When planning to move your household, you can and should make preparations to move your houseplants also. Houseplants, when packed and prepared accordingly, can survive a move and continue thriving in your new home. Here are some tips to help you take cuttings of and move entire potted plants during your move.

Prepare Each Potted Plant

If any of your plants are potted in heavy, clay pots, it is a good idea to move them into a plastic pot of the same size. Don't change the size of the plant's pot because this can cause unnecessary stress to the plant, risking its health. Next, trim any excess limbs from the plant if it is overly bushy in size. This is also a good time to trim the plant to make it more uniform in size and attractive.

The day before you move, water your plant as usual. This will make sure your plant has plenty of moisture for the move without being overly heavy by watering the plant on moving day.

Place the pot of a plant in the bottom of a moving box. Crumple newspaper or other packing paper into balls and place it around the base of the potted plant to secure it within the base of the box. Leave the box open to allow ventilation for the plant during moving and to prevent the plant's limbs from becoming crushed.

Plan to move plants with you in your vehicle or in a climate controlled moving truck. Set them on the seat beside you so you can make sure they don't tip over. If you pack them into a climate controlled van, pack them in last, making sure the box each is in is secure and won't tip over. Moving your plants in an extreme hot or cold environment can damage the plants, cause excess stress, and cause them to die.

Take a Cutting

Some plants can be too large or overly cumbersome or awkward to move with you on moving day. In this situation you can take a cutting of your plant to replant in a new pot in your new home. 

Select a healthy stem on your plant that is anywhere from three to six inches long. Make a sharp cut to remove the stem and remove any leaves from the bottom portion of the cutting. Dip the cutting in rooting hormone and wrap the cutting in a damp towel and place it inside a baggie to keep the moisture from drying out during the move.

You can transport the cuttings in a purse or bag or in a small box. As long as the cuttings remain in a climate controlled area and remain moist, they should be fine during the move.

Once you are at your new home, remove each cutting from its wrappings and place it into a small pot with moist potting soil. Keep the soil wet until the cutting grows roots, which can take one to two months.

Use these tips to help you move to a new home with your house plants. For more tips, contact a company like Germantown Moving & Storage, LLC.