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5-gallon pots are not 5-gallons.... word!?

Noah Yates

Noah Yates

So I placed an order for 4 10-packs of 5-gallon root pouches... when they arrived I only received 3 packs labeled 5 gallons and one 25-pack of pots labeled 3-gallons. Upon further investigation, the pots labeled 3-gallons were only 2-gallons and the pots labeled 5-gallons were only 4 gallons. When I complained to the vendors, they informed me that they were sorry for sending the 25 3-gallon pots and would send me 1 more pack of 5-gallon pots right away. As for the incorrect labeling of the pots they explained that: "In the horticultural industry it is a standard practice to have nursery containers actually hold less than what their name implies....... This is the naming convention the manufacturer creates. The best thing I can liken it to is how 2x4 lumber is not actually 2"x4", but is actually closer to 1.5" x 3.5".
Root Pouch has followed a similar naming protocol. What they call their 5 gallon pots are not actually 5 gallon."

I think this is an outrage. They told me that they tried to make make it explicit by putting the volume in liters (!?). As though everyone in the US know this conversion (which I will now.... thats for sure).

Luckily they are going to refund my money.... but seriously what do you guys think of this. Im like wtf. I am struggling to think of any good reason why "the industry" would do this. What possible reason is there for calling 4-gallon pots 5-gallons pots!?!?!?!?!?
 
At least some of the sellers on Amazon list the actual size too. They are hit or miss as to whether they list it or not.
20 NEW Plastic Nursery 1 Gallon Trade POT ~ Holds 0.66 Gal

7 NEW Plastic Nursery 5 Gallon Trade POT ~ Actual Volume: 3.9 Gallons
 
Noah Yates said:
So I placed an order for 4 10-packs of 5-gallon root pouches... when they arrived I only received 3 packs labeled 5 gallons and one 25-pack of pots labeled 3-gallons.
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Uh oh... are they the fabric ones with the handles? I just ordered some 10 pc. packs of 5 gallon pouches today.
 
Yes Phil... unfortunately you will be getting 4 gallon pots..... derp

And MWM... it actually says five gallons on the label...
 
okay. Not a problem. Just appreciate the warning. I grew in 3 gal. planters last season, so not TOO big of a deal, I guess..
 
If you just ordered them you could probably halt the order... otherwise just contact the seller and try to get a replacement or refund and explain the misunderstanding... I am going to get my money back and use it to order some of thier 10 gallon root pouches I suppose...................
 
I purchased a Home Depot 5 Gallon bucket - http://www.homedepot.com/p/Homer-Bucket-5-Gal-Orange-Bucket-05GLHD2/100087613#.UVy9jFcYljM

I am assuming this really is 5 gallons.
 
thismembername said:
where does everyone get their nursery pots from, what website / local ?
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This was the first time I ordered from this site, and they had fast shipping and have handled this problem well... its the manufacturers/"industry standard's" fault for continuing this absurdity. I ordered some bamboo stakes from them as well that are very nice. So over-all I still recommend the vendor! http://www.greenhousemegastore.com/

edit: oh and the stakes were labeled 6 feet and were actually five feet WTF!?!?! April Fools ;)

dragon49 said:
I purchased a Home Depot 5 Gallon bucket - http://www.homedepot...13#.UVy9jFcYljM

I am assuming this really is 5 gallons.
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Yeah... if its a bucket it should be five-gallons... some of them even say on the bottom: "5 US Gallons".... that's what I used to confirm the pots were too small in the photos i sent in to verify my complaint.

I guess its good to always remember to watch out for "Trade Gallons".... US Gallons are what you are looking for.
 
I was told the history of the strange "gallon" sized nursery pots back in college by my horticulture professor, so I'll give you the short version here:

During WW2 the GI's stationed overseas in Hawaii and elsewhere found exotic plants and wanted to bring them home, but they needed containers, so they went to the mess hall staff and got the used cans that powdered eggs came in during the war. The containers made 5 gallons of reconstituted eggs so the pots were called Egg Cans or 5 gallon pots.


Edit 2:
After WW2 some of these GI's started growing and selling these plants which they collected overseas, and the container nursery business began to boom with the post war housing boom. Before then everything was grown in the ground and dug when needed or in expensive wooden boxes. The egg cans became the standard size because they were cheap and easy to get.

When I first started in the nursery biz in the 80's the old timers still called 5 gallon pots egg cans, and I never knew why until college.

Now you know too.

EDIT: my memory is bad and these may have been 3 or 4 gallons of reconstituted eggs per can, but you get the jist...

if you look here you can see some companies still call the pots egg cans

http://mcconkeyco.co...rsery-container
 
Noah Yates said:
And MWM... it actually says five gallons on the label...
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I wasn't meaning you. I meant the industry. They began as #5 pots and someone decided to start calling them 5 gallons. Apparently that stuck and those on the lower end, not producers, call them 5 gallon pots now. Especially resellers.
 
millworkman said:
I wasn't meaning you. I meant the industry. They began as #5 pots and someone decided to start calling them 5 gallons. Apparently that stuck and those on the lower end, not producers, call them 5 gallon pots now. Especially resellers.
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actually no...see my post above
 
The Walmart bags actually hold 4.5 gallons of soil. For .50 cents, it's by far the best deal going! And, it does the same " air pruning" that the expensive pouches do. Other than aesthetics, what does the "pouches" do that the Wally bags don't?
 
Fill the big pot, then pour it into the smaller pot until it is full. You pour out the smaller pot completely. You then pour the stuff from the big pot into the smaller pot . Then, you fill the big pot and pour it into the remaining space of the smaller pot, leaving you with X amount of stuff in the big pot.

OR

Fill up the smaller pot and pour it into the big pot, refill the smaller pot again and top off the big pot. Dump out the big pot and pour in the stuff left in smaller pot. Fill up the smaller pot completely again and pour it into the big pot to make X amount of stuff.

X=4 gallons or you got screwed.
 
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