Tips for Caring For Houseplants While Moving

Moving is one of the most stressful life events. There are many factors to consider and many plans to make. There are all the people involved, the career change, moving breakable things, taking care of your pets, and then your houseplants. Don’t let them get lost in the shuffle! If you want your plants to survive the move, they’ll need a little extra love and care to get them there.

Prep Your Plants A Few Weeks Early

A few weeks before you leave, give your plants some extra attention. Start off with ridding them of dead leaves and giving them a pruning.

If they are in heavy pots, then this is your chance to re-pot them in plastic. Putting them in lightweight containers will make it much easier to move them. Doing it a few weeks early will lessen the amount of stress they go through all at once, as opposed to doing it right before you leave.

Check Up On Them a Week Before You Leave

Remove any dust, pests, or weeds that might have sprung up in their containers. If you re-potted them, check on how they’re doing in their new homes.

Water Them Appropriately While You’re On The Move

Keep in mind all the things you already know about keeping your plants healthy. It’s easy to forget the basics when you’re thinking about the new problems caused by the move, but you already know that your plants need the appropriate amount of water.

If it’s summer, water them well on the day you leave and check up on them alone the way. If it’s winter, water them a few days before you leave.

Be Mindful of the Temperature

One of the big adjustments for your plants during this journey will be all the temperatures they go through. If it’s possible, keep your plants inside your air-conditioned car and bring them into a hotel with you at night.

There Will Be An Adjustment Period When You Arrive

They’ve gone through a journey with different temperatures, exposure to light, humidity levels, and so on, and now they have settled in a new home that also has all those new things. Your houseplants will need awhile to adjust. Give your plants some time and love and even if it starts to seem like they’re dying, with any luck, you can bring your plants back to life.

Stress is part of the moving process for everybody. Keep a careful eye on your houseplants to see how they adjust. You may need to move them to a different area for lighting or water them a different amount than you used to depending on how they adjust to their new climate. After a month or so, both you and your houseplants will have adjusted to the new environment and you’ll have a better idea how they’ll do in your new home.