How to move house plants
When I was growing up we had a very tall cactus, named Fred Prick. He was about 6 feet tall, with a smooth, green body and sharp needles. During the decades he lived with us I believe he flowered a single beautiful blossom, at least once. More than anything else about Fred Prick, I recall my Mother’s anxiety over his well-being, particularly when it came to his positioning in the house (he pretty much stayed in one place for as long as I remember), or his re-potting. However, a move was a much more serious occurrence. Fred had a few of those, later in his life, and it was always a stressful time, perhaps more for my Mother! She also had a very temperamental Fig Tree, which lives on today, and I can promise you, also does not like moving.
This is how I first came to understand how sensitive plants are to any sort of move, even within one room. Many years after I flew the coop, I had my own experience with a palm-like plant that almost expired on me at least 3 times before I cultivated enough of a green thumb to take proper care of him. Like pets and children, plants require special consideration during a move.
At You Move Me we ask our customers to please make arrangements to move their own plants, unless they are comfortable signing a liability release form. It makes sense if you consider the risk that a physical move has on the health of a house plant. Our company specialize in local moves, but even a move within one room can over-stress a plant, causing it to lose its healthy lustre, or worse, die. If you are making a long-distance move, it may be worth thinking about finding a new owner for your treasured plants.
Should you decide to move your own plants, here are some helpful suggestions to mitigate serious injury to your green buds:
- Cushion your plant pot in a strong box so there is no movement.
- Move them in your vehicle, preferably on the floor or in someone’s capable hands so they don’t fall over.
- Keep them at room temperature.
- During the transition, keep movement of the plants to a minimum. So try to take the plant from its original place, to the vehicle, then directly to its final resting spot in your new home.
You Move Me loves plants too, so we’ll take the best care of yours if you decide to entrust them to our care. And…we’ll leave you with a housewarming gift you can enjoy in the future. You guessed it – a housewarming plant!
