Help your houseplants reach their new home safely

Collect your plant near the end of a shopping trip. For a move, prepare space in the vehicle and at your destination first. This guide covers rooted, potted houseplants on local trips home or between homes.

Ask the shop for a suitable plant sleeve. One may not be provided, especially at a supermarket.

Feel below the surface and lift the pot. Do not add precautionary water to moist mix. How far the root ball should dry depends on the species; cacti need different intervals from many foliage plants.

For plants in potting mix: water only as needed and let the pot drain. Empty the saucer. Our watering guide helps you judge.

Stand pots upright in a box. Fill the gaps with crumpled paper so they cannot slide against each other. Leave room for leaves, stems and buds rather than squeezing the canopy into a narrow gap.

Keep foliage dry.

Wrap cold-sensitive plants in paper or a suitable sleeve before stepping outside. Even the short walk to the car matters. Avoid buying a tropical plant that already shows chilling damage.

Wrapping does not replace a protected journey. Needs differ: a cool-grown cyclamen does not need the same warmth as a tropical foliage plant. Ask about an unfamiliar species.

Prewarm the passenger compartment in cold weather and carry plants there. A cold boot or unheated moving van is unsuitable for sensitive plants.

Keep foliage out of direct sun: it can burn even with the air conditioning running. In warm weather, do not leave plants in a closed, parked car.

Unpack plants promptly after arrival. Choose a position suited to the species, away from direct hot or cold air. Do not put them in front of a heater to warm them up.

Our settling-in guide covers the next few days. Chilling damage can appear later, so an arrival photo is not an all-clear.

Photograph the plant before packing and after arrival, using a similar angle. Record the date and new location in your Plantly journal. You can then check which creases or marks were already there.