How to Safely Transfer Indoor Plants to a New Location
Pretty much anything about moving around is tricky and annoying, and makes you swear you’ll never move again. But getting around with a large collection (or even several) indoor plants is even more difficult. You need to make sure that they survived the trip, that their pots didn’t break, and that dirt didn’t spill all over the place and stain all of your belongings.
Luckily, in an article for mindbodygreen, professional plant stylist Hilton Carter shares some tips for successfully moving houseplants while keeping them safe and sound. Here’s what you need to know.
Before moving
Taking a few steps forward when you start moving – and even packing – saves you a lot of hassle on the day of your big move. Here are two of Carter’s suggestions :
Make sure the soil is dry
Yes, plants need water to live, but it is also more difficult to move plants with freshly watered soil because they are harder to move. Here’s Carter’s advice:
This means that if you plan to move in a week, it is best to let the soil dry out so that the plant and pot are much lighter and easier to transport … If you are dealing with a plant that needs water and place a bottle filled with water on top. This will help keep the soil moist, but it will not become too wet and heavy.
Use plant pots
Leaving the plant in a plastic nursery pot is okay if roots don’t grow out from underneath, Carter said. Transporting them in baby pots – separate from heavy planters or pots – can make the job a little easier.
How to pack plants
Now that it’s time to pack, spending a little more time doing it carefully can save you a lot of time (and hassle) when you move to a new location.
Cover the pot and plant
If your plant lives in a fragile pot (no baby planter), Carter recommends using packing material to wrap it around to keep it safe in transit. It’s time for the top of the plant. Per Carter:
Take a plastic bag or sheet and wrap it tightly around the top of the pot, tape it to make sure the dirt doesn’t spill out. Just make sure you don’t block the drain holes. Make sure the roots can still breathe.
Tie up the branches of larger plants
To make it easier to get in and out of moving trucks and doorways, Carter suggests tying the branches of your larger plants:
The best way not to break one of the limbs is to gently pull it inward. To do this, use garden velcro or rope to slowly join branches or stems and tie them together. This will cause the branches and stems to go upward rather than outward.
Wrap the plant
Finally, Carter says it’s best to wrap the top of the plant to protect it during the move:
Using craft paper, tear off a piece long enough to wrap around your plant. Once you wrap it around all the foliage, secure it with tape. It also helps when you move into the colder months of the year. This will help protect the foliage from frostbite.
Apparently, there are special services for moving plants, but this sounds expensive and not quite true.