Moving Indoor Plants
Are you moving home and worried how your indoor plants will handle the move? Plants are surprisingly susceptible to stress. Moving home and replanting can cause plants to develop serious problems.What does plant stress mean, stressors can include changes in temperature, being replanted, exposed to wind, water that’s to cold and travelling.
Which plants to take with you. Certain plants are particularly fragile and sensitive, like orchids. If you are not sure which of your plants will handle a move or transplantation, ask us for advice.
Preparing your plants for departure
Watering
Water your plants 3 to 4 days before you move so the roots are damp.
Don’t water the day before or on moving day. The extra water in the soil will make the pots heavy and harder to move.
Give them extra support
Give taller plats a stake for stability. This should prevent them from being bent. It will also be much easier to handle and move them being more sable
Wrap your plants with large leaves or spikes in cardboard or newspaper. This will help keep the leaves together so they don’t get hurt.
Repot certain plants
Plants in large and heavy pots should be moved into plastic containers to help ease transport and prevent the pots to break as it will be to heavy to move with the plants inside.
It is a good idea to do this a week or two before departure.
Pack last
If you have plants that need to be moved by the moving truck should be packed in last so they don’t get bashed or bent. It will also make it easier to water these plants on long trips.
Place in an open box
Try placing a few smaller pot plants in an open-topped cardboard box. This will help stabilise them during transport and keeps them together. Also use newspaper to wedge in position to keep is upright.
Help your plants survive after a move
You’ll need to monitor your plants after the move for any signs of stress. Stress on plants would look like: drooping and wilting leaves that might turn yellow or brown. You will have to look out for pests that may have been picked up on the way. Depending on the plant you may need to give them extra compost, plant food or prune them to help them recover from the move and any stress it might have.