Moving With Plants

You've worked very hard to grow your indoor garden and now that you are moving you have to find the best solutions possible to take them away with you. How can one keep plants healthy and safe during relocation? Depending on the distance at which you are moving, the plants will require more or less special measures and attention. Thus, you may have to hire some transportation means with temperature-controlled environment, you can't just put them in the back of the truck and send them with the rest of the packages.

Assuming there is enough air for the plants in the truck is a common mistake many homeowners make during the move, but, when they reach their destination, they often have the unpleasant surprise of finding their plants damaged beyond recovery. Most professional carriers will not even allow the transportation of perishable goods such as plants, unless the distance takes less than twenty-four hours to cover.

Legislation does exist concerning the transportation of plants to certain states or countries, and restrictions are not among the most flexible. In the United States for instance, you will be allowed to transport some of your plants to Arizona or California only if you have a Gypsy Moth Inspection Certificate. Or, in other cases you will have to make sure that all of your indoor plants are grown in special sterilized potting soil, so that they may be admissible for transportation.

The preparation of the plants for the move should start several weeks in advance with the eventual re-potting in lighter and unbreakable containers. Such a procedure must nevertheless take into consideration the sensitivity of the plants as well as their adaptability to a potentially-new shape of the container. Sometimes, you may not be able to take all the plants, and under such circumstances, you may have to do with some cuttings wrapped in a moist material to keep them fresh until you reach destination and get to plant them.

Since you will be planning the move in advance, search all the information you need to find the best solutions for the safe relocation of your plants. Many online resources will show you the steps to preparing your plants for the change of environment, but if you are growing some rare specimens, it is a good idea to double-check and even talk to a professional botanist to assist you in the endeavor. Good luck!