Transporting house plants long distances can seem like a daunting task, especially if you are moving to another state. Houseplants require special attention because they are sensitive to environmental changes, temperature fluctuations, and mechanical damage. If you are planning a long journey, for example, with movers from Tampa to Boston or between other cities, it is important to prepare your plants in advance to keep them healthy and attractive. In this article, we will cover key steps that will help you transport your plants safely and without stress.
How to Organize The Transportation of Indoor Plants?
Moving is a difficult, labor-intensive, and often nerve-wracking task. During this process, questions constantly arise about how to pack this or that item so that it can arrive safely. If everything is more or less clear with dishes and household appliances (put them in bubble wrap or wrap them in several layers of fabric, then put them in boxes), then difficulties arise with indoor plants. Let’s figure out how to properly transport indoor flowering plants over long and short distances.
Preparatory Stage
You need to start preparing for the transportation of indoor flowering plants in advance. You need to follow these recommendations:
- Purchase and assemble cardboard boxes 5 days in advance. When placing flowerpots with bushes in them, it is important that they do not touch each other. To prevent this, you can build partitions from sheets of cardboard, foam rubber, or polystyrene foam.
- 24-48 hours before the move, you should remove plants away from sunlight. They need to get used to such conditions so as not to experience stress in the dark.
- On the day of departure, it is worth cutting out circles from thick paper, the diameter of which will correspond to the transport containers. Place them on top of the soil and fix them with tape. This will prevent the soil from spilling out on the way.
- A few days before, you should stop fertilizing. This will not help indoor flowering plants to better endure transportation and can only cause stress in houseplants.
It is not recommended to transport a large number of pots in one box, even if there is enough space and the space is divided into sections. This increases the risk that they will break from sudden contact during an aggressive maneuver on the road.
Checking The Condition
Before transporting indoor flowering plants, you need to inspect them for infections and pests. During the move, they will be close to each other, which is why healthy ones are at risk of becoming infected. In addition, in a sick state, indoor flowering plants are more difficult to transport, and may even die. If your houseplants do have any diseases, you should first treat them before packing and transporting them.
Transplanting
If possible, it is recommended to transplant the houseplants from pots into plastic containers: this will reduce the likelihood that clay and ceramic containers will break along the way. This should be done a week or two before departure so that your houseplants have time to adapt to the new conditions.
Watering
You should not water your houseplants 3-5 days before departure. The soil should be completely dry so that the root system does not suffer from sudden changes in temperature. This is especially important in winter. In addition, a dried substrate is less likely to crumble.
Removing Fragile Elements
To make it as convenient as possible to transport large houseplants in pots when moving, it is advisable to trim them beforehand. This measure will make them compact and will reduce the size of branches that are too long and could break during transportation.
Rules For Packing Indoor Plants
To minimize the risks when transporting indoor plants, it is important to pack them correctly. Otherwise, you cannot expect that they will survive the journey well and be delivered intact. Therefore, you should stock up on everything you need in advance.
Packaging material is selected depending on the characteristics of indoor flowering plants:
- Prickly plants. There is a risk of injury from them. Therefore, it is recommended to use foam plastic to protect the plants and yourself from injury.
- Large plants. Branched species with high peduncles are best placed together with pots in large polyethylene or linen bags and tied. Additionally, the trunks can be wrapped with rope or tape so that the branches do not creep. Just do this very carefully so as not to damage anything.
- Medium-sized plants. It is advisable to insert pegs into the soil to serve as a support. It is also recommended to wrap the plants in paper on top. In this form, the plant should be placed in a box, the lid of which should be closed with adhesive tape so that it does not open during transportation. But do not forget to make holes in the box for air to enter.
- Small plants. You can place several small plants in one box but do not forget to create separate sections from cardboard, foam rubber, or polystyrene.
Rules For Transporting Indoor Plants Over Long Distances
To ensure safe transportation of indoor plants, it is necessary to:
- Place the boxes correctly. Boxes with plants should be placed in the car last. At the same time, it is necessary to ensure that there are no heavy objects nearby that, if dropped, could destroy all the indoor plants.
- Notify the driver in advance about what you are transporting. He will be more careful when maneuvering on the road.
- Load larger specimens first, then smaller ones.
What To Do After Transportation?
The actions after transporting indoor plants are also important. Here are some tips to keep in mind to keep your indoor plants safe:
- You can’t leave your plants outside for a long time after they arrive. So bring them inside first.
- The packaging material should be removed immediately after the plants have warmed up to room temperature. Otherwise, it will work against them and they may wilt.
- Inspect the bushes for damage. If there are damaged branches, leaves, or stems, they should also be removed immediately.
- Water the plants with warm water. It’s best not to delay this, as they have been without moisture for a long time.
Conclusion
Moving plants long distances in the US requires planning, care, and a love for indoor plants. Success depends on preparation, choosing the right packaging, and caring about the conditions of transportation. If you are looking for reliable movers to Boston from Tampa or between other cities, we recommend paying attention to Paradise Moving & Storage Inc.
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