Take the Mystery Out of Container Gardening
July 17, 2025
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No more pot-guessing! Use our Vegetable Container Size Chart to pick the perfect round pot for your veggies. Whether you're growing tomatoes, lettuce, or peppers, this chart takes the mystery out of container gardening—you’ll know exactly what size you need to get growing.
Think of this calculator as your very own pot matchmaker!
Have a veggie in mind? We'll help you find its perfect pot. Already have a container? We'll show you which veggies are a match.Vegetable Pot Size Calculator
Vegetable Name:
OR
Container Diameter (inches): Container Depth (inches):
How to Use the Tool
Let’s say you're planting cucumbers. Under Vegetable Name, select cucumbers and click the red Find button. The results will show:
You’ll need at least a 5-gallon container for healthy growth. The diameter (width) of the pot should be at least 12 inches across. The depth of the pot—important for root development—should also be at least 12 inches. Recommended container-friendly varieties include ‘Bush Early Girl’ or ‘Patio Princess’. Plant no more than 1 to 2 plants per pot to avoid overcrowding, under-potting, and poor harvests. If using a larger pot or placing pots close together, space plants 18 to 24 inches apart.Or, maybe you already own pots from last season! Type in the size (e.g., 12 inches Diameter, 12 inches Depth). Then click the red Find button. The results will show:
The gallon size of your container All of the suitable vegetables for that container How many plants will fit in your potNow you can confidently pick a container that gives your cucumbers room to grow!
Vegetable Container Size Chart
Here is our complete chart for all common vegetables, listing recommended pot size, plant spacing, and varieties that grow best in containers. Whether you're growing leafy greens or root crops, use this as your go-to guide for growing happy, healthy plants in pots.
VegetablePot Size (Gallons)Plants per ContainerPlant SpacingVarieties for ContainersBeets2 gallons2 to 32–3 inchesDetroit Dark Red, Bull’s Blood, Early Wonder, Red Ace, ChioggiaBok Choi (Pak Choi)2 gallons1 to 24–6 inchesTatsoi, Mei Qing Choi, Baby ChoiBroccoli5 gallons1 plant12-18 inchesDe Cicco, Calabrese, Green Magic, Waltham 29Beans (Bush)2 gallons1 to 34–6 inchesBlue Lake Bush, Tendergreen, ContenderPole Beans5 gallons1–26 inchesKentucky Blue, Fortex, RattlesnakeCarrots5 gallons10 to 152-3 inchesThumbelina, Parisian, Little FingerChard (Swiss or Rainbow)3 gallons2–34–6 inchesBright Lights, Fordhook Giant, RhubarbCollards3–5 gallons1–212 inchesGeorgia Southern, ChampionCucumbers (Bush)5 gallons1–212 inchesSpacemaster, Bush PickleEggplant5 gallons118 inchesFairy Tale, Patio BabyHorseradish5+ gallons1 root12–18 inchesRoot cuttings onlyKale3–5 gallons1–212 inchesDwarf Blue Curled, Lacinato, Red RussianLeeks3–5 gallons6–84-5 inchesKing Richard, Lancelot, TadornaLettuce1-2 gallon2 to 64 to 6 inchesBlack Seeded Simpson, Salad BowlMustard Greens2–3 gallons4–64–6 inchesSouthern Giant, Green Wave, Red GiantOkra5+ gallons112–18 inchesBaby Bubba, Clemson SpinelessOnions (Bulbing)3–5 gallons4–6 bulbs3–4 inchesWalla Walla, CandyOnions – Green (Scallions)2 gallons10–121.5–2 inchesWhite Lisbon, Evergreen BunchingPeppers3–5 gallons1 plant12–15 inchesLunchbox, Jalapeño, Sweet BananaPotatoes10-30 gallons3–5 seed potatoes8-12 inchesYukon Gold, Red Norland, FingerlingRadishes2 gallons5 to 62 inchesCherry Belle, French BreakfastSpinach2 gallons6–83–4 inchesBloomsdale, Space, TyeeSwiss Chard3 gallons2–36–8 inchesBright Lights, LucullusTomatillos5-10 gallons1 (need 2 nearby)18–24 inchesToma Verde, Pineapple, PurpleTomatoes (Determinate)5-10 gallons1—Bush Early Girl, Patio Princess, RomaTomatoes (Indeterminate)15-25 gallons1—Sun Gold, Sweet 100, Cherokee PurpleZucchini / Summer Squash5-10 gallons1 plant18–24 inchesBush Baby, Eight Ball, Gold RushAbout The Author
Catherine Boeckmann
Catherine Boeckmann loves nature, stargazing, and gardening so it’s not surprising that she and The Old Farmer’s Almanac found each other. She leads digital content for the Almanac website, and is also a certified master gardener in the state of Indiana. Read More from Catherine Boeckmann
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