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Pot sizes

Discussion in 'Edible Gardening' started by Fat Controller, May 17, 2014.

  1. Fat Controller

    Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

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    I am utterly terrible at picturing pot sizes (I generally buy the ones that look big enough for the job, but that is not so easy when buying online!), so could do with a bit of help please?

    How big is a 10L pot? Is it big enough to sustain a cucumber plant for a season or is it too small? Or would it be enough for a small tomato plant such as Maskotka?

    If too small, what would be considered a good size for cucumbers and tomatoes?
     
  2. alex-adam

    alex-adam Super Gardener

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    • Informative Informative x 1
    • Scrungee

      Scrungee Well known for it

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      ,

      Here's some of my 10Litre pots, 10" inside diameter below the (11" dia) rim, and 8" inside diameter at the base. 10p each from boot sale.

      GC 10L pots.jpg

      P.S. The largest size of Morrisons flower buckets is 8 Litres.
       
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      • Kristen

        Kristen Under gardener

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        Yes. I reckon on a 12" pot for Cucumbers / Tomatoes, which is about 10L. If you have the choice I would get deeper (can still be 10L, will just be taller & narrower), particularly for Tomatoes so you can then "plant deep". Alternatively cut the bottom out of a smaller pot, e.g. 2L, and place that over the Tomato plant (once planted into the 10L pot) and fill it with compost to "bury" the stem a bit.

        Don't do that for Cucumbers!! (they are prone to stem rot)
         
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        • HarryS

          HarryS Eternally Optimistic Gardener

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          For another example , your standard bucket (£1 ) much loved by the GC Canna growers is about 15 litres.
           
        • pete

          pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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          Dont know why we cant stick to inches or even the dreaded cm, I can visualise those in my head, but thinking about how big a litre is is stupid, and then two litres and so on.

          You actually need a calculator to buy flower pots, crazy.
           
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          • pete

            pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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            Is that a one gallon bucket or a two gallon bucket, or just one of those you get when you buy chicken pellets?:snork:
             
          • Kristen

            Kristen Under gardener

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            Indeed. I need a 6" pot (about 1L), or a 6" Deep one (about 2L) ...
             
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            • colne

              colne Super Gardener

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              I would say anything under 15l is a bit small for any major plant like cucumbers and tomatoes, but then that is likely because of the heat here means drying quickly from plant transpiration. Here I like to use 1 cubic foot, to throw in another annoying variable (7.5 gallons which would be 28 liters).

              Also the plant does not need that amount of soil, just that mass to buffer water use / depletion. So I put the bottom half full of chopped up, preferably part rotted, oak leaves. I have heard pinecones and pine bark also work well that way. (broken up pine bark being the best) Then the actual growing medium for the top half. (the leaves, bark, cones are because they are cheap/free and light)
               
            • pete

              pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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              I think a cubic foot is 6.25 gallons in the UK.
              Not being picky :snork:
              The whole set up of pot sizes is a nightmare these days.
              #
              If they just made standard pots with a diameter that increased in depth as the diameter increased, just like in the old days, then you went onto differing depths for certain plants.
              I find those ones often used by nurseries are far too deep,. and I'm digging into solid clay in order to plant.
               
            • HarryS

              HarryS Eternally Optimistic Gardener

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              Pete ya standard British bucket is a 3 gallon ( 15 litre ) bucket. Smaller sizes its best to think in cans of beer at 0.44 litres per can :biggrin:
               
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              • pete

                pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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                Oh yes, the 440ml can of beer, why is it 440mls for gods sake:biggrin:
                And then we have the bottles ranging from the tiny continental 250mls to the 330 mls and the 500mls, who works this lot out, its ridiculous.

                Actually pot sizes are easy comp[ared to beer bottles, what happened to the pint?:)
                 
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                • Fat Controller

                  Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

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                  Thanks all - I was torn between a 14L builders bucket from Wickes (£1 each) or proper 10L pots (96p), with the main advantage of the pots being that I don't have to drill drainage holes.

                  Having said that, I work next door (literally) to a Wickes, whereas the pots would be mail order.... decision made me thinks

                  @Scrungee - thanks for the info re: the Morrisons pots, I have a load of them and they have sustained my cues for the past few years.

                  @Kristen - thanks, I always sink my toms as deep as I can (sometimes coiling stems to get a more under the soil level), and never deeper than the cotyledon leaves for cues or courgettes :)
                   
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                  • HarryS

                    HarryS Eternally Optimistic Gardener

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                    The pint became 561 millilitres or 20 fluid ounces . Like you , what the heck is 440mls doing as a beer can size ! Sell it by the litre and save on can opening time :heehee:
                     
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                    • Scrungee

                      Scrungee Well known for it

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                      7.5 UK Imperial Gallons = 34 Litres

                      7.5 US Gallons = 28 Litres

                      P.S. UK Homebrewers be careful if using US websites for recipes, as you will need to increase your amount of fruit/sugar per gallon by 20% to get the proportions right.
                       
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