Table of Contents
Choosing Container Sizes In Living Soil
Why Container Size Is Such a Common Mistake
One of the biggest mistakes growers make in living soil comes from a misconception carried over from other growing styles. Choosing Container Sizes in Living Soil is often done by default because the grower just uses what they already have on hand.
Growers know that in hydroponics, you can grow a very large plant in a very small container if you have the perfect nutrient solution. Because of that, it’s easy to think:
“Five gallons is bigger than anything I’ve ever used — that should be plenty.”
When it comes to living soil, five gallons is actually very small.
Choosing Container Sizes in Living Soil works differently, and container size plays a much bigger role than many people realize.
Living Soil Is Not the Same as Hydroponics
In hydro systems, nutrients are delivered directly to the plant in a controlled solution. Because of that, the plant doesn’t rely on the container in the same way.
In living soil, the container is not just holding the plant — it’s holding the entire soil ecosystem.
That ecosystem needs space.
When containers are too small:
The soil dries out faster
Biology becomes harder to maintain
The system becomes more fragile
What looks like a “big pot” by hydro standards is often undersized for living soil.
Why Bigger Containers Work Better
Larger containers and beds create:
More stable moisture levels
More room for soil biology
A more forgiving system overall
This is why growers who stick with living soil often move toward:
Larger pots
No-till systems
Raised beds
As container size increases, living soil becomes easier to manage, not harder.
Remember, in living soil you keep the soil forever and don't toss it out after each round.
How This Ties Back to the Foundational Series
This is exactly why we’re starting this FAQ series with fundamentals.
Many growers:
Learned one method early
Had it work well enough
Never stopped to question whether it still made sense
Container size is a perfect example of something that gets carried over without being re-evaluated.
These foundational FAQs are about slowing down and asking:
Why am I doing this?
Does this still make sense for living soil?
Is there a better way for where I’m at now?
Starting With the Basics on Purpose
Before getting into:
Specific products
Advanced techniques
Optimization
It’s important to understand foundational concepts like container size.
If the foundation doesn’t make sense, everything built on top of it becomes harder than it needs to be.
Here is a complete system link that may help you setup your new container once you decide on the Container size for living soil. Check out the complete system
Grassroots Living Soil Pots
$15.00
Each Living Soil Pot features: BPA-free, waterproof MoistureLock™ liner with incredible benefits 4” drainage and aeration strip of USA-made tan fabric for healthy soil and roots Bottom seam sewn on the outside with marine-bonded thread to prevent rot A triple… read more
EarthBox SIP - Sub Irrigated Planter
$62.00
The patented EarthBox, developed by commercial farmers and proven in the lab and on the farm, is now available in an EarthBox Organic Garden Kit. This maintenance-free, award-winning, high-tech growing system controls soil conditions, eliminates guesswork and more than doubles… read more
FAQs
What is good container size for living soil?
We recommend starting with at least 10 gallons per plant and prefer starting at 15 gallon container size. This will allow for 4 plants in each 4x4 area and is often much easier then jumping straight into a larger bed with over 100 Gallons. All in all, you want to have as much soil under the canopy as you feel comfortable with. If you are brand new, the earth-box is the optimal size and eliminates all the struggles of learning how to water living soil properly.
What is a common mistake growers make with container size?
They assume that a five-gallon container is large because it worked in other growing styles.
Why do growers think small containers will work in living soil?
Because in hydroponics you can grow large plants in small containers with the right nutrient solution
Why doesn’t the small container logic work for living soil?
Because living soil depends on a soil ecosystem that needs space, not just nutrients.
Why do larger containers work better in living soil?
They create a more stable environment for moisture and soil biology. This also allows you to re-use the soil without completely depleting it between each grow.
Why include container size in a foundational FAQ series?
It's the first decision a new living soil grower will make and it will affect everything else they do in the grow. That and because many growers never re-evaluate methods they learned early on, even when they don’t fit living soil.
