Does The Size of The Pot Determine How Big the Plant Grows?

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The pot size determines how much the plant’s root system can spread out, which is essential to ensure the plant gets enough nutrients, air, and moisture. So, eventually, the size of the pot affects the health, yield, and size of the plant.

While many people think that the bigger the pot, the better it is for the plant. This is not true. Too little or too much space can be harmful to the plant. Other than just picking the right size planter for your plants, reporting them into a larger pot at the right time is also essential.

Here is some information that will help you find the ideal pot and know when it is time to size up:

Reason to Pick The Ideal-Sized Pot

The soil in a large pot will dry slowly, making the plant more susceptible to root rot and fungal disease. On the other hand, a too-small pot will dry up very quickly and thus require frequent watering. Moreover, a smaller pot would mean that it can soon become top-heavy, increasing the pot’s chance of toppling.  

Besides this, a smaller pot can limit the plant’s nutrient intake, leading to stunted growth. Similarly, a larger pot will allow the plant to take up excess nutrients, which can cause the plants to burn. Thus, it is essential to ensure that you pick the ideal pot size for your plant to ensure its healthy growth.

Things to Consider on Picking Pots

Other than just the size of the pot, many other factors should be considered while picking pots that will help you have a thriving container garden and ensure the proper growth of your plants.

Enough Space For the Roots

Usually, the stuff beneath the surface matters more than what is happening above it. And as mentioned earlier, the roots of the plants also require space to grow within the pots without being root-bound. So, besides the diameter, you must also ensure that the pot is deep enough.  

This is important to ensure you get deep pots if you want plants with deep roots. This will ensure that the roots have enough space to spread out. Thus, understanding plants’ physiology and roots is crucial before growing them into pots.

Pot Measurements

You can find the ideal pot for your plants with a simple trick. All you need to do is measure the size of the plant by its diameter. Now, you need to pick a slightly bigger planter than the plant. For instance, if the plant’s diameter is 4 inches, you should get a pot that is 6 inches in diameter.

As the plant grows, you can report it to a larger planter.

However, in the case of succulents, you can pick a planter just one size bigger. This is because succulents do not grow a lot in size. But while choosing a pot for a plant that is expected to increase, you should consider getting a pot up to four inches wider.

However, measuring the planter can be tricky. This is because planters come in different shapes, which means they are also measured differently. While round planters are measured by diameter, square and rectangular pots are measured by the distance between opposite rims for length and width. But you should also note that pots measured in trade gallons indicate the volume of soil they can hold.

Plant Size

While picking pots for your garden, you must also consider the plant size. However, their initial sizes would not play a significant role. Instead, the plants’ mature size should serve as a guide for you while choosing pots. For instance, a tomato seedling would easily fit into a 6-inch pot, but it will soon outgrow it and need a much bigger container.

Drainage Holes

While holes in pots offer a great way to ensure proper drainage, they can also be quite helpful in knowing whether the pot is too small for the plant. To tell if your plant requires a larger pot, look for roots poking out of the drainage holes in the bottom.

This is one of the easiest ways to know plants need more growing space. Also, be sure that the containers that measure less than 10 inches have a drainage hole of around half an inch in diameter. On the other hand, containers with a diameter of 10 inches or more should have two to four drainage holes.

Moreover, a small pot would hold less water and could not support plant growth. So, while picking up pots, go for the ones with drainage holes. However, for plants that do not require a lot of moisture, you can consider getting hanging baskets that offer plenty of drainages.

Standard Pot Sizes and What to Grow in Them

Different plants have different requirements. Thus, it is vital to ensure that your pots work well for each of them. Here are some of the standard pot sizes, along with some of the plants that one can consider growing in them:

10-inch Pots

Usually, a pot with a 10-inch diameter can hold around two to three gallons of potting soil. This makes them for smaller plants, succulents, and herbs. You can consider growing veggies like leaf lettuce, beets, small carrots, and turnips. It will also be great for strawberries and flowers like marigolds or zinnias.

