Corpus Christi Plants – Whether you’ve cultivated the perfect indoor houseplant jungle complete with succulents and fiddle leaf fig trees, or you’ve got a couple plants in your landscaping that you just can’t bear to leave behind, we’re here to give you the 101 on how to move with plants!
Moving plants is going to be a little more difficult than moving, say, at couch or your mattress. While you may not need an entire moving team to haul your plants from point A to point B, moving with plants takes a fair amount of forethought, planning, and extra care to keep your plant babies alive and well during the transition, no matter if it’s the next town over, or several states away.
How do you move garden plants when moving?
Moving Outdoor Plants
If you’re thinking about moving plants from your outdoor landscaping to your new home, there’s a few things you need to take into consideration. The first being, if you want to move some of your outdoor landscaping, you’ll need to include this in the contract with the new owner of your previous home. During and after the sale of your previous home, the new buyer will probably expect all of the plants and current landscaping to be included with the home. You wouldn’t take the shutters and the front door with you when you move, and outdoor landscaping is in the same vein. If there’s a particularly special plant or small tree that you just can’t live without, talk to the new buyer about your wish to move it with you to your new home, and come to an agreement with them. While you’re not going to be able to move the 10 foot oak tree from the backyard, you could potentially dig up smaller plants and transport them with you.
Corpus Christi Plants – As an alternative, you can also take clippings (a piece of the plant that you propagate to plant at your new home) to grow a brand new plant. Depending on the plant, you’ll have to research if you can garner clippings from it. Some plants can grow from just a steam clipping, where other plants will need to be split and include part of the root to grow in a new home.
Additionally, keep in mind that if you’re going to be moving entire plants, you’ll need to prep them accordingly! This means temporarily transplanting them into buckets, or wrapping their roots in burlap or other plant-friendly material. Moving a plant is quite a shock to their system, so keeping them comfortable on their journey is the best way to keep them from dying.
Depending on the types of plants you’re moving, you’ll want to check the soil at your new home to see if it will be sufficient enough to keep your plants happy and healthy. If you’re moving to an entirely new state or different climate, you’ll also want to check that it’s legal for you to transport your plant across state lines, and that it will survive the new weather and climate it will be planted in. We’d hate for all your hard work to go to waste!
Ultimately, you’ll want to put the plant through the least amount of stress possible in its transition.
How do you move indoor plants without killing them?
Moving Indoor Plants
Depending on how far away you’re moving, how many houseplants you have, and the season you’re making your move in, the way you’ll transport and pack them will differ!
First thing is first, regardless of the other factors mentioned above, a couple weeks before your move, give your houseplants a good run down to get rid of any dead leaves or stems, wipe down any large leaves that may collect dust, and use an organic pest spray to keep away any mites or other creepy crawlies you don’t want to make the move with you. Getting your plants in good shape beforehand will help them stay healthy during the move.
Corpus Christi Plants – If you have lots of big plants in heavy pots, consider moving them into lightweight plastic nursery pots to make moving them around easier. For smaller plants, you can usually keep them in the pot they’re already planted in for the move. Keep in mind the material your pots are made of, and if it’s easily breakable. Concrete planters can withhold some bumps and scratches, but thinner terra cotta pots or ceramic planters have the chance of breaking if you’re not careful. Use your best judgement!
If you’re moving in the winter, or if you’re moving to a state with a colder temperature, you’ll want to protect your plants from the elements as much as possible. This includes wrapping their leaves and stems in newspaper, putting heating pads around the pots to keep the roots warm, and transporting your plants in your car or somewhere that they will stay at a neutral temperature. They’re used to being inside your comfortable home, after all! If you’re moving somewhere that may take a couple days to drive to and you plan on stopping, try to bring all of your plants inside with you to minimize the risk of them freezing in your car or withering away in bright sunlight.
Depending on what kinds of plants you’re moving with, you’ll want to make sure they have received water within a few days of your move, but try not to soak the soil if possible. For plants that thrive in dry weather, like succulents and cacti, you could even skip the watering if they look healthy. For plants that need constant moisture, like a peace lily, consider soaking some newspaper in water and wrapping it around the base of your plant to keep the soil moist without risking leakage from the bottom.
Corpus Christi Plants – If moving the plants on your person is just not possible, you could also consider shipping your plants via ground or air, but depending on their size, this could get very expensive very quickly. Additionally, there’s no guarantee that your plants will survive the shipping process, no matter how well you pack them, as packages tend to get thrown about from point A to point B. If you choose to ship your plants to your new home, proceed with caution and label the outside of the box accordingly!
Thank you for reading our real estate and homeowner’s blog. We are Weichert Realtors – The Place of Houses, and we’re happy to have helped you learn more about moving with plants!
