Sizes and weights
Typical ranges for what we actually meet in Central London rather than one manufacturer's specification. Measure yours before you rely on them.
| Type | Size | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Large houseplant | 150 to 250cm tall with the pot15 to 40kg | 15 to 40kg |
| Olive or citrus tree in a pot | 150 to 220cm tall30 to 80kg with a terracotta pot | 30 to 80kg with a terracotta pot |
| Mature fiddle leaf or monstera | 180 to 250cm, wide and brittle15 to 30kg | 15 to 30kg |
| Balcony or terrace planter | varies, often too heavy to lift when wet40 to 150kg | 40 to 150kg |
For reference, a standard UK internal door is 762mm. Older Central London stock is often narrower. Full door and van measurements.
Will it fit?
How does a tall plant get through a door?
Usually by being gathered rather than by fitting. The pot is the rigid part and it is rarely more than 50cm across. The foliage is compressible and comes through a 762mm door once it is loosely gathered and tied, which is a two person job for anything over about two metres.
Can foliage be tied?
Loosely, with soft ties or a sheet, for the duration of the move only. It stops branches catching on door frames, which is what actually breaks them. Tied tightly or left tied for days it will crease and mark the leaves, so it comes off as soon as the plant is in place.
What about the weight of a wet pot?
A large terracotta pot with damp soil is far heavier than it looks and can be 80kg or more. Letting the soil dry for a couple of days before the move takes real weight out and makes the pot less likely to crack, and the plant will not mind.
Will it survive?
The move, almost certainly. The new room is the question, and it is one nobody can insure. A plant that was thriving in a south facing bay and goes into a north facing hallway will drop leaves regardless of how carefully it travelled, and it is worth deciding where things are going before they arrive.
How we move plants
- Pots are wrapped at the base so soil does not go across the van and the staircase
- Foliage is loosely gathered and tied for the carry, and released as soon as it is in place
- Plants travel upright, wedged or strapped so they cannot topple, and never laid down
- They go in last and come out first, so they spend the least time in the van
- In winter they are loaded straight from the building rather than standing on a pavement
- They go into the room you want them in, and we take the ties off before we leave
The fortnight after the move
Expect some leaf drop, particularly on figs, and expect it to start about a week in rather than immediately. That is the plant responding to the new light rather than to the journey, and the usual mistake is to react by watering more, which finishes off what the move started.
Put things somewhere with light as close as possible to what they had, leave them alone, and water only when the soil actually needs it. Most plants recover within a month.
Balcony and terrace planters
These are the heavy end of this page and they are usually underestimated, because a planter that has sat outside for years is full of wet soil and often has roots into the drainage. Sixty to a hundred and fifty kilos is normal.
Where a planter is too heavy to move as it is, the answer is to empty it, move the pot and the soil separately, and replant at the other end. That is more work than lifting it and it is considerably less work than replacing a cracked pot and a broken back.
Before we arrive
- Let the soil dry out for a couple of days beforehand, which cuts the weight considerably
- Prune anything already broken or straggling, since it will get caught otherwise
- Decide where each plant is going, and pick a spot with light similar to the one it is leaving
- Say if anything is in a pot you are attached to, because terracotta chips
- Avoid a hard frost day if the date can move at all
What tends to go wrong
Leaving them on the pavement in winter
Twenty minutes at two degrees does more damage to a tropical houseplant than the entire rest of the move. They are loaded straight from the door and unloaded straight into the building, and in a cold snap they go in the cab.
Laying a tall plant down in the van
Soil comes out of the pot, branches take the weight of the whole plant, and it arrives with a broken leader. Plants travel upright and wedged, which takes more floor space and is the only way that works.
Expecting insurance to cover it
No goods in transit policy meaningfully covers living things, ours included, because nobody can distinguish transport shock from the new room being darker. We say so plainly rather than letting anyone assume otherwise, and we handle them accordingly.
Plant moving: common questions
How much does it cost to move plants in London?
Between £90 and £240 including VAT, most near £135, for a handful of large plants or a couple of potted trees. Moved alongside a flat or house move they add very little, because the van is already going. As a standalone job the minimum applies as it would for any single item.
Will my plants survive the move?
The journey, almost certainly, if they travel upright and are not left standing in the cold. The new room is the real variable. A plant moving from a bright bay window to a darker hallway will drop leaves regardless of how it travelled, so it is worth deciding positions before they arrive.
Are plants insured?
Not meaningfully, by us or by anyone. No goods in transit policy covers living things properly, because transport shock cannot be separated from the new room having different light. We would rather say that plainly than let you assume otherwise, and we handle them carefully because that is the only protection there is.
How do you move a two metre plant?
The foliage is loosely gathered and tied for the carry so branches do not catch on door frames, the pot is wrapped at the base, and it travels upright and wedged so it cannot topple. Ties come off as soon as it is in position.
Should I water them before the move?
No, the opposite. Let the soil dry for a couple of days beforehand. It takes real weight out of a large pot, makes terracotta less likely to crack under its own load, and the plants will not mind a few dry days.
Other single items
Moving more than one thing?
This page is about plants on its own. The single item and furniture delivery page covers the service generally, and what a move costs prices a whole flat or house.
Across Central London
We move plants anywhere in the 37 areas we cover. What changes between them is the parking and the staircase, which is what decides where in the band you land.