Square pot 6.5 liter 19X19X24cm

A square growing pot of 6.5 litres, 19 by 19 by 24 centimetres. Tapered, with a perforated base.

A wet layer always stands at the bottom

This is the property of a plastic pot that does the most damage and gets explained the least.

Water sinks through substrate until gravity and the material's own pull balance out. Below that point a layer stands saturated and drains no further. It is a few centimetres thick and, which often surprises people, roughly the same thickness in every pot: it depends on the substrate, not on the height of the container.

There is no air in that layer. Roots sitting in it permanently get no oxygen, and that is where root rot starts.

The holes in the base only half solve it, because they work only if the water can actually get out. Stand the pot flat on a closed saucer, on paving or on a table top, and the base seals itself and the wet layer stays exactly where it is.

The fix costs nothing: stand the pot on a ribbed saucer, a grid, two battens, or an upturned tray. Anything holding the base a few millimetres clear will do. And do not leave it standing in what has drained out, because the substrate simply draws it back up.

What 6.5 litres is for

Six and a half litres is a final size for a plant with a short growth phase, or a generous intermediate if you then move to 11 or 18 litres. At 19 by 19 centimetres, twenty-seven fit on a square metre touching.

The 20 by 20 centimetre saucer is meant for this size. Because the pot tapers, its base is smaller than the 19 centimetres at the rim, so it stands on it comfortably.

Technical Specifications:

• Volume: 6.5 litres
• Dimensions: 19 x 19 x 24 cm
• Shape: square, tapered
• Material: plastic, black
• Base: perforated for drainage
• Matching saucer: square plant tray 20 x 20 cm

Frequently asked questions

How far off the surface does it need to stand? A few millimetres is enough. The point is that the holes are not sealed.

Can it stand in a tray of water? Only briefly, for watering from below. Permanently in water means a permanently wet bottom layer.

Does a layer of clay pebbles at the bottom help? Less than people think. It moves the wet layer upwards rather than removing it. Making sure water can leave works better.

How much water per watering? A good litre, until something runs out of the bottom.