Tips on Moving House Plants

Question: I am moving in about 2 weeks to Wisconsin from Michigan. It’s about a 2 hour drive. How can I best protect my plants during this move? The last time I moved, it was about 2 miles, but during the winter and my plants were traumatized. Although they didn’t die, it took them a long time to recover. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. T.D. Michigan heading to Wisconsin.

Answer: T.D. that is a great question! I’ll try to keep this simple and to the point.

Think of Temperatures You Like

First, of all think of your indoor house plants as a person in terms of temperature. Your plants like temperatures in the 70-80 degree range. So when transporting your plants they would do “best” in a heated area. Driving 2 hours and probably loaded for an hour those indoor plants could be become chilled and take some time to recover, which you described briefly in your question.

If at all possible try to transport them in a heated truck.

Protection from the Elements

Think of them again as a person - they could use some protection from the elements. Just as you want a sweater or coat with lower temperatures to knock off the chill your indoor plants could use some protection as well. When shipping plants nurseries use what are called sleeves, which look like paper tubes the plants slip into. This gives some protection and allows the plant to bundle up some as the leaves fold up. Think of it as hugging the plant. This will allow you to pack the plants close together where they can “protect” each other.

Placement in the Truck

Depending on the size of the plants make sure they stay away from the sides and top of the trucks cargo area. Hopefully the shipping area is insulated. If the leaves touch the sides and roof they could become burned from the cold. It is best to keep the plants away from the sides and roof.

Load House Plants Quickly

Let’s think about loading. Indoor house plants don’t like cold weather and some varieties even with brief exposure can experience damage. When loading the plants move them quickly and all at once. Load them as fast as possible and limit any exposure to cold or cooler temperatures. This holds true in the unloading part also. Get them into warm temperatures as soon as you can… worry abut where they will be placed later.

Expect some Adjustment

Finally, expect some trauma. Your plants will be going to a new home and need to be acclimated to new surrounding and light. Expect some lost leaves it is all a part of the moving to a new home.

I hope all this helps some… good luck on your move!

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