One standard tomato needs a container of at least 5 gallons, says University of Maryland Extension.
For tomatoes, peppers or herbs on a patio or balcony, start with the VIVOSUN 5 Gallon Grow Bags, 5-Pack.
A note on the links: a few of them are Amazon affiliate links. Anything bought through one sends a small commission this way, and costs you nothing extra.
The four bags, by what you are growing:
| Your plants and space | A calm choice |
|---|---|
| Tomatoes, peppers or herbs, and you want a set to start with | VIVOSUN 5 Gallon Grow Bags, 5-Pack |
| One 5 gallon bag rather than a pack | Smart Pots 5 Gallon Soft-Sided Container |
| Larger tomato varieties, peppers or eggplants | Gardzen 10 Gallon Grow Bags, 10-Pack |
| Potatoes in one large bag | Smart Pots 20 Gallon Soft-Sided Container |
VIVOSUN 5 Gallon Grow Bags, 5-Pack
Tomatoes, peppers or herbs on a patio, and you want a set to start with
VIVOSUN 5 Gallon Grow Bags, 5-Pack
Nonwoven fabric with double-stitched handles
Five bags, 5 gallons each
See the price and reviews on Amazon
VIVOSUN lists thickened nonwoven fabric (cloth made without weaving) with reinforced handle straps. It says the fabric keeps roots aerated and drains excess water, which it says prevents over-watering and moldy soil.
Five gallons is the minimum for a standard tomato or a pepper, and for large herbs such as rosemary or sage. Each bag meets that minimum for a single plant.
Smart Pots 5 Gallon Soft-Sided Container
You want one 5 gallon bag rather than a pack
Smart Pots 5 Gallon Soft-Sided Container
Soft-sided fabric that holds its shape
12 inch diameter by 9.5 inch height
See the price and reviews on Amazon
Smart Pots lists a soft-sided fabric container with the rigidity to hold its shape. It also says the container allows excess heat to escape.
The listing gives 12 inches across and 9.5 inches high, so the bag is wider than it is tall.
A wider 5 gallon container is less top-heavy and more stable in a breeze than a taller one of the same volume.
Smart Pots says the aeration builds a vigorous plant with more flowers and fruits.
Gardzen 10 Gallon Grow Bags, 10-Pack
Larger tomato varieties, peppers or eggplants, with ten bags to fill
Gardzen 10 Gallon Grow Bags, 10-Pack
Ten bags, 10 gallons each
16 inch diameter by 12 inch height
See the price and reviews on Amazon
Gardzen lists 16 inches across and 12 inches high, and names larger tomato varieties, peppers and eggplants as the plants it suits. The handles carry cross-stitched reinforcement, it says, for moving a fully loaded bag.
Ten gallons is twice the 5 gallon minimum for a standard tomato, a pepper or an eggplant.
Smart Pots 20 Gallon Soft-Sided Container
You want to grow potatoes in one bag larger than 10 gallons
Smart Pots 20 Gallon Soft-Sided Container
20 gallon capacity
20 inch diameter by 15.5 inch height
See the price and reviews on Amazon
Smart Pots lists 20 gallons, 20 inches across and 15.5 inches high, with the same fabric and heat-release line as its 5 gallon bag.
University of New Hampshire Extension gives 10 to 15 gallons as the ideal capacity for a potato container.
This bag holds more than that range. At five gallons of soil for each plant, 20 gallons works out to room for four plants.
It is 15.5 inches tall against an ideal of about 2 to 3 feet, so expect a wide, short container.
Container size by crop
For tomatoes, 5 gallons is the minimum for a standard variety and 2 gallons for a cherry tomato.
| Crop | Minimum container size |
|---|---|
| Tomato, standard | 5 gallons |
| Tomato, cherry | 2 gallons |
| Pepper | 5 gallons |
| Eggplant | 5 gallons |
| Potato | Ideal: 10 to 15 gallon capacity, about 2 to 3 feet tall; 5 gallons of soil for each plant |
| Large herbs, such as rosemary, sage and parsley | 5 gallons or larger |
| Small herbs, such as basil, thyme and mint | 2 to 5 gallons |
Colorado State University Extension gives smaller minimums: 2 to 5 gallons per plant for tomatoes, depending on variety, 2 to 5 gallons per plant for peppers, and 4 to 5 gallons per plant for eggplant.
Bush, dwarf and compact varieties can grow in smaller containers than their full-size counterparts. Potatoes are among the more challenging vegetables for containers.
Why fabric
Roots that reach open air at the bag’s edge stop growing in length and branch into a denser root system.
This is called air pruning. In a non-porous pot, a root meets a solid wall and keeps growing as a single root.
Drainage matters in any container, and VIVOSUN and Gardzen both list drainage of excess water. Fabric bags are also reusable, lightweight and portable, in many sizes.
Hot weather is the other thing to plan around. Hot temperatures dry containers out quickly and small containers dry out faster than large ones.
Until you know how fast a bag dries, check it daily, especially in summer.
Watering has to increase as plants get bigger.
How long they last
Gardzen lists its bags as designed for multi-season use, and as washable and foldable for easy storage. VIVOSUN lists double-stitched handles meant for carrying full bags. Fabric grow bags fold flat to store.
After harvest, empty the potting mix and store it, then mix it half and half with fresh mix next season. Do not save the mix if root diseases were a problem.
When a bucket will do
A 5 gallon food-grade bucket with holes drilled in the bottom grows a plant too.
Food-grade storage containers, wooden crates, half whiskey barrels and non-PVC kiddie pools are other suitable containers.
For potatoes, any opaque container with drainage holes will do, including barrels, garbage bins and plastic storage tubs.
A bucket that once held paint or cleaning agents is no longer food-safe. A solid bucket also lacks the air pruning described for fabric.
Before you fill them
Potting mix, a watering can and the rest of a first setup are covered in what you need to start container gardening.
A 2-cubic-foot bag of potting mix fills three 5-gallon bags, which is enough for three of the VIVOSUN bags.
For crops that keep producing when summer turns hot, there is a list of vegetables that handle summer heat.