Quart into pint pot.

[Bill HH]

Well having stopped up all the holes in a "35 Lt pot" and carefully filled it with a jug to overflowing it measured 48 litres. At 35 litres it was about as full as you would have it for planting (about 2 inches down). Then I tipped the water out and added a bag of fluffed up MPC, it took the lot but it was level full.
So not as bad as 35litres but still down on 60 litres, I am hopless at percentages but i think thats about 20% down. Hardly worth falling out about considering it does say 60L when filled, and considering if you realy wanted 60 litres they would need to fill it to 80L and then would charge more.
But its worth noting if you are calculating amounts needed to fill a raised bed for instance that buying 60 Litres probably only gets you in the region of 48litres.

The pots i am using are black plastic with drain holes and handles bought from

Heavy Duty Container Pots

[Kristen]

I potted some plants a while back and made a note so that I knew how much compost to buy-in in future.

60L of MPC plus 6L of Perlite filled 56 x 1L pots (that's 15% "short") and 167 x 9cm pots

I would have sieved it before use, and broken up any lumps, so it would have been fluffed up. The compost would not have been pushed down around the plants in the pots but, as you say, the 1L pots might have been bigger than that "to the rim" which is where I would be filling to allow for subsequent compaction (in the pot)

[Kristen]

P.S. If you want to calculate the volume of a Pot then Mr Google will do the maths for you if you type in:

" the 35l pot was 45cm diameter and 37cm deep"

(45 cm / 2) x (45 cm / 2) x pi x 37cm in litres =

That's 58 litres, but assumes the bottom is the same diameter

In practice the bottom will be narrower (let's assume 40cm) so a more accurate formula would be:

(45 cm / 2) x (40 cm / 2) x pi x 37cm in litres =

Which gives 52 Litres

(Its cheating somewhat on the average diameter, but I think its close enough for these purposes)

If you wanted to calculate volume allowing for a 2" gap at the rim then:

(45 cm / 2) x (40 cm / 2) x pi x (37cm - 2 inches) in litres =

which gives 45 Litres (this is even more of a cheat as the diameter 2" from the top is no longer 45cm - adjust to suit )

[Bill HH]

P.S. If you want to calculate the volume of a Pot then Mr Google will do the maths for you if you type in:

" the 35l pot was 45cm diameter and 37cm deep"

(45 cm / 2) x (45 cm / 2) x pi x 37cm in litres =

That's 58 litres, but assumes the bottom is the same diameter

In practice the bottom will be narrower (let's assume 40cm) so a more accurate formula would be:

(45 cm / 2) x (40 cm / 2) x pi x 37cm in litres =

Which gives 52 Litres

(Its cheating somewhat on the average diameter, but I think its close enough for these purposes)

If you wanted to calculate volume allowing for a 2" gap at the rim then:

(45 cm / 2) x (40 cm / 2) x pi x (37cm - 2 inches) in litres =

which gives 45 Litres (this is even more of a cheat as the diameter 2" from the top is no longer 45cm - adjust to suit )

I have a slightly different method, search for a plastic bag with no holes in to line the POT, find yesterdays lost fork instead. Take the pot and using strong tape, tape up all of six side holes and the four bottom holes, sneak into kitchen and pinch the wifes best measuring jug, get comfy in polytunnel and fill the jug, tip into pot, after about fifteen jug fulls lose count and start again. This time count carefully, at about 30 jug fulls the pressure blows the tape off and water pours into my trainers and onto my trouser legs. Re-tape pot but this time on the inside and repeat the above. Come face to face with wife whlst holding her best jug which is now filthy, say "Hey i caught the dog playing with the best jug". later give the dog a treat to make up for the injustice.

[Kristen]

You're right that's much easier

Put a plastic bag INSIDE the pot before you start to fill it?

[Bill HH]

You're right that's much easier

Put a plastic bag INSIDE the pot before you start to fill it?

To be fair that was my first instruction, look for bag but find fork instead.

[Kristen]

To be fair that was my first instruction, look for bag but find fork instead.

Really? I thought you were trying to line the jug but found a fork instead?

[mothhawk]

To be quite honest, I never look at how many litres it is when I occasionally buy a bag of compost or organic FYM. My criteria are:
* Can I lift it?
* Will it go in the back of the car?
* Will it be enough for the use I have for it (judging the bag size by eye)?
* Am I prepared to pay the asking price?

If the answer is yes to all, I buy it.

[Bill HH]

Really? I thought you were trying to line the jug but found a fork instead?

Doh i said Jug didnt I, I meant the pot. Must have been a "Sharon" moment.