Plants are living creatures, they have complex systems running from roots to leaves, either their capillary systems to photosynthesis, plants need care all the time. Moving with plants is a risk, during transit plants can die if not taken care of. If you carefully pack with the correct procedure, your home plants can transit for 3 or more days without any attention.
When you’re moving few storage companies and moving companies frequently have plants on their do not move list so make sure will the moving company put plants on their truck or not a lot of companies don’t move plants so double-check. There are restrictions on plants movement if traveling within international boundaries. Look for the rules and regulations wherever you are moving. Many moving companies have plants on the “Do not move” lists, because of their live and delicate nature; so first, figure out if your long distance moving companies in Boston will even allow plants in their trucks.
Certain tips can help you in relocating your plants successfully. Try to reduce your plant numbers, gift a few, or sell them. Water well a few days before the move, remember to hydrate your plants well before moving. Upcycle materials for plant packaging. You can use newspapers, old rags, wet paper towels, card boxes, perlite, plastic bags, etc. for shipping. Perlite is very lightweight.
Pack your plants last but unpack first. Try to make a separate trip if relocating locally, you can use your car for transport too. Decide your strategy for packing and what vehicle the plants will be in. Following is a to-do list you can look into.
Care while driving:
Place plants in your cabin not ideally in the trunk, as cabin space is temperature-controlled but the trunk is either too hot or cold, if put in the trunk plants will become in stress.
Care while flying:
You can take plants in airplanes, but there are restrictions when you travel internationally, check with authorities and the rules of the country where you are moving. India also has restrictions on plant imports.
Shipping your plants
Extra measures are needed to ensure the plants are tightly packed and will not move during transit. For shipping with packers and movers Mumbai to Bangalore company, wrap the plant individually and stack standing upright next to each other, put newspaper and packing materials to fill voids, fill every space otherwise the plants will jumble upon each other. Mention to label “Live Plants” and which side up. You may ask the service provider for help if needed.
Greenhouses, sell plants via courier service. Plants can live for a while in boxes, choose the fastest services try not to make your plant stay for a weekend in the warehouse, and don’t ship on Friday, this way you can reduce plant mortality.
Consider repotting your plants to lighters pots from heavy clay pots. This way you can reduce weight for transit. You must do this many weeks well before relocating as plants also need time to adjust to the new reporting environment.
Steps for best plant relocation
BEFORE MOVING
- Three weeks before moving. Repot plants from clay pots into lightweight plastic pots of the same size.
- Two weeks before moving. Trim and prune larger plants. Pruning will make the plants compact for easy handling and transport. Pruning is a healthy exercise for plants, it also makes them aesthetically appealing.
- One week before moving. Look at your plants for any diseases or parasites. If you need to apply insecticide or fungicide, recheck the safety for transit. Your packer and mover company may not be able to transport pesticides and other chemicals check with your company if needed.
- Two days before moving. Water your plants. Don’t put too much water it promotes fungus growth.
MOVING DAY
Prepare your plants well before packing. Wrap your plants with branches in old bedsheets or newspapers to avoid breakage. Place plants near each other and fill voids with packing materials. Pack plants, if necessary, punch holes in boxes and lose the lid for air circulation. Label the boxes properly to avoid any mistakes. Observe and keep climate control if needed.
REACHING DESTINATION
The first thing to do is unpack and make the plants in condition as they were before. Unpack plants and place them in the same pots as they were before. Heal any issue to plant. Your care is important in helping the plants to recover and grow.
The following table will help you to care for your different plants
|
Type of Plant |
Plant Looks |
Cause |
Cure |
| Philodendron | Leaves droop | Too hot and dry | Soak thoroughly, and move to a cooler spot. |
| Leaves turn yellow | Too wet | Make sure water is draining & let the plant dry before watering again | |
| Leaves droop | Too wet | Allow soil to dry before watering. | |
| Ficus | Brown leaves | Too cold | Move to a brighter, warmer place. |
| Hot, dry air | Use a cool-mist humidifier. | ||
| Dieffenbachia | Lanky leaves | Too dark | Move to a brighter spot. |
| (Dumb Cane) | Spindly fronds | The pot is too big | Let it get root-bound. Fertilize. |
| Boston Fern | Brown fronds | Dry air | Use a cool-mist humidifier. |
| African Violet | Spots on leaves | Water on leaves | Remove spotted leaves, and water plants from the bottom to avoid getting water on leaves. |
| No flowers | Too dark | Increase the light intensity and fertilize. | |
| Aloe-Vera | Leaves topple over | Too rootbound | Re-pot, or divide plant. |
| Leaves wither | Too dry | Water a little more often. | |
| Leaves droop | Direct sun | Move to more filtered light. | |
| Dracaena | Brown leaf tips | Dry air and soil | Mist and increase water. |
| (Dragon Tree) | |||
| Parlor Palm | Blackened leaf tips | Soggy soil | Reduce water. |
| Schefflera | Leaf drop | Cool air | Move away from drafts. |
| Spider Plant | Brown scorch marks on leaves | Leaf shine damage | Clean with pure water |
| Rotting in center | Too wet | Allow drying before watering. | |
| Brown leaf tips | Too hot & dry |
Move away from direct sun, water more often. |
