How To Care For Your Plants During A Long Distance Move

Houseplants can be very delicate and require a lot of care when they’re in your house, but when faced with a long-distance move, they’re especially susceptible to getting damaged, or worse, dying altogether. To keep your plants happy and healthy during a long move, here are some tips you can implement to make sure they survive the trip and make it to your new him in the best condition possible.

Transfer to Plastic Pots

Before moving, you should transfer any plants (indoor or outdoor) into plastic pots in preparation for moving. As we all know, moving long-distance means you’ll encounter some bumps in the road—quite literally—and keeping plants in potentially breakable container exposes them potential trouble. If you have a move that will require several days of driving, the last thing you want is soil and your plants root system scatter about in your car because that’s a situation that will make it tough for them to survive the trip.

Refresh the Soil

As you are transferring your plants into plastic containers, it’s a good time to refresh the soil. This will not only provide fresh nutrients for them, but it will also help mitigate the potential damage caused by any pests or mold that may be lurking in the existing soil. Implementing fresh soil occasionally is a good practice for any plant owner, but it’s a really good safeguard to implement before they have to endure some of the unexpected conditions that can come with moving.

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Pruning & Pests

While refreshing the soil is helpful, you should still check your plants for pests afterwards to make sure that nothing has developed on that front before moving day. In the weeks and days leading up to your moving date, you should also prune your plants to eliminate any dead branches or leaves. They can take up unnecessary nutrients from the soil that would otherwise go to the healthy parts of the plant, as well as be indicative of damage that could affect the entire plant. By keeping your plants properly pruned, you’ve taken a major step in helping them make the transition from one home to another.

Consider Light & Temperature

You’ll want to be careful to regulate temperature and light when moving plants, especially if they’ll be riding with you. It’s best to keep them on the floor in the back seat and out of direct sunlight as much as possible. Putting plants in the truck is definitely a bad idea since they will be in the dark and often be exposed to higher temperatures than normal. Be careful about overdoing the air conditioning while driving too if your plants need to be kept in a specific range. If you need to stay overnight at a hotel, bring them inside with you so they’re not subject to extreme temperatures in the car.

Research Applicable Laws

You’ll need to do some research on state laws if you have plants that are not allowed in some states. There aren’t too many that this applies to, but if you have any doubts, you should consult the appropriate resources. Many states have checkpoints specifically to look for infractions like this and you’ll have to turn over your plants before reaching your new home, in spite of taking the other measures listed above to keep them safe.