Moving Potted Plants, Garden Furniture and Outdoor Items: A Practical Guide

The truck is full, the flat is empty, and there are eleven pots of plants still sitting on the balcony. Nobody remembered them until the very end. Then someone asks if the plants can sit on top of the mattress, and the answer is a polite no.

Outdoor things are often the last items on a moving list, yet they take the most thought. Plants are alive, pots are heavy and garden furniture is awkward. Plan for them early and they arrive in good shape.

Two weeks before: decide what comes

Plants and outdoor items are easy to move badly and often cheap to replace. Look at each one and decide whether to take it, give it away or leave it behind.

• Small potted plants with a strong root ball usually travel well.
• Tall plants in heavy clay or concrete pots may be better replanted in lighter pots.
• Garden furniture made from wrought iron or heavy wood may be worth taking. Cheap plastic chairs may not.
• Ask the landlord whether plants you planted in the ground belong to you or to the house.

Prepare the plants

Water plants lightly one or two days before the move. A soaked pot is far heavier and may spill, while a dry one stresses the plant. Trim dead leaves and long branches that may snap. Tie tall stems gently with soft string so the plant stands compact.

Repot very heavy pots into lighter plastic ones if they are going far. Put a plastic bag or a piece of cloth over the soil and tie it around the base, so soil does not spill onto your furniture.

Pack the pots

Use sturdy boxes, crates or buckets that hold pots upright and close together. Fill the gaps with newspaper or cloth so pots cannot tip. Never stack pots on top of each other. Label each box "plants, keep upright".

Clay and ceramic pots break easily. Wrap each one in cloth and place them with the heaviest at the bottom. For small plants you carry yourself, a basket or a plastic crate works well.

Garden and outdoor furniture

Wash and dry furniture before moving it. Take apart anything that comes apart, such as tables and benches, and put screws and bolts in a labelled bag taped to the piece.

Wrap wooden and metal legs in cloth or cardboard so they do not scratch other furniture. Chairs can stack with a blanket between each. Umbrellas should be closed and tied. Hammocks, swings and swing frames need their fittings kept together. Our guide to taking furniture apart before a move shows a good method.

Barbecue stands, gas grills and tools

A barbecue should be cold and clean before it is loaded. A gas grill needs its cylinder disconnected and kept upright. Read our guide on moving a gas cooker and cylinder for the safe way to handle the cylinder. Garden tools, hoses and watering cans go in one box with the sharp ends wrapped.

Loading order on the truck

Plants and outdoor pieces travel best when they are the last things loaded and the first things off, because plants do not enjoy a long wait in a closed, hot truck.

1. Load heavy furniture and household items first.
2. Place boxes of plants near the tailgate, away from the hottest part of the truck bed.
3. Pad around them so they cannot slide.
4. Do not stack anything on top of the plants.

If the drive is long, ask the driver to stop in a shaded spot where possible. In the dry season, cover the boxes with a damp cloth. Our post on harmattan moves explains how dust and dry heat treat wood and leaves.

After arrival

Unload plants first. Put them in a shaded spot and water lightly once they settle. Do not put them in strong sun immediately after the move, because a change of light can shock them. Arrange the garden furniture where you want it and wipe it down.

How to do this on Sphere

Open the Sphere app and choose a truck or a pickup van depending on the whole load. Add the pickup and drop-off, then list the outdoor items clearly, for example "12 potted plants in crates, 1 iron table, 4 chairs, 1 barbecue stand". Say that plants must go in last and come off first. Propose a price, and nearby verified drivers will accept or send counter-offers. Agree loading and offloading help with the driver before you accept an offer.

See also house moving in Lagos and moving house in Ibadan.