When you move house and setting up a new home, one of the most reassuring things that you can take with you are your plants. In many cases they are the difference between having a house and a home but they are desperately fragile and often somewhat temperamental so how can you go about making sure that they remain stress free so that they can help you and your family relax into your new surroundings?
The first thing you need to check if you are moving overseas is whether or not you are actually allowed to take the plants with you. Various nations have different lists of what flora and fauna you can travel with so check with customs and see what you are allowed to take.
Equally, if you are planning to take things from the garden you need to make this explicit to the person who is buying your house. Failure to do so can leave you open to variety of unpleasant scenarios so decide early on what you would like to take with you and make sure that the new occupants are aware of what to expect when they receive the keys.
You need to remember that most movers will not cover damage to plants. Because they are so fragile they are too easy to damage and as a result very few removal companies will reimburse you if something unfortunate should happen.
To give your smaller plants the best chance you need to repot them into plastic containers about two weeks before you move. Then you can place them in wide, open topped boxes lined with plastic and bubble wrap. This will waterproof the cardboard and the bubble wrap will prevent the plants from moving about and getting knocked in transit.
Taller plants should also be removed from their pots and have the bases bagged or wrapped up in plastic. Don’t forget to poke a few holes in those bags so that the plants can breath though.
As far as outdoor plants go you can of course take your favourite plants with you without depleting the garden that you are leaving behind. Simply take a few cuttings of your favourite plants and place them in floral tubes filled with water. Leave this to the day before you leave ideally as the less time they spend out of the ground the better it is for them.
With this done all you need to do is ensure that they are taken care of once you arrive at your new home. It is a good idea (if you don’t usually) to give them a little bit of plant food just to get them started after the stresses of being quite literally uprooted. Give them some water (but remember, don’t drown them) and after a week or so you will be able to get them back into their original pots. Doing it too soon can quite easily result in the death of your plants so don’t rush them into re-potting after the stress of a move.
The only other thing you need to do is continue to observe them for the first weeks and months. You may find that you need to move them from where you had them originally as different soils, sunlight exposures and moisture are just a few of the factors that can have an effect on their health. If you do find that you are having a few problems why not use it as an excuse to strike up a conversation with a new neighbour and get their tips for dealing with the local environment.
