The ultimate guide to moving succulent long distance

Moving to a new home can be quite stressful. Especially if you have some precious succulents collection you want to bring with you, but already considering leaving them behind as long distance travel might just harm them.

Luckily, with just a bit of effort and patience, you should be able to take your precious succulent collection without worries. And in this post, we made sure to share everything you need to know to prepare your plants for their long journey.

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Prep your plants.

A few weeks ahead of the move, rid your plants of dead, dry leaves and branches and give them a good prune. 

You may also want to re-pot your succulents in a plastic container with fresh, sterile soil, and just pack your empty clay pots or any other fragile items separately. Doing this should give your plant a chance to settle and makes them easier to carry when it’s time to put them in the moving vehicle. 

Don’t water before moving

DO NOT water your succulents 4 or 5 days before moving. Watering your succulents during this time will lead to some big risks, like making the pots extra heavy, which will make them a lot harder to load in any vehicle. On top of that, moving vehicles have limited airflow, preventing their soil to quickly dry out. And we all know that succulents hate sitting in wet soil for a long time, as this may lead them to get root rot problems.

Instead, water your succulents at least 2 weeks in advance. This should give the soil enough time to completely dry out and stay hydrated enough to survive a few days of tiring travel without water. 

Wrap them carefully 

Wrap each of your plants in 3 or more layers carefully using tissue paper around the pots to reduce friction during transport. 

You should also consider adding some peanuts when packing your plants in the moving box or plastic bin to cushion the empty space. Do this especially for more delicate plants, as this will help them move as little as possible, reducing the stress that may occur to them during travel.

Use plastic bins for small containers

When it is time to move out, using plastic bins are highly recommended for transporting succulents, especially for the ones in small containers or pots. This will not only allow the plants to stay upright but also keep them in place, preventing them to move or shift around during shipment.

Also, it’s important to label each plant as you place them inside the box. This will help the package handlers treat them care.

Watch the temperature

So if you plan to do a midsummer trip, we suggest making some stops in shaded area to check your succulents once in a while. You can open your window as well to let in some fresh air for your plants. 

If you have plans to stop over at a motel for the night, you might want to bring your plants with you inside, since leaving them in a closed space like your car under high summer days is not a good idea. 

In case you’re moving under colder weather conditions, make sure to maintain a comfortable temperature inside your car. You may also use heat packs together with your succulents during shipment. These will keep the plants warm enough for a few days during travel and prevent any possible cold damage. 

Keep cactus away from other succulents

Cacti are prickly that can poke some holes in the packaging material and other succulents’ leaves. So it is best to keep them away from your other delicate succulents, as it may damage them by getting pricked all over during their travel.

There are two ways to protect your other plants from your cactus. One is to plant them all together in a large pot, then making sure that they are away from everything else. The second one is to wrap them using a stiffer wrapper, such as Kraft paper or newspaper, as this will help prevent the spines from poking through.

Also, do not forget to wear gloves when handling your cacti. Their thorns can cause serious irritation, especially the ones with glochids (the tiny hair-like spines or short prickles), and wearing gloves will help prevent it from poking you. 

Accept the fact that sometimes it might not go as planned

Source: Reddit.com

After your plant reached its destination, keep in mind that broken leaves or stems are almost unavoidable. However, they can still be treated like material for leaves or cutting propagation to grow new plants.

Also, your plants may lose some leaves or wilt, but no need to worry, as this is one of their defensive reaction and should recover quickly as soon as they settled in.

Bottom line

Yes, bringing your succulents with you to your new home is not an easy task. Hopefully, this post will not only give your plants a safe and comfortable journey but also help you get the job done with more ease and less stress of moving.

See more about Troubleshooting Common Problems for Succulents

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