Hi
Happy 2013 to you all.
When you mention pots size eg 3", 7", 10" etc
Is this the depth of the pot or the width ?
atb
Mark
Pot size ?
Moderators: KG Steve, Chantal, Tigger, peter
-
peter
- KG Regular
- Posts: 5845
- Joined: Fri Nov 25, 2005 1:54 pm
- Location: Near Stansted airport
- Has thanked: 18 times
- Been thanked: 36 times
- Contact:
Diameter at the top. 
Do not put off thanking people when they have helped you, as they may not be there to thank later.
I support http://www.hearingdogs.org.uk/
I support http://www.hearingdogs.org.uk/
-
oldherbaceous
- KG Regular
- Posts: 13866
- Joined: Tue Jan 24, 2006 1:52 pm
- Location: Beautiful Bedfordshire
- Has thanked: 283 times
- Been thanked: 316 times
Welcome to the forum Mark....
We knew Peter would be able to answer a question if we waited long enough.
We knew Peter would be able to answer a question if we waited long enough.
Kind Regards, Old Herbaceous.
There's no fool like an old fool.
There's no fool like an old fool.
-
FelixLeiter
- KG Regular
- Posts: 830
- Joined: Tue Apr 28, 2009 12:18 pm
- Location: East Yorkshire
Mark L wrote:Why is diameter more important than depth or does it just depend on the crop ?
Diameter isn't so important, nor is depth, particularly (although some gardeners prefer that a deep-rooted plant goes into a deep pot). Volume, however, is, which is why most commercial growers prefer to specify volume, usually in litres.
In the days when pots were all mostly made of clay, they were categorised by number, the number being how many could be packed into a standard-sized crate (don't know how big this standard size was). This meant the smaller the number, the bigger the pot.
Allotment, but little achieved.
-
peter
- KG Regular
- Posts: 5845
- Joined: Fri Nov 25, 2005 1:54 pm
- Location: Near Stansted airport
- Has thanked: 18 times
- Been thanked: 36 times
- Contact:
The ratio of diameter to depth is constant, but I guess its easier to measure the diameter is a bit easier.
The "A" sizes for paper are a rather elegant thing. A4 is exactly half an A3, each higher number being half the size of the previous.
The "A" sizes for paper are a rather elegant thing. A4 is exactly half an A3, each higher number being half the size of the previous.
Do not put off thanking people when they have helped you, as they may not be there to thank later.
I support http://www.hearingdogs.org.uk/
I support http://www.hearingdogs.org.uk/
-
peter
- KG Regular
- Posts: 5845
- Joined: Fri Nov 25, 2005 1:54 pm
- Location: Near Stansted airport
- Has thanked: 18 times
- Been thanked: 36 times
- Contact:
Err, um, not quite.
Standard pots yes.
Short pots, used to be called seed pans and used as we nowadays use seed trays, fond memories of my late father carefully putting a sheet of newspaper and a piece of glass over some that needed shade or humidity. Also oft-times used for forced winter bulbs or bonsai.
Also tall pots, can't remember their purpose though.
When little we had the use and benefit of the remnants of a full-on Edwardian nouveau-riche country gentlemans estate, vinery, peach house, cold, warm, hot greenhouses, potting shed, boilerhouse, crescent of brick teak-framed-topped coldframes, orchard, walled herbaceous garden, part walled kitchen garden all paths edged with engineering clay keyhole profile edgers, four elderly gardeners, a manure compound, water piped from two ponds fed by ditches from the surrounding farmland.
Not forgetting hundred and hundreds of old clay pots, from 1" up to 18, which were suitable for, as Dad proved, a Bottlebrush tree from Australia and to germinate a Coco-de-mere.
Happy days.
Standard pots yes.
Short pots, used to be called seed pans and used as we nowadays use seed trays, fond memories of my late father carefully putting a sheet of newspaper and a piece of glass over some that needed shade or humidity. Also oft-times used for forced winter bulbs or bonsai.
Also tall pots, can't remember their purpose though.
When little we had the use and benefit of the remnants of a full-on Edwardian nouveau-riche country gentlemans estate, vinery, peach house, cold, warm, hot greenhouses, potting shed, boilerhouse, crescent of brick teak-framed-topped coldframes, orchard, walled herbaceous garden, part walled kitchen garden all paths edged with engineering clay keyhole profile edgers, four elderly gardeners, a manure compound, water piped from two ponds fed by ditches from the surrounding farmland.
Not forgetting hundred and hundreds of old clay pots, from 1" up to 18, which were suitable for, as Dad proved, a Bottlebrush tree from Australia and to germinate a Coco-de-mere.
Happy days.
Do not put off thanking people when they have helped you, as they may not be there to thank later.
