When it comes to making the all-important house move, the prospect of parting with plants that have required your attention for years can leave you filled with dread. Whether you’re moving down the road or are packing up your belongings and taking them across the country, transporting both your rooted and potted plants can seem like a hassle that many aren’t able to commit to.

Courtesy of the packaging experts at R+R Packaging, we’re providing you with some simple tips right from the preparations phase through to settling your plants down into their new home. Considering the journey, lighting, storage and so much more, there are plenty of ways your plants can travel to your new destination if done in a contained and careful way.

Before the big move

First things first, before deciding to dig up your plants from their own home in the ground, it’s worth checking in with your removals company to see whether they accommodate plant removals. Due to their fragility and the, therefore, additional risk of damage, many companies choose not to move plants – particularly if there are quite a few that require relocating at the same time.

If they’re happy to do this, the next stage in preparing your plants for the big move is to ensure the conditions your plants are living in before they enter their unknown surroundings are stable enough to see them through to their new home. The end of autumn and beginning of spring are the best periods of time to make this move due to most shrubs being dormant. However, as with many house moves, if circumstances can’t accommodate this then make sure to give your plants plenty of shade a couple of days before their travels so that their dark journey doesn’t come as too much of a surprise.

Finally, just before the big move, repot your plants from their beautiful stone homes into more practical and resilient plastic pots to absorb any bumps your plants may encounter along the way.

On the day

As arguably the most fragile items on the removals van, place your plants in the vehicle last to avoid any snapped branches or bruised buds. By making sure your plants are properly packaged, you’ll eliminate the prospect of damage on their journey. Therefore, when getting your plants ready for their next adventure, make sure you carefully plan out where they’ll sit and inside what.

Another thing to bear in mind during your home (and plant) relocation is how well protected your individual plants are, not only from other boxes but from one another. For plants in plastic pots, curl hard paper funnels around their base up to the middle of the shrub for the best protection. Alternatively, for the large cherry tree you weren’t able to swap from clay pot to plastic, ensure you place plenty of damp newspaper around its stand, lining dry paper around it afterwards. Additionally, for small pots tightly packed together in one container, make sure you pop enough newspaper between each pot and line the base with paper to soak up any excess water that may have the potential to dampen and ruin your transporting container.

Settling in

Don’t let yourself be fooled when the removals van pulls into the drive and a glance into the box tells you your plants have survived – you still need to replant and repot them! For taller shrubs, lift the packaging box up and away from the plant instead of the other way round, this will reduce the risk of last-minute damage and will keep the flower stable for longer.

Like with any new home, once your plants have been placed into their surroundings don’t overwhelm them and give them time to settle in with a little drink and slight, gradual introductions to light.

Don’t let the fear of moving your plants taint the excitement of creating a new base for both them and yourself in a new home. Unlike other moving preparations, don’t be afraid to leave your plants until the last minute. As long as they’re given the opportunity to adjust to changes of light and are fed in enough time between their move and their replanting, they’re sure to brighten up your new home no matter the seasonal conditions.

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Elizabeth Raw works for R+R Packaging, providers of biodegradable and eco-friendly packaging materials for businesses within a wide variety of industries.