When you have spent time and energy to produce a beautiful garden and houseplants, you want to be able to take them with you when you move to a new location. Luckily with a little preparation, this can be done without too much trouble or risk to your plants. Our local movers in Orange County offer a few tips to make the process easier.
Preparing Plants for the Move
Re-pot houseplants and move garden plants into sturdy plastic pots 2-3 weeks before moving day. These pots should be large enough to allow all the roots room and withstand the weight of the plant.
Two weeks before moving day, prune larger plants to remove dead foliage and reduce the size as much as possible without hurting the plant.
One week before moving day, inspect plants for insects and parasites. Treat plants when possible. Local movers of Orange County suggest not moving untreatable plants to avoid infestation of other plants, yours and others at your destination.
Be aware of state restrictions on bringing plants into the state and obtain necessary inspections. This information can be found by contacting the Department of Natural Resources for the state to which you are moving.
If possible, prepare the destination for garden plants in advance to make replanting quicker and less stressful on the plants.
Moving Day
When the big day arrives, you will want to pack plants as close to departure time as possible.
Place plants into packing boxes large enough to hold the plant. Local movers of Orange County recommend using paper to fill the space around the pot to hold the plant in place during transport.
Punch several holes into the sides of the box and loosely close the top to allow the plant to breathe. Clearly mark the box of what plant is in the box and label the top to avoid tipping or mistakenly packing with other boxes. One great hint is to mark the plant boxes with bright tape to signify live plants to anyone who is moving the boxes.
Transportation Hints
Do not place plants in a car trunk if possible, to avoid excess heat. Only water plants if necessary, otherwise wait until you arrive at your new home to unpack and water the plants.
If you will be moving a great distance over several days, you will likely have to take some time to open the plant boxes to allow the plants to get some light and water.
When you arrive at your new home unpack your plants first. Open the boxes from the bottom to allow the plant to slide out easily without damage to the foliage.