I don't envy you. I moved, with plants and even a couple times with tropical fish, too many times! What I did before I moved here--from Nebraska, so not just across town!--was have a sale and sell as many of my big plants as I could bear to part with, after taking cuttings or divisions of as many as possible. Take newspapers several pages thick opened out, and roll the plants up in it. Probably wouldn't be necessary to pack them as carefully as if you were mailing them, but get boxes and stack them in the boxes after they're wrapped well. Does make a difference of course whether they're large or small, and how hardy they are. Just for example, episcias are very, very sensitive to temperatures below 60, but some plants wouldn't mind even close to freezing.

You don't say how big they are. Since you said it's just several, other than wrapping them in newsprint, you could put them in a box together w/ more scrunched up newspaper or plastic bags to keep them separated & cushioned.

Unless you're planning on having them outside in the cold for a long time, I can't see this would be a problem. If so, you could also put a blanket over the box or wrap it in that.

I'm moving, too! My largest plant is taller than I am (a Janet Craig dracaena that reaches the ceiling and fills out a large put with two thick stalks) but most of them are in pots between 10 and 14" diameter, about half hanging vines and the other half sitting on the floor.

I have around 35 plants, total.

I have been very worried about stressing them, and about the cold. Has anyone been through a winter move like this?

Can someone recommend a reference source where I could look up which ones are most likely to manage for how long at what temperature? I know all about water and light but not so much about which are most susceptible to the temperature dangers, since when we're not moving, the house is heated to a consistent and pretty much non-negotiable temperature.

In general, dracaenas, aglaonemas (chinese evergreens) and ming aralias are quite succeptible to cold drafts. Pothos too. Plants that can tolerate cold the best include zz, rhapis palms, philodendron selloum, cacti, succulents and ivy.

As a general rule, leaves that are thick and/or waxy are more cold tolerant; ones that are thin and delicate hate the cold.

Off the top of my head, I don't know of an online reference source, but if you know the names of your plants, I can give you a pretty educated guess. Nearly all plants will be OK down to about 50 degrees. Some can tolerate down to 40 degrees. Cold wind is bad.

Basically, make sure your vehicle is preheated, don't let it sit parked long enough to get cold, and keep the cold air/wind/drafts off of the plants. Wrapping in newspaper, brown paper, packing inside corrugated boxes that have the flaps folded closed, whatever you've got will help. Choose sturdy paper or cardboard over plastic when wrapping plants. Obviously, you unload the plants ASAP and get them into your new, hopefully warm house (away from doors that will be opening constantly) before you tend to the rest of your stuff.

Good luck!

Thanks for the tips.

Here's what I've got:

Sprengeri, peace lily, various dracaena, gloxinia, various pothos, two kinds of ivy, sanseveria, spider, two types of arrowheads, prayer plant (marantha), xmas cacti (in bloom right now, as a matter of fact), emerald ripple pepperomia, aloe, chinese money plant (pilea peperomiodes), ZZ, heart leaf and velvet philodendron... I forget what else. Most of these are huge, the size you need a landscape dolly to move because no one's going to lift them.

I take it from the previous post that the dracaena may have the most trouble. It's a shame because those are also the largest ones-- 5 to 8 feet tall each....

I've been growing these plants for several years and though they are mostly low light lovers, they've become quite lush. I really want to get them where we're going safely.

If it's under three hours in transit, can I use plastic instead of newspaper? I really don't want to deal with the mess from all the ink rubbing off on everything, and I don't think I can get cardboard boxes large enough. I was thinking I could drop big trash bags over them, or wrap in plastic sheeting. I also have a few blankets I was thinking might be appropriate.

Hi again,
Thank you very much to everyone,can't tell you how much I appreaciate everyones help.
sorry I left out the details.I have a sansevieria about 4'tall,2 large pothos, (sorry I don't know all the pot sizes)monstera 1',2 prayer plants 1 about 1" around the other is smaller,2rubber trees about 18 inches ea.,1" tall anthurim,sm.zygo cactus,8in. pot of spider w/4long babies,margenatas 1 about 2'tall,1about 1',sago palm w/long fronds,pot full of zz with about 18 stems,2'/3'schefflera and about 2' around. the rest are small enough to put in a box and close it.I'm hoping it won't be very cold yet when I move.I's still in the upper 50s at the moment. So let's all keep our fingers crossed,thanks again.
linda

When I worked at Rentoikil plant nursery, we used brown paper sleeves..
Sleeves come in various sizes, from 4" all the up to 24". You slip a plant inside each bag according to size..In other word, a 4" pot goes in a 4" sleeve, etc.
These sleeves are fantastic for carrying any size plants. The only problem is they won't keep plants warm enough to transplant..type in plant sleeves on search engine..I hope u find something..Toni

Thanks Toni,I'll check that out now.
linda

Instead of newspaper (the ink can be messy) and the expense of buying plant sleeves, why not use butcher block paper and make your own? Available at most craft/art supply stores.

I've had trouble finding small quantities of paper plant sleeves, even online, I think butcher paper and some sturdy tape is the way to go.

In my city the Local Newspaper company sells their roll ends of newspaper for a couple of dollars each, the inner cardboard roll is somewhere around 3 inches in diameter, and the last roll I purchased (for use as cushioning for our last move) had more than an inch of paper rolled around it, so yards and yards and yards. This paper is pale white in colour, so I don't know why our newspaper comes out more whitish when printed, that's probably for some science forum, and this paper would be thinner (it's newspaper) than the butcher paper, and without the waxy side. I think it would work, if it was newspaper you were going to use anyways, just it has no ink. Some of the local grocery stores will bag your groceries in paper bags if you request, and then you can recycle them into plant protectors, and they are of thicker paper. Someone sent me home with some frozen food, and I had a couple of hours to drive in near freezing/thawing temps, she wrapped it up in paper bags declaring that the paper had good insulating qualities. And since the roll ends from the Newspaper company are so cheap, I think it's a good recycling option. Good Luck, keep those precious plants warm!

What do folks think about using fabric to wrap plants for a move? I have some sheets and blankets I was thinking might work for my 8' tall dracaena. Does this provide better protection than paper?

I really don't know, but I don't think so. Am guessing blankets would help, but plain sheets won't do much. Sheets & plain cloth have tiny open spaces btwn the threads, unlikely to provide any protection from cold & no protection from wind at all.

If I read you right & you're in Mass., I'd opt for the blankets.