The preparation work that goes into planning a long-distance move is extensive. One thing that is commonly overlooked until the day the moving truck is pulling up in front of the house is the houseplants. Will your plants make the long-distance journey to your new home without getting destroyed or dying? Here, you will learn a few things that will help to ensure that your plants survive the long journey.

Check for Restrictions

Before you get to work preparing your plants for transport, take some time to research each type of plant to make sure that the particular plants you have are permitted in the new state in which you're moving. Some types of plants are restricted in some areas. Check the state's website to learn about any restrictions that are in place before you go through the work of preparing and transporting your plants.

Transfer the Plants

One of the easiest ways to lose a plant during the move is trying to move them while they are in glass or ceramic pots. The ceramic or glass pots can break and make the plants heavy and harder to move.

Transfer the plants into plastic pots, wash out the breakable pots and dry them well. Wrap up the breakable pots and pack them well stacking them inside of each other when possible.

Plant Watering

Don't wait until the last minute to water your plants. The plants should be watered about two days before the move. You want the soil to have enough moisture to provide the plants with the water they need during the journey, but you don't want them to be saturated. Watering them just before the move will cause them to be heavier and will make any messes much harder to clean up.

Packing the Plants

Gather up all of the plastic grocery bags you can find. These make great void fillers when boxing your plants and can also be used to carry smaller plants with ease.

Put three or four grocery bags inside each other so that they can withstand the weight of the plants and so they can catch any dirt that falls out of the pot. Set the potted plant down in the bag and pull the handles up as far as they will allow you. Run a twist tie through the handles and close them. Set multiple small plants in a box and use the empty plastic bags to fill in the voids between the plants in the box. This will keep them from shifting around during the move.

Talk with your local long-distance movers to learn more about transporting your houseplants safely.

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