Pot Size Conversion Chart
How much soil do I need for my container?
Today was one of those days I wish there were something "standardized" about pot sizes. One catalog uses one set of measurements; another catalog uses something else. Stores use inches; nurseries use gallons. Ahhhh...
To add to the confusion, in the U.S., most nursery and garden centers use and sell pots by the inch or gallon, but in most of Europe, pot containers are sold by metric units, in centimeters or liters.
Trying to figure out pot sizes is often quite a headache. You've got some in inches, some in gallons, and yes, even some in fluid ounces; the latter we're still trying to figure out. They do make this confusing, don't they? There's a theory going around that this purposely confusing system is a way for the mass market industry to charge more for plants, by the container size, not necessarily Plant Size!
While the volume of any given pot can vary based on its depth, width, and whether it is tapered or not, we've attempted to provide a rough guide below. Additionally, to determine the size of a pot, you'll typically measure across the top to determine the size (inches or centimeters).
So let's try and break down these various sizes and measurements and set some general "accepted standards" for pot sizes. Please remember these are rough estimates and not a science. Some of the larger sizes especially are prone to variances in height, width, and depth of the pot. We've also attached a photograph that we hope will help allow you to visualize the differences.
Pot Size Conversion Chart
Inches to Gallons to Liters to Cubic Feet
Pot Sizes (inches) | Pot Equivalent (U.S. Gallons) | Dry Soil Needed (Approx. cu.ft.) |
4" pot | pint / 0.5 quart / .125 gallon | 0.01 ft3 |
5-6" pot | quart / 0.25 gallon | 0.03 ft3 |
7-8" pot | 1 gallon | 0.13 ft3 |
8.5" pot | 2 gallon | 0.26 ft3 |
10" pot | 3 gallon | 0.40 ft3 |
11" pot | 4 gallon | 0.53 ft3 |
12" pot | 5 gallon | 0.66 ft3 |
13" pot | 6 gallon | 0.80 ft3 |
14" pot | 7 gallon | 0.94 ft3 |
16" pot | 10 gallon | 1.33 ft3 |
18" pot | 15 gallon | 2.00 ft3 |
21" pot | 20 gallon | 2.67 ft3 |
24" pot | 25 gallon | 3.34 ft3 |
30" pot | 30 gallon | 4.01 ft3 |
Pot Sizes (inches) | International (Liters) | |
4" pot | .5 L [.473] | |
5-6" pot | 1 L [.946] | |
7-8" pot | 4L [3.78] | |
8.5" pot | 7.5 L [7.57] | |
10" pot | 11 L [11.35] | |
11" pot | 15 L [15.14] | |
12" pot | 19 L [18.92] | |
13" pot | 22.5 L [22.71] | |
14" pot | 26.5 L [26.49] | |
16" pot | 38 L [37.85] | |
18" pot | 57 L [56.78] | |
21" pot | 75.5 L [75.70] | |
24" pot | 94.5 L [94.63] | |
30" pot | 113.5 L [113.56] |
Download Pot Sizes Conversion Chart
Download the conversion chart in PDF format.