes, being sure to create ventilation holes and keep lids untaped for easier watering and monitoring. It, s advisable to line boxes with bin bags or plastic sheeting so moisture doesn’t leak and weaken the cardboard.  Finally, make sure you label accordingly all boxes so everyone is aware of the delicate cargo they contain.

If you’r moving day is in the winter, keep boxes cosy by draping them with blankets and try to park in a sunny spot if you have to stop along the way.  However In the summer, park in the shade and open your windows slightly for ventilation so your plants don’t overheat.

When it comes to watering, it’s best to keep plants on the dryer side if moving them in the colder season.  When it’s hot, give plants lots of moisture, remembering to drain any excess when packing them into your car or van as to avoid extra weight. Try to keep any garden tools close by so you can tend to any emergency injuries if they occur unexpected..

Unpacking after the move !

Congratulations for making it to your destination with all your beautiful plants intact!

When unloading, try to find a safe area that won’t be disturbed for you plants to recover in, opening any boxes so they can get some much-needed sunlight.  It’s best to leave your plants in their travelling homes for a few days after their arrival, so as to minimise the effects of shock and let them recover.   

A few days later it’ll be time to properly and slowly introduce your plants to their new home.  Reunite plants with their original ceramic pots and introduce outdoor shrubs to your new garden. Be very careful when removing them from their boxes by cutting around the base of the carton and lifting them. 

It’s of most importance to find the perfect spot for each of your plants, so don’t be afraid to move them if an area turns out to get too much sun or shade. Keep a close eye on them for the first few weeks to ensure they’re settling in a good way. This might mean a little bit of extra care and attention but soon they’ll all be thriving in their new home.

We hope that you learn a few clever tricks in this guide!

Cherish your green friends, and we in INTERMOVE wish you a happy moving.