GUIDE TO NURSERY CONTAINER SIZES

Design and InstallationGarden Caregarden TriviaIndoor plantsPlant Health CareUncategorized
Written By Peter Morris

Basic grower pot - 1 gallon

Nursery Containers

 The sizing in grow pots are in another language… if not another world !In addition to having to learn the metric system – we have to learn the sizes and names growers give to their plant containers ! 

various planted pots

Gallon

 You will hear the word “gallon” a lot – but it’s not that “gallon” you learned in grade school – it’s a “trade gallon”. A US gallon is based on 4 quarts – a trade gallon uses 3. Don’t ask me why but I suspect money is involved.For example - one cubic foot of volume (12”x12”x12”) equals 7.5 gallons of volume, but in nursery trade gallons it's called 10 gallons. And a 10 gallon is actually 1.34 cubic feet.I just go along with it – but it makes NO sense to me !...AND of course there are variations to exact sizes from different manufacturers and the below measurements can only be considered approximate. As if it wasn’t difficult enough !!!!In any case - it’s a necessary evil - as getting the correct size of a container to fit into a planter is crucial. This is true for either Indoor or Outdoor plants.  Most grow pots are cylindrical in shape.  Trying to squeeze one into a decorative container that tapers – you just need to know the dimensions - of everything ! 

typical tapered pot

Dimensions

 Growing containers range between the tiny 1” pot to a massive 300 gallons – Listed below are the ones most commonly used.1 Quart, is SQUARE, 4.25” L x 4.25” W x 7.25” HThese below are ROUND1 Half gallon, 0.7 US Gallons, 6” D x 6” H1 gallon, #1 container, 0.76 US Gallon, 6” D x 6.9” H2 gallons, #2 container, 1.6 US Gallon, 8.5” D x 8.5” H3 gallons, #3 container, 2.5 US Gallon, 10.5” D x 9” H5 gallons, #5 container, 3.6 US Gallons, 10.5” D x 12.25” H5 gallons short, #5s container, 3.6 US Gallons, 11.25” D x 9.9” H7 gallons, # 7 container, 6.5 US Gallons, 12” D x 14”.13” H10 gallons, #10 container, 8 US Gallons, 14.75” x 11.5” H15 gallons, #15 container, 12 US Gallons, 17.5” D x 15.4” H  

Call us if you get stuck with the pot names ! 

PLANT SPECIALISTSGREENING NEW YORK FOR OVER 53 YEARS !

   Article written by our Staff Horticulturist, Peter B Morris, BSc, MSc, MBAAll photographs used with permission @SHUTTERSTOCK

Peter Morris

Peter was born and raised on a beautiful green island in the midst of a tropical rainforest. He was introduced into the world of plants at the age of six when his grandmother, an avid Spanish gardener herself, asked him to help her grow seeds for her pepper garden. He was hooked! By the time he was a teen, he had his own rose and orchid collection numbering in the hundreds. Botany was in his blood, and that is what he set out to study.

His passion brought him to NY in the late seventies to further his education. His tenacity allowed him to work full time at Plant Specialists while he completed a MS in Plant Biology. As a manager at the time he felt unsatisfied with his knowledge of business and business processes. Peter felt compelled to learn, so he then pursued and completed an MBA in Quality Management within a few short years.

Peter’s other passion is teaching. His natural ability is quickly consumed by our staff in all subjects in Botany, Horticulture, and Landscaping. He created an immense reference library of more than 3,500 plants providing an invaluable resource for our staff.

Peter’s breadth of knowledge and wisdom allows him to effectively diagnose the needs of plants. Sometimes just by walking into a garden he can create a prescription that fixes even the hardest issue. He is our Staff Botanist, Diagnostician, and all around Mentor. Recently, he has put his immense knowledge and skills into developing a new department that focuses on Plant Healthcare. As he puts it, “Magic through Science”. The PHC staff that surround him have avidly consumed his teachings. Substantially developing their own plant wisdom, many have taken on difficult plant health issues with spectacular results.

Plant Healthcare has been an instant success with customers! The proper treatment of insects and diseases including Organic methods has made pest control a necessity for every plant. Correcting hormonal imbalances caused by planting in containers or refurbishing soils leached of nutrients by irrigation systems are big challenges PHC has become quite comfortable addressing. The scientific approach to the complex demands of keeping plants healthy in our harsh city environment has made many a customer say WOW!

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