I always try and discourage home gardeners from moving plants and soil state to state due to the possibility of moving disease and insect pests with them. Al

I'm afraid Al is correct. There are both Federal and State regulations that control the movement of plants across state lines (and sometimes, into individual counties). By moving your plants, you could conceivably be committing a crime. If you want to do it correctly, I would contact the Texas Dept. of Agriculture to discuss any regulations pertaining to the movement of your plants.

In some cases, states may prohibit, or limit, the transport of certain species of plants. In other cases, states may prohibit the importation of any SOIL around the plants, necessitating bare-rooting. I'm not sure about Texas (California, where I live, is one of the most strict states regarding plant importation), but they may allow the movement if you obtain a phytosanitary certificate, possibly available through your local agriculture department.

Now let's answer your question; how to move your plants (assuming you CAN): I would water your plants well, LEAVE THEM IN THE POTS if you can (it's a bad time to bare-root), stake if necessary to avoid damage, wrap the containers in a breathable material such as newspaper to prevent soil loss from the surface of the pots. You can wrap the paper around the pots, coverring the soil surface and securing the paper to the trunks of the plants with a tie of some sort. Secure the plants in a box that will minimize the possibility of crushing during shipment. I have received many mail-order plants shipped like this, and they typically arrive undamaged.

Good luck!