14-inch Pots

A planter with a 14-inch diameter can be great for medium-sized vegetables. These can hold up to seven gallons of potting soil. So, growing vegetables like cabbage, large carrot varietals, spinach, and peas would be great in these pots. You can also grow leafy greens like kale, chard, or collard greens in these pots.

18-inch Pots

If you wish to plant even bigger plants and crops, you can go for a planter that has an 18-inch diameter and can hold up to 10 gallons of potting soil. This would work well for veggies for broccoli, eggplant, cauliflower, peppers, zucchini, tomatoes, or even dwarf citrus trees.

24-inch Pots

A pot with a diameter of 24 inches can hold around 25 gallons of soil and easily handle houseplants that can grow quite large and have an extensive root system. So, be sure that the pot is also deep enough to offer proper support and enough space for both roots and shoots to grow.

You can grow fiddle leaf fig trees, pomegranate, apple, and dwarf peach trees that will fit well in these pots.

30-inch Pots

30-inch diameter pots can be massive and are usually not used for house gardens. These can serve as great nursery pots for full trees like pears, apples, and plums. These trees can live all their lives in these pots if adequately fertilized.

Tips to Grow Bigger Plants?

According to a study, doubling pot size can make plants grow more than 40% larger. However, many other things determine the size and growth of plants, like using the right fertilizer, growing seedlings inside, weeding, and even using coffee grounds or soaking seeds in tea.

However, when it comes to container gardening, here are a few tips that will help you grow fresh, healthy, and possibly bigger plants:

Sizing Up and Repotting

You cannot expect each plant to grow in the same pot throughout life. Almost every plant must be repotted into a larger pot at some point in its life cycle. Thus, knowing when the pot demands a larger or deeper pot is crucial. One of the first signs would be the plant requiring to be watered more frequently. And as mentioned earlier, one may notice the roots are growing out from the drainage hole.

Also, periodically, you should lift the root bulb to check whether sufficient soil is left. If the root ball appears tangled, it indicates that the plant is root-bound and requires a larger pot.

Moreover, it is essential to know more about the physiology of the plant to get a better idea about its growth rate and size. Generally, a plant must be repotted into a larger container once a few years. Also, it is recommended that one should report their plants during the spring season for the best results.

Avoid Overpotting

It is not always the bigger, the better regarding container gardening. And although sizing up is a good practice, overpotting (growing a plant in a too-large container) can damage the plant. A pot that is too large for the plant will stay wet for a very long time which can cause root rot, yellow leaves, and even plant death.

Can Pot Size Restrict Plant Growth?

A plant can only grow as much as the planter will allow it. This is because the plant’s nutrients from the soil are limited in a pot. However, this drawback can be quite beneficial for people with limited space. With this, one can quickly grow dwarf plants in a small pot and save up on space.

However, this does not mean one can relax and skip tending to their plants. While growing plants in small pots, one must ensure that the plant does not get root-bound and enough nutrients.

FAQs on Does The Size of The Pot Determine How Big the Plant Grows?

How do I pick the right size pot for my plant?

If the plant is now in a 10″ or smaller pot, consider a pot that is 1-2″ larger than it is now. Choose a pot with a 2-3″ diameter greater than your present pot if it is >10″.

Can you put too much soil in a pot?

Pots should be filled with enough soil to support growing plants while elevating them to the “proper” height. When watering the plants, the soil should be far enough below the planter’s rim to avoid running out.

Why do plants grow bigger in bigger pots?

Plants grow larger in larger containers because their roots want to grow through the available soil. Do this to get as many nutrients as possible from the soil.

Conclusion on Does The Size of The Pot Determine How Big the Plant Grows?

One must check the roots and prune them frequently to ensure proper plant growth. Hile, the size of the pot, plays a significant role; the material of the planter and the kind of potting soil used also affect plant growth and health. e hope these tips and tricks will help you understand how size matters, even in container gardening.

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