Moving to a new home in a new state should not mean that you must leave your plants behind, especially the ones you’ve bought from garden shows. House plants are living organisms that must receive the best care when you move. Yes, preparing them for your move takes some work but it’s not impossible. Here are tips to pack your plants safely:
Identify the State Guidelines
If you are moving to a new state, the first thing you have to check is if they have any laws and regulations about bringing in plants. For instance, some states only allow potted plants, indoor plants, and plants with specific soil mixes. Federal agencies do this to prevent the spread of insects, pests, and diseases from one state to the other.
Determine the Appropriate Growing Conditions
You should also check to see if your plants can survive in the new environment that you will subject them to. Indoor plants will be able to withstand most conditions, however, many will suffer from extremely moist or dry conditions. See if your new home will have the appropriate lighting and conditions for them to survive. It might be useful to check the plant’s hardiness zone to see if your new place is ideal. If not, you can choose which ones to keep and donate the rest.
Once you have that settled, it is time to get down to packing your plants.
Right Packing Conditions
While you may be hiring movers in Idaho to move for your plants, there are some things that you can do to pack your plants safely. Here are some tips from nurseries with experience shipping plants:
Materials to Prepare:
- Moving Box
- Sterilized Potting Soil
- Newspapers
- Cling Wrap
- Paper Towels (ideal for cuttings)
- Bubble Wrap
Instructions:
- When you need to move your plants, you should prepare them weeks ahead. Remove them from the clay pots and place them in plastic containers so they can settle in before the move.
- Wrap the clay pots in bubble wrap and place them in the moving box. Your movers in Boise can handle the transportation of the containers. Make sure to label boxes accordingly and put a fragile sticker and an arrow pointing up, so they know how to stack it along with your other items.
- See if your plants have any pests. If you need a certified inspection, secure one from your local agricultural department and make sure to keep the certification with the plants.
- Water your plants at least three days before your scheduled move. Make sure that the soil is moist enough to last the move.
- Wrap your potted plants with cling wrap. Make sure that no soil will spill when you move the boxes. Make sure to cover the leaves with newspapers so leaf damage is minimal. It would be best to place all potted plants in a box and fill the space with additional newspapers or packing papers so there is limited movement but enough space for them to breathe.
- You can also poke holes in the box to facilitate the flow of air.
- If you are going to bring plant cuttings, make sure to have them rooted weeks before. When it is time to move, you can place the wet cutting in a damp paper towel and secure it with rubber bands. Then wrap it in a cling wrap and secure. If there are leaves, cover them with newspaper as well. Make sure that the wrapping is not too tight to encourage humidity.
Now that you know how you can pack your beloved plants, you no longer have to worry about leaving them behind when you move into your new home.
