This is a question that comes to the mind of every plant lover. People who often love to re-arrange things in their house also wonder about moving their plants as well.
Moving plants around can be done without causing damage to the plant. The plant should be protected from being dropped or being subjected to excessive vibration. When moved, the plant should be in a place of adequate light, watered lightly, and allowed to destress.
Moreover, people who tend to shift their residence or move from one city to another also have the same question, and knowing what to do after the plant is moved is essential in keeping it healthy.
What to do in this case? Should you move your plant around? Well, moving plants can be good for them so let’s explore how it can be a good thing.
Is It Ok To Move Plants Around?
Sometimes, plants can be finicky creatures. Their needs are different, depending on the type of plant.
That’s why it’s super important to understand what your plant needs if you want it to grow into a happy, healthy specimen.
Therefore, when it comes to whether you should or shouldn’t move plants around depends on a number of things depending on whether they’re in a pot or ground.
Moving Potted Plants:
Yes, it is ok to move potted plants around, but all you have to take care of is the basic needs of the plants like sunlight, heat, water, and air.
First of all, you have to understand the requirements of your plant; for instance, if your plant requires too much light, it is not suitable to keep it in too much darkness.
Furthermore, every plant doesn’t always require too much water, nor does every plant need too much light.
Plants differ in specific ways. Some plants are quite sensitive and require much care and attention, and when they are not provided, you lose them too.
So, placing them in a corner where you can’t regularly attend them may end up harming them.
Moving Grounded Plants:
Plants in the ground have a symbiotic relationship with the soil’s microorganisms. When plants are moved from one location to another, they can transfer some microbes to the soil, where they will continue to grow and develop.
However, it is crucial to take into account whether or not those microorganisms will be helpful or harmful for other plants. Plants that reap the benefits from these microbial communities are called mycorrhizal plants.
Most plants, however, have roots that do not have mycorrhizal colonization, and these plants might suffer from transplant shock.
In short, moving your plants too much can affect their compatibility to their new environment.
Plants That You Should Not Move:
There are a few types of plants that should only be kept growing in the type of nature they were initially raised in.
When they are shifted from their places, it stunts their growth. For instance, Fountain grass and Magnolias should not be moved from their location;
How To Move Potted Plants?
Moving potted plants is never considered a big deal. It is always taken for granted. How many people out there know the right method of relocating plants from one place to another? Hardly a few.
Potted plants should always be moved with care and attention or you might end up hurting your plant. First of all, make sure you can easily carry your plant pot, or you might end up breaking it.
Always consider the right location to place your potted plant – light, temperature, wind, etc.
Where To Put Them?
Strategically placing plants in the home can go a long way when creating a living space that is both healthy and safe for plants and those living within the space. Having that greenery in our home brings us back to nature and calms the mind.
Some plants require low light to grow and they should always be kept in a low light environment.
Similarly, some plants grow properly in a high light environment and this is the reason they must only be kept in high light.
This is what we should keep in our minds before changing the location of our plants. It is a must for us to study the nature of our potted plants.
Other features include the type of temperature the plants require. The plants that require a high heat environment will never grow in low heat or cool environment.
You must keep your plant in the right type of environment. See our detailed post on where to place plants at home.
If an indoor plant is kept outside in scorching heat, it will get too hot, which will end your plant with sunburn. In the same way, if the indoor plants are moved outdoors during the winter season, it will also get stressed due to low temperature.
It can also result oppositely If you decide to keep the outdoor plant at the inside temperature.
Moreover, if you have shifted your outdoor plant to an indoor environment, then you must manage a place for it to easily receive light and heat whether naturally or artificially.
Secondly, Moving your plant outside for a few hours can also help in the growth of your plant.
Moving Large Plants:
How to move large potted plants? Moving large and heavy plants is a difficult task. For this purpose, try to find a moving tray or trolley and place your plant on it to shift its location.
This is the best way to move a large potted plant.
A nursery hand trolley is one of the more common plant-handling pieces of equipment. It is used for lifting and moving trees with various sizes of pots (especially for large pots) easily in nursery operations.
See trolleys on amazon. They make life easy not only with plants but also with other heavy items.
Can Moving Plants Cause Plant Stress?
Does moving from one place to another cause your plants to feel stressed? Indeed yes, Similar to humans, plants are also living things and they can also feel stress when they are shifted from their place.
Plants require wind, water, heat, and light for its growth and when it doesn’t get these things its growth gets stunned.
What you can do in this matter is to make sure you have organized a comfortable environment for your plant. The location must get enough light and aeration for your plant.
Monitor your plant daily after changing its position.
If you see any signs of stress like droopy stems and leaves, yellowish color, slow growth, diseased or attacked by the pests, then it is time to get your plant checked and recover it from the stress.
Plant Rotation
Houseplant rotation is done by rotating a potted plant on its axis every 2 – 3 months to expose areas of the plant which does not normally receive adequate amounts of sunlight. The plant rotation gives the plant a more balanced growth and helps with the symmetric and aesthetics of the plant.
See our detailed article on rotating plants here.
How to Recover Potted Plants from Stress?
Here are a few points to recover your potted plant from stress:
- Provide sufficient sunlight
- Water it daily
- Change its harsh environment
- Place it to its original location
A plant can handle small amounts of stress but if the conditions causing the stress in ongoing, the plant may likely give in and eventually die.
When a plant is moved you should water it lightly allow it to sit in the location ensuring that there is adequate light.
Usually, 1 – 2 days in a steady location (usually where you intend to keep the plant), will be enough for the plant to adapt to its new environment.
The Takeaway
Moving your plants too frequently can cause your plants physiological stress. Therefore, be mindful of choosing the right spot for your plant’s relocation.
Any change in water intake, the surrounding temperature, sunlight, and wind can significantly affect your plant’s health. Therefore, think twice before you plan to move your plants.
If you have any other questions regarding whether you should move plants around or shouldn’t, be our guest and ask in the comment section below. We’ll be happy to answer any of your queries.
