There are options to moving with your houseplants. Consider giving them to friends, to local hospitals or libraries, or sell them at a garage sale.
If you move your plants yourself, you’ll have more control over environmental conditions than if they are moved by any other method. Never carry plants in the car trunk, which can get too hot in summer and too cold in winter.
Shock
Some house plants are susceptible to shock when moving. The distance moved or time to transit doesn’t make the shock greater – it simply will take the plant longer to recover.
Temperature
This is the most central factor in moving houseplants. Temperature below 35 degrees F or above 95-100 F for much over an hour can be fatal to many. Plants in cartons that are properly wrapped will withstand quite a variation in temperature, but it is inadvisable to transport plants in unheated vehicles when the temperature is approaching the freezing point.
Water
Most houseplants can survive up to a week or 10 days without watering and suffer little harm. Plants should be moist when placed in cartons.
Darkness/Light
When other conditions are favorable, houseplants can tolerate darkness for up to a week. But plants left in darkness too long “etiolate” or start to put out abnormal growth more susceptible to disease. When first exposing plants to light after a lengthy period of darkness, avoid possible wilting and sun scald, by limiting sun exposure for the first few days.
Cuttings
For convenience and space saving, you may with to take cuttings of your favorite houseplants, it they can be propagated that way. Most cuttings will survive for several days if kept in a plastic bag containing damp vermiculite, peat moss, or perlite, or even wrapped in a wet paper towel. However, potted plants have a much greater chance of surviving a long trip than do cuttings.
© American Moving and Storage Association. Used with permission.
* Note: The above is especially important on long distance moves and moves over water, such as is the case when moving to Hawaii or shipping to Hawaii.
* Global Shipping specializes in relocations including, but not limited to, shipping to Hawaii, moving to Hawaii, shipping from Hawaii, and moving from Hawaii.