Are you about to move and nervous about transporting your plants? If you’re relocating to or from the Miami area, make sure to hire a professional Miami moving company that will acknowledge your concerns and help you come up with a good plan. In the meantime, read on to learn how you can move your plants safely.
Travel Options
Here are some ways you can move your plants from your old home to the new one:
Traveling in the Car
If you only have a few small plants, you can transport them with you in the car to make sure that they are not squashed with other stuff and are not fried under high temperatures. However, if you have a lot of plants or are traveling with other people in the car, this option may not be practical.
Air Freight
Choosing to move plants via air will let you transport them quickly. However, you’ll need to pack your plants the right way and take note that the airline won’t treat them better than any standard goods.
Professional Moving Company
Your best bet in giving the utmost care and attention to your plants is to hire a professional moving company. They specialize in making sure your things get to their new destination with no scratches or trauma for your plants.
To-Do List for Your Plants’ Move
After picking how you want to transport them, you can follow the tips below to keep your plants safe.
1. Water Your Plants a Few Days Before the Moving Date
Refrain from watering your plants on the day of the move or the day before. If you do, the plants will have soggy soil, making them heavier to lift. What’s more, they may drip water in the moving truck, jeopardizing the other things inside.
2. Keep Your Plants’ Nursery Pots
It’s exciting to repot plants so they fit your new place’s aesthetic. However, it’s best to refrain from repotting them for the moment. Especially if you move around a lot, it’ll be better if you just keep your plants in their plastic nursery pots, so they don’t crumble. Plus, the plastic pots will be less heavy to move.
3. Dig Up as Many Roots as You Can
If your plants don’t have a pot, make sure to dig up as many roots as possible. Wrap the roots in burlap to protect them. Then, put them in a pot with enough space and with moist soil. This is also true for trees and shrubs.
4. Pad the Pots
Pots can often be more expensive than the plant itself. To protect the pots and the plants inside them, pad them sufficiently before the move. Use bubble wrap, paper sleeves, and even plastic tubs, then put them in boxes. You can also cushion the plants with things already available inside the house like dish towels, crumpled paper, grocery bags, and old magazines.
5. Tie the Stems Together
Gently pull your plants’ stems inward and tie them together loosely. In the course of their transport – from your doors to the car or moving truck, and to your new home’s entryway – letting your plants spread out will only pose dangers to their branches.
6. Cover the Foliage
Use Kraft paper or newspaper to protect your plants from sun damage, frostbite, punctures, or tears. Wrap the paper around the plant and tape it securely.
7. Separate the Plants
This is to protect your other foliage from getting damaged. For example, your cacti and succulents should be packed in a distinct box with foam between their pots. These plants’ spikes can harm other plants. The same is true for different kinds of plants, such as roses with thorns.
8. Pick a Covered Car or Truck
Plants are delicate, and exposing them to heat and wind is not a good idea. Preferably, you’ll want to put them in an enclosed space that has air conditioning. The back of a pickup truck is especially a no-no, even if it’s just a short distance ride.
9. Let the Plants Adjust
Open the boxes where you placed the plants as soon as possible and put them in their recommended spaces in the new house (succulents under direct, full sunlight, etc.). You can also remove any buds or flowers that suffered a trauma so your plants can focus on recovering.
When Is the Best Time to Move for Your Plants?
Early spring and fall prove to be the most efficient and safe times to move your plants. During this time, the plants don’t need much water. The cool weather is also less harmful to your plants to be exposed to. That said, avoid extreme temperatures and prolonged exposure so that your plants don’t get damaged or die.
Here are the temperatures you need to be aware of:
• Light freeze ( – 29° to 32° F) – Will affect delicate plants
• Moderate freeze (- 25° to 28° F) – Generally destroys most plants
• Severe or hard freeze (- 25° F) – Most plants will suffer heavy damage
Keep Your Plants Protected When You Move
There are many steps you should follow to make sure your plants suffer the least damage possible. After you move them to your new space, you can also give them fertilizer to supplement the nutrients they lost during transport.
Lastly, remember that plants are similar to humans, and they need time to transition to a new environment. Be patient and continue caring for them.