House plants and planters on moving day

People ask about plants more than you might expect, and with good reason: a fiddle-leaf fig or a ten-year-old olive tree in a pot can mean more to a household than a sofa. Our answer has been the same for years. Yes, we move plants, as long as they fit in the truck, they can get through the stairs and doorways at the new place, and they can be transported safely. A plant that is too tall for the truck, or a planter too heavy to carry down a flight of stairs, may need another plan.

Large outdoor planters are the hardest case. Whether we can take one depends on how much room is left in the truck after the house is loaded, because furniture and boxes go in first and pack tightly; a big planter takes up floor space that nothing else can share. If you have one, send a photo before move day. David will tell you whether it is likely to fit, and whether the planter's weight puts it in the over-300-pound category that needs his confirmation. Planters filled with wet soil are much heavier than they look.

When the new home is only minutes away, there is a simple option: a dedicated trip just for the plants. On one large Bay Area move with a lot of greenery, the estimator expected the house contents to fill the truck, so we planned a second run for the plants. Because the two homes were less than 10 minutes apart, double drive time did not apply. A second trip is billed as time at the hourly rate like the rest of the job.

There is no plant fee. Plants are loaded and carried within the move at $175 per hour for 3 movers or $235 per hour for 4, with a 3-hour minimum and 15-minute increments. Protective wrapping for plants and pots is a packing material, charged as used. Double drive time applies when the two homes are more than 10 minutes apart, under California's tariff rules.

• Water a day or two before the move, not the morning of, so pots are lighter and do not drip.
• Prune long branches that will catch in doorways.
• Put small plants in open-top boxes, stable and upright.
• Put saucers under pots and wrap ceramic pots that might chip.
• Move delicate or valuable plants in your own car if you can.
• Tell us about any plant taller than about six feet.

Plants generally do poorly in a closed truck for days, and some states restrict bringing plants in from California. If you are moving out of state, consider giving plants to friends or taking a few cuttings. On a local Bay Area move, plants are usually on the truck for only a few hours.