What a 1 Gallon Fabric Pot Does That Plastic Cannot
This is the Hydrofarm Dirt Pot in its one gallon size, in grey, without handles. The fabric is porous and breathable, built from recycled material with reinforced stitching at the seams. It measures 6 in across and 7.5 in tall, which is the right geometry for a nominal gallon. The pot itself weighs 0.07 lbs, so a stack of them is nothing to carry. Soft sides mean it settles onto whatever surface it stands on rather than rocking on a rim. The breathing is the point of fabric at all. Air reaches the root zone through the wall, so roots meeting the edge branch instead of circling. A plastic pot gives them a smooth wall to follow round and round. Drainage happens across the whole surface rather than through four holes in a base. The fabric is non-degradable and washable, which is why these come back for a second and third season. Its barcode is 638104018760, checked against a distributor listing rather than assumed. Hydrofarm build the same pot with handles, and in tan as well as grey.
Why the Dirt Pot No Handles Version Exists
Hydrofarm sell this pot both ways, and the choice is about size rather than strength. At one gallon you pick up the pot itself, not a strap. Handles also add bulk, which matters when pots sit shoulder to shoulder on a propagation bench. The handled version earns its keep further up the range, where a full pot is heavy enough to need it. One measurement in circulation deserves a flag. At least one distributor lists this part at 10 in diameter and 8.5 in tall. Run the arithmetic and that shape holds close to three gallons, so it cannot describe a one gallon pot. The figures on this page work out near 212 cubic inches, against 231 for a US gallon, which is what a nominal fabric gallon measures. The honest trade with any fabric pot is water. Air through the wall means evaporation through the wall. A small fabric pot in a warm room can want water twice a day, where plastic would hold until evening. Hydrofarm also say the fabric keeps plants cooler in summer and warmer in winter. The cooling half follows straight from that evaporation, and the warming half is their claim rather than anything measurable here.
Key Features
- One gallon, 6 in by 7.5 in: Nominal gallon volume, which the geometry confirms on paper.
- No handle straps: This version is the plain pot, and Hydrofarm build a handled one.
- Porous breathable fabric: Air reaches the root zone through the wall of the pot.
- No root circling: Roots that meet a breathing wall branch rather than following it.
- Drains across its whole surface: Rather than through four holes punched in a plastic base.
- Recycled material: Hydrofarm build the fabric from recycled plastic content.
- Reinforced stitching: Seams are the part that fails first on a budget fabric pot.
- Washable and non-degradable: Which is what lets a fabric pot run several seasons.
Technical Specifications
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| SKU | HGDB1NH |
| Brand | Hydrofarm, Dirt Pot range |
| Product | Flexible portable fabric planter, grey, no handles |
| Volume | 1 gallon, nominal |
| Dimensions | 6 in diameter x 7.5 in tall |
| Note on dimensions | One distributor lists 10 in x 8.5 in, which computes to nearly 3 gallons |
| Colour | Grey |
| Handles | None on this part number |
| Material | Porous breathable fabric from recycled content, reinforced stitching |
| Durability | Non-degradable and washable, for multiple seasons |
| Weight | 0.07 lbs |
| Other versions | With handles, and in tan, under separate part numbers |
| Trade-off to plan for | Faster drying than plastic, so more frequent watering |
| Barcode | 638104018760, confirmed against the distributor listing |