I support http://www.hearingdogs.org.uk/
I support http://www.hearingdogs.org.uk/
-
vegpatchmum
- KG Regular
- Posts: 469
- Joined: Tue Jun 30, 2009 3:49 pm
- Location: North Lincolnshire
Belated welcome to the forum Mark 
Lol bet you hadn't realised that pot design was such a complex issue
Oh and by the way, no question is ever a daft question and you can pretty much guarantee that for every member asking a 'daft' question, there will be a dozen other members/readers who wanted to know the same thing but didn't have the courage to ask
VPM
x
Lol bet you hadn't realised that pot design was such a complex issue
Oh and by the way, no question is ever a daft question and you can pretty much guarantee that for every member asking a 'daft' question, there will be a dozen other members/readers who wanted to know the same thing but didn't have the courage to ask
VPM
x
but will search for them first incase its been discussed already-
sally wright
- KG Regular
- Posts: 722
- Joined: Tue Nov 29, 2005 7:32 pm
- Location: Cambridge
Dear All,
clay pots were numbered by how many could be obtained from a given amount of clay. I think it helped to standardise them to make firing, stacking and shipping easier. For wholesale amounts, pots are still sold by the case and you still get fewer the bigger sized pot you buy.
Long or tall pots were traditionally used for propagation purposes to give extra long room for root cuttings etc and for things that did not need spreading room such as sweet peas, runner beans and proper peas. Basically the things that we now use root trainers for. Commercially long pots are now only used for things with long roots such as large bulbs (eg crinums), tree peaonies and roses. I keep some of these pots around for doing large evergreen and hardwood cuttings.
There is another style of pot available which is the half pot. The depth of these is shorter than the standard pot and a great many things which are sold in small sizes (2-3 inch diameter) such as pansies, polyanthus and a myriad of other plants are sold in them. The only larger plants I can think of which are sold in this style of pot is the potted Chrysanthemums in a 5inch diameter pot. (incidentally these pots are great for cuttings and for seed sowing purposes).
Above a six inch size most pots bought with plants in now are usually measured in litres and are almost universally black plastic (roses being the main exception).
I think the reason we specify the diameter is because it is an easy measurement to make and is generally understood by even the most amateur of gardeners.
I tend to stack my pots by diameter and depth (full and half) for the smaller sizes (up to 6 inches) and by volume for anything larger. The really weird will also stack by make and colour(and there are lots of both) but therein I feel lies madness!
Regards Sally Wright.
clay pots were numbered by how many could be obtained from a given amount of clay. I think it helped to standardise them to make firing, stacking and shipping easier. For wholesale amounts, pots are still sold by the case and you still get fewer the bigger sized pot you buy.
Long or tall pots were traditionally used for propagation purposes to give extra long room for root cuttings etc and for things that did not need spreading room such as sweet peas, runner beans and proper peas. Basically the things that we now use root trainers for. Commercially long pots are now only used for things with long roots such as large bulbs (eg crinums), tree peaonies and roses. I keep some of these pots around for doing large evergreen and hardwood cuttings.
There is another style of pot available which is the half pot. The depth of these is shorter than the standard pot and a great many things which are sold in small sizes (2-3 inch diameter) such as pansies, polyanthus and a myriad of other plants are sold in them. The only larger plants I can think of which are sold in this style of pot is the potted Chrysanthemums in a 5inch diameter pot. (incidentally these pots are great for cuttings and for seed sowing purposes).
Above a six inch size most pots bought with plants in now are usually measured in litres and are almost universally black plastic (roses being the main exception).
I think the reason we specify the diameter is because it is an easy measurement to make and is generally understood by even the most amateur of gardeners.
I tend to stack my pots by diameter and depth (full and half) for the smaller sizes (up to 6 inches) and by volume for anything larger. The really weird will also stack by make and colour(and there are lots of both) but therein I feel lies madness!
Regards Sally Wright.
-
Geoff
- KG Regular
- Posts: 5583
- Joined: Thu Nov 24, 2005 5:33 pm
- Location: Forest of Bowland
- Been thanked: 135 times
I stack my 3½" by colour because I use them for Brassicas so when I have a potting on day I can do one variety one colour - belt and braces (when I was first married gave my f-i-l some sprouts that hearted up beautifully!).
Should anybody require any 8cm round terracotta threequarter pots. I have around 132,000 going mainly to waste now!
Ideal for young brassicas growing on to four leaf stage with minimum use of potting medium.
My use was for first potting on for cuttings from the module stage.
You are welcome to have as many as you want.
JB.
Ideal for young brassicas growing on to four leaf stage with minimum use of potting medium.
My use was for first potting on for cuttings from the module stage.
You are welcome to have as many as you want.
JB.
I am very tempted Johnboy, I love the look of terracotta pots, nostalgia for my grandfathers potting shed I suppose. Trouble is, I don't actually need any. Still, you have lots of them, and I don't live far from you, so I may pootle over and relieve you of some come the spring...