Moving is rarely easy. And it’s even rarer that everything goes right. For example, you sell your house, and the new owner needs to move in by a specific date, yet your new home will not be ready in time. You can always stay with a friend or rent an apartment, but what do you do with all of your belongings? So you rent a storage unit. Which is fine, except for your house plants.

How can plants survive in a storage unit where there’s no light and no water? According to SFGate, most potted plants can actually survive up to seven days as long as they have the right preparation. So if you have plants that you need to relocate to your new home, in many cases carefully storing them in a storage unit for several days should be fine. Of course, a lot depends upon the type of plant and type of storage, too.  Here are five tips about placing plants in a temporary storage unit at a reasonable price.

1 Plant Species Matter

The type of plant plays a big role in how well it will handle a short term stay in storage. In general, plant varieties that are low maintenance generally do better in storage than high maintenance plants. For example, cast iron plants, aloe plants, spider plants, and pothos plants not only tolerate lower levels of sunlight but they are also more tolerable of having less water. As a bonus, most of these plants are also small and/or slender which means they will take up less space.

On the other hand, high maintenance or plants that don’t do well with stress such as ficus, azaleas or Calathea Ornata will have a more difficult time being kept in a storage unit.

As for outdoor garden plants and larger plants like trees or shrubbery, if you can get by with taking a cutting and leaving them in place, that’ll be your best bet. If you absolutely cannot bear to leave them behind, then make sure you properly package them (more on that next).

2 Invest in High-Quality Pots and Good Containers

To ensure that the plants survive the journey and the storage, invest some extra money in high-quality pots and containers. Make sure that the containers have some weight to them in order to support the plants they contain and also to prevent the plants from toppling over. High-quality containers can also help prevent moisture loss.

Something else you can do is remove smaller plants out of individual pots and putting them into larger pots (or even a good quality plastic storage bin) with other similarly sized plants. The extra soil involved will also hold onto more water longer which in turn will help your plants get the water they need. Plus doing so also takes up less room overall.

For those larger, outdoor plants we discussed above, you will need to wrap their roots in a burlap sack and place them in pots for indoor storage. Then, as soon as they are out of storage, unwrap them and return them to a proper outdoor space.

3 Temperature

Another important factor in keeping your plants alive is room temperature. A cool room with a temperature around 65 degrees Fahrenheit will help prevent the soil from drying out too quickly. That’s also the temperature that most plants prefer. Therefore you should look for a portable on demand storage solution that provides protection from overly hot or cold temperatures. Similar to climate-controlled units, insulated portable on-demand storage solutions are going to be your best bet when it comes to keeping your plants alive while in storage.

4. Water Plants a Few Days in Advance

Water is one of the most important elements to consider when it comes to keeping plants in temporary storage. In fact, plants stand a much better chance of survival if the soil in which they grow is kept moist. And the best way to do that is to water your plants two to three days before you put them in storage.

To ensure the water stays in containers longer, use some newspaper or brown wrapping paper to completely cover the soil in the pot. This not only prevents water from evaporating as quickly, but it will also help keep the soil in place during transport.

Another reason to water a few days in advance is that it can help you notice any possible leaks which can cause mildew or mold, and even damage to other items in storage such as electronics and furniture. And speaking of mildew and mold, when you water the plants make sure their foliage remains absolutely dry. This will also help prevent the development of mildew and/or mold.

Keep in mind, if you have to keep your plants in storage for longer than seven days, you will need to be able to access your plants in order to give them a little extra water to help them survive.

5 When in Doubt, Ask

If you are not sure if a particular plant will survive in storage, find a local botanist or another knowledgeable plant person and ask their opinion and advice.

You should also keep in mind that putting plants of any species in storage for up to a week or more may possibly result in some minor physical changes. None of which should be permanent.

A Few Simple Ways to Find Affordable Storage

Now that you know how to care for plants that will be placed in storage, your next step is finding an affordable storage option that will meet your needs. Here are a few tips on finding affordable storage solutions.

• do an online search
• as friends or family that have used storage before for their recommendation
• call around to local storage businesses
• consider renting a portable, on-demand storage solution instead of a unit at a self-storage facility

In Summary

While keeping plants in a storage unit should only ever be a short term, temporary solution,  keeping the above tips in mind can help your plants survive a short stay in storage until it’s time to move into your new home.