Moving with Plants

I may go a bit overboard with plants.  I’ve purchased a lot of them over the years, both house plants and garden plants.  I choose to think of them as my companions along this military journey. Each one reminds me of a special place or home we’ve lived in over the years.

While I have to leave my human friends behind each time I PCS, I’m not leaving my plants unless forced to do so.   Twelve PCSes taught me what works and what doesn’t when moving with plants.

Rules and Regs

That saying “location, location, location” really determines if you’ll be able to move your plants or need to find them new homes.  For example, when we moved to Hawaii I couldn’t bring any of my plants.  Obviously there were multiple flights we had to take to get there.  But most importantly, the state strictly (and I mean strictly) regulates agricultural imports.  On return flights to the mainland, the US Department of Agriculture also determines what can enter the country. So if you’re flying OCONUS check to see if the state or country you’re going to allows plants, even just the cuttings.

Roadtripping across the US is the perfect way to transport personal house plants or garden plants.  Most states allow personal plants but if you’re wondering about your specific state, check this state-by-state listing to find out any restrictions. Some states will actually do a vehicle inspection for banned plants.  So know before you go.

General Transport Tips

Once you’ve determined you can take plants with you, start the trip off right. Carefully consider how much room you realistically can give to the plants.  Will they travel in the back seat of a car, a large corner of the moving van or occupy a whole trailer?

If space is an issue, take cuttings from large plants instead of taking the whole plant.  I’ve successfully taken a cutting and kept it in water until we’re ready to leave.  Then I wrapped a very wet paper towel around the cut area, placed it in a plastic bag and secured the whole thing with a rubber band.  I kept this cutting out of the sun and in a cool place. Each night I’d re-wet the paper towel and repackage.  I had no problem rooting the cutting at our new home.

Rooting a plant from a cutting several months before a PCS would be another option.  Baby plants from all of your favorites may be the least stressful and most space-saving option available.

If you’re taking whole plants, next consider how you’ll transport them.  For small to medium potted plants I love plastic boxes.  Any big box store sells these rather cheaply.

The boxes did two things when packed tightly with plants:  prevented plants from falling on each other (resulting in damage and a dirty mess) and acted as a catch basin for watering. If the box wasn’t quite full, I’d stuff some bubble wrap in open spaces to immobilize the pots while on the road.

I also used boxes for larger plants, but usually only one to two plants fit in the box.  When considering an extra large box, I kept in mind how much room I had in the vehicle, trailer or moving truck.

I’d wedged the tall plants in a smallish spot either on the trailer or in the vehicle to prevent tipping over.  I also secured the plants in the trailer with a ratchet straps.

I’ve never tried to move hanging plants, but attaching a bar in the trailer for them to hang from might work.  Just make sure they’re secure so when you hit a bumpy patch they don’t fall off the bar and on to other plants.

Generally speaking, I don’t recommend transport plants in an open truck bed over long distances.  The wind alone can shred the leaves and dry out the plants quickly.

However you opt to transport your plants, try to keep them out of the direct sun if possible.  Even in the winter, shade-loving plant leaves can be scorched in short order.

Another thing to consider when planning your move is what happens on the other end?  Do you have a move-in ready home?  Will you be staying in a hotel?  How long will you be there?  How will you take care of your plants?  This is especially important if you’re moving outdoor garden plants.

Finally, throw in a watering can, bottled water, garbage bags and zip ties.  They’ll come in handy along the way.

Winter Moves

Winter moves with plants have a unique set of challenges.  Most house plants and annual garden plants like temperatures well above 32 degrees.  Long exposure to cold temperatures will kill cold sensitive plants quickly.

On our most recent PCS, the temperature was a brisk three degrees.  Yet, I successfully moved a passel of orchids, monstera and rex begonias.

A couple days before our move, I checked the weather and learned an arctic front was about to blast New York.  Knowing those temperatures would kill my leafy friends, I devised a plan to protect them.

I took several Rubbermaid bins and loaded all of the plants before the packers arrived.  On our last day at the house, I watered each plant and carefully placed some bamboo sticks in several of the pots.  Then I placed a double layer of clear trash bags over the top of the bins and sticks.  Next I taped the plastic bags to the top of the bins.

To minimize the amount of time the plants sat in the cold, I pulled the car into the garage and warmed it up. Then I loaded the bins directly from the house to the back seat.

Each night at the hotel, my very kind husband loaded all of our stuff plus three bins of house plants on the luggage cart and brought them inside.  I pealed back one corner of the bins to let the plants breath overnight and to see if they needed water. 

Success!  The bin and plastic cover combo worked like a small, portable green house.  Since all of these plants originated in the tropics, they were super happy.

When we were ready to leave the hotel, I whipped out the tape and reattached the plastic bags.  I’m happy to say all the plants made the cold trek from New York to Georgia successfully.

A couple of things to consider: 

You won’t be able to put plants in a regular moving truck or trailer even with the mini-greenhouse idea.  The plants will only survive in a climate-controlled vehicle.  They will die in a prolonged cold situation.

Even in the winter, prolonged exposure to sun while on the road will scorch most house plants.  Filtered sunlight in your home can’t hold a candle to the intensity of the sun.  So try to keep your plants out of direct sunlight while traveling.

Take a couple of supplies with you and in to the hotel.  I tucked a few extra garbage bags in each bin in case the current bags ripped.  I also brought the packing tape to secure the bags the next morning.

Summer Moves

A summer move with plants comes with a different set of challenges, mainly heat and sun.  I once moved 35 potted garden plants of varying sizes from Southeast Arizona to Central Texas in May.  Apparently summer arrived early that year.  We were melting. 

It was a bit of a crazy move.  My husband was deployed and my parents came to help me.  We rented a UHaul cargo trailer and loaded all of the well-watered plants.  The large pots were wrapped in moving blankets and secured to the trailer with ratchet straps.  Small to medium sized plants were placed in boxes and then loaded.  We also included some jugs of water and a watering can.

All of my plants fit, but if more space had been needed I planned to add a few shelves that could be attached to the trailer wall with ratchet straps.  Once the pots were in place I planned to use bungee cords to secure the shelf full of pots. 

Because the trailer was enclosed, we didn’t have to worry about the sun scorching leaves.  But we did have to deal with heat, 100 degree heat.  Each time we stopped for gas or to stretch our legs, we opened the trailer and let in a little fresh air.

Once we arrived at the hotel, we tried to park in the shade, if you consider a scraggly mesquite tree shade.  We checked each plant to see if it needed water and then headed in to the hotel.

My parents took the trailer to their home, about 2.5 hours from our new duty station while I went to find housing.  It took about two months to get into our new home.  If my parents hadn’t kept the plants for me, it would’ve been a major problem as these were outdoor plants that needed constant watering and consistent amounts of sun.

When the house was ready we rented another cargo trailer, loaded up all the plants and headed south for my new house.  It was a lot of work, but I loved all of the hummingbirds and butterflies that flocked to my well-traveled garden.