How to Safely Pack Plants For Moving

Learn how to keep your plants safe and secure in transport with this “how-to” guide from Holloway Removals & Storage.
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Plants can become part of the family, especially when the time has been taken to nurture and care for them through the years. Therefore, when it comes to moving house or relocating offices with these little leafy mates, making sure they are kept safe in transport is a top priority. Thankfully, with some careful planning and packing, moving plants doesn’t have to mean saying goodbye to years of careful pruning and watering. Let this guide walk you through how exactly to pack plants for a safe and successful move.

Prepare Your Plants for Moving

The first step in a successful plant relocation is to make sure you have prepped them correctly. Starting two weeks before moving, you should move your plants from their ceramic pots to plastic shatter-proof pots that make transporting them much safer. It’s important to do this early so that the plant can settle into the plastic pot before moving it.

Your plants should be one of the last things that you pack up, which means that much of your other preparation will be simple plant pruning, cutting back dead leaves and broken stems as you usually would. If the plant has any flowers or fruit, it’s better to cut them all back to reduce excess weight and stress on the plant in transport ( you know how sensitive they can be).


In addition to basic care, you also want to check each of your plants thoroughly for any pests or diseases that could be hiding on leaves. If you detect any sort of problems, treat these as early as possible to ensure you’re not carrying anything over to your new space. Finally, once your plants look shiny and revived, make sure to water them with enough time left over to let the water settle before transport begins.

Top tip: Give your plants a gentle nutrient boost before the move by adding a little diluted fertiliser to their final water. Helping to boost their strength before the travel, fertiliser is basically an immunity ginger shot for your plants. Just make sure to do it at least a week in advance for the nutrients to be absorbed.

How to Pack Your Plants

Now that they’re in their optimum condition, you want to make sure your plants stay that way which means packing them correctly. Depending on the plant's size and fragility, there are a few different ways to pack them for moving.

For large plants - Make sure to wrap large plants with a protective layer such as a bed sheet or plastic sheet to secure branches and avoid breakage. Once the branches are contained, place the plant in a box alone and pack it with packing materials such as bubble wrap and packing paper around the base and body of the plant, to create a snug fit for the plant pot. This will reduce the risk of the pot tipping in the box and breaking the plant.

For small plants - If you have multiple small plant pots, these can actually be packed together in a large box, being mindful that they cannot be stacked on top of one another but instead side-by-side. To safely pack small plants, place multiple pots in the base of your box with a cosy fit that allows enough room for air to pass through but no space for movement between the pots. Once pots are placed in the box there may be a few gaps between them, if this is the case squeeze bubble wrap, packing paper or some other filler material between the gaps to really secure the pots in place.


moving house, moving plants

Regardless of whether you are packing small plants, large plants or both, using high-quality packing materials is an undeniably great way to ensure that your plants are protected throughout the moving journey. Finally, once your plants have been packed and secured in place, tape the box up well and make sure to label clearly and boldly what is inside the box.

Do removalists move plants in Australia?

The short answer is…yes. Thankfully, professional removal companies are able to help when it comes to moving your trusted office or house plants, as transporting them correctly can be a tricky task in itself. When choosing removalists, always look for companies that offer a white glove service which can be tailored to your needs with customised packing and secure insurance options that mean your plants are protected no matter what.

Can you transport plants interstate?

Moving interstate opens up a whole new host of complexities for both you and your plants. However, that’s not to say that transporting plants interstate is impossible, as long as you know what they can handle and the regulations for the state you are moving to. To find this information, it is highly recommended to speak with quarantine regulators within your new state to confirm that your plants meet the regulatory requirements of the state you are moving to. During this period you will also need to arrange a biosecurity certificate for the plants, so being organised and speaking with people early will avoid disappointment.

If your plants meet the regulatory requirements then your interstate removalists will technically be able to transport your plants for you, just as long as you are aware of the potential risks that are taken with such a move. For example, for such a long trip your plants generally require a lot of water to survive, however, you cannot overwater plants before packing them as this will leak out into the removal truck and potentially damage other belongings.

Whilst moving your plants interstate is doable, for the most part it is advised to re-home your leafy friends with a loving local family member before your interstate departure, as this avoids the risks and potential regulatory issues associated.

Top tip: Avoid peak summer or winter relocations if you are moving plants interstate, as the extreme weather conditions will affect your plants' wellbeing, particularly on such long journeys.

Final thoughts

Moving with plants doesn't have to be a stressful experience with the right preparation, packing techniques and help from professional removalists. Whether you're relocating locally or interstate, taking the time to properly prepare your plants two weeks before the move, using appropriate packing materials, and working with experienced removalists can help ensure your leafy friends arrive safely at their new home, wherever it may be.


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