Grow Pot and Nursery Pot Sizes: Everything You Need to Know

When it comes to immersing yourself in the hobby of botany, a lot of things need to be considered to ensure your plants have the best chances of survival when they reach a certain maturity. Grow and nursey pots come in all shapes, materials, and sizes, while some are more suited to indoor versus outdoor growing. Arguably the most difficult part of container gardening is to know which size if best for your ideal outcome.

As the names suggest, nursery pots are used in the nascent months of a plant, while grow pots or planters are used to cultivate and display the plant or flower. Pot and planter can be used interchangeably, although typically, pot will refer to smaller, rounder containers, while planters are meant for outdoors and come in irregular sizing.

If you are new to the world of plants, all of this can be confusing. That’s why we are going to break down the grow pot size and nursery pot size details below.

Nursery Pot Sizing

Nursey containers come in a variety of sizes, paired up to the particular plant to decide on the proper size. For example, if you are planting a shrub or a tree, they are sold in 1-gallon (4L) pots, otherwise known as #1 pot sizes.

The # symbol is what is commonly used to reference each class number size. Smaller nursery pots, like 4-inch pots, can also include an SP in front of the class number, which stands for: smaller plant size. That means the larger the # number, the larger the pot, and therefore, the larger the anticipated plant will be.

Nursery pots generally come in container sizes ranging from #1, #2, #3, #5, #6, #7, #10, #15 and on up to #20 (or even higher).

If you hear someone refer to a gallon nursery container, they are talking about #1 pots, which are the most common nursery pot used in the industry today. Although they can hold up to (3L) of soil, they are still considered to be 1-gallon pots. Many flowers, shrubs, and even trees can be found in this pot size.

Naturally, as the plant grows and the roots get larger, the nursery grower may elect to place the plant in a larger pot. A #1 shrub may be relocated into a #3 pot. It’s worth noting: a lot of this can vary depending upon the grower. While one nursery may send a large plant in a #1 pot to your home, the other may elect to place it in a #3 for the exact same plant. That’s why it’s always important to do your due diligence before making the purchase.

Lastly, nursery plant pots come with grading information as well (not all of them, but some). These are dependent on how a particular plant has been grown until the point you are receiving it. The grades are as follows:

• Premium grade (P): these are the most expensive and healthy plants available.
• Regular grade (G): these are of moderate quality and are fairly healthy with a medium price.
• Landscape grape (L): these are the lower quality plants that are usually the cheapest.

If you see a plant labeled as #1P, it means it’s in a #1 nursery pot and of the highest quality. It would cost more than an #1L plant.

Grow Pot Sizing

The first step in being a plant parent is to repot your plant. That’s why you will now need a new planter for repotting your plant so it has a fresh potting mix to grow in. This will help your plant to sustain it current size, as well as get larger with more space.

With growing pots, we are now going to change from #s and gallons to inches. If you hear someone refer to a 4” plant, they are talking about the diameter of the pot that the plant is growing in. It actually has nothing to do with the actual height and size of the plant.

How do I choose a pot to repot my plant in?

A good rule of thumb is to choose a pot that is 1-2” larger than the current size of the plant if it is in a 10” pot or smaller. If your pot size is below 10”, around the 2-4” size, then choose a pot that is 2-3” larger in diameter.

Can I configure the equivalent of a grow pot to a nursery pot in gallons?

Sure. A 12” pot is about 5 gallons, or #5. This should help you make some side-by-side comparisons.

What is the most common grow pot size available today?

For most plants, a 6-8” size planter pot is going to be sufficient. The depth may change based on what you are growing.

Picking the Right Pot Size

With that information, you should be able to identify the right nursery pot and grow pot size for your current project. As mentioned, every nursery is different, which is why you should do some additional research and consider talking to the staff onsite to ask about sizing comparisons. Size is very important for being successful in growing plants, vegetables, and fruits, which is why we are happy to answer any further questions or concerns.