What can you grow in a 100-gallon Smart Pot?

A 100-gallon Smart Pot can be your raised bed. Set it in place, fill it with a container mix, and plant. There is no frame to assemble.

That opens up a few good possibilities: a salsa garden near the kitchen, a place for tomatoes, or a bed of flowers to cut and bring inside. The right choice starts with what you want to grow and how much room you have.

A raised bed in a 38-inch circle

The standard 100-gallon Fabric Planter measures 38 inches across and 20 inches tall. That is a little over 3 feet wide, with about 7.9 square feet of planting surface. Measure that circle in your garden and leave yourself room to walk around it, water, and harvest.

It is deep, too. Plan on approximately 13.1 cubic feet of mix for the listed full volume. Your actual fill will vary with settling and the space you leave at the top for watering. Use our soil calculator before you buy the pot and the mix.

One detail when shopping: our standard 100-gallon Fabric Planter and our 100-gallon Round Raised Bed have different shapes. The Round Raised Bed is 50 inches across and 12 inches tall. Compare the dimensions, not just the gallon number.

Plant a salsa garden

This is an idea we have shared with CaliKim: use a 100-gallon Smart Pot for a salsa garden. Choose a tomato variety, a pepper you like, and onions or herbs that fit the space and your growing season.

Start with the mature size of each plant. A tomato needs a cage or other support, and its leaves will take up room as it grows. Give it that space before adding peppers or herbs. You do not need to fit every salsa ingredient into one pot; nearby smaller Smart Pots can hold the rest.

Cilantro needs a little different timing. It bolts quickly in hot weather, so plant it during cooler conditions or sow small batches for later harvests. Tomatoes and peppers need warm growing conditions. Plan around your local season rather than expecting every ingredient to be ready at once.

Watch CaliKim's 100-gallon salsa garden video, or read our salsa garden guide for more ideas.

Give tomatoes their own space

A large Smart Pot also works well when tomatoes are the whole plan. Set the support in place at planting time, keep access open for pruning and picking, and arrange the plants according to the variety's spacing needs.

In a garden we previously shared, Dozer Pharms grew Brandywine tomatoes in eight 100-gallon Smart Pots inside a cattle-panel greenhouse. Their planting also included zinnias, sunflowers, dill, and basil. It is a useful example of how a grower can organize a garden around separate containers.

Make room for flowers

We have also shared Dozer Pharms' tulips growing in 100-gallon Smart Pots. A dedicated flower bed gives you a place to plan bulb planting or a seasonal mix of cut flowers without adding another permanent frame to the yard.

Choose flowers for your climate, sun exposure, and planting season. Follow the spacing for the varieties you buy, and keep a path open so you can reach the plants when it is time to cut.

When a larger size makes sense

For a school, community garden, or a backyard with more room, the larger sizes offer more planting area. Look at the diameter and the amount of mix before choosing. A 1,000-gallon Smart Pot is more than 9 feet across; it is a different project from a 100-gallon bed.

Before you fill it

Choose the final location first. A filled 100-gallon pot is heavy; plan to garden where you place it. Check the light, access to water, and drainage. Most fruiting vegetables need at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sun.

Use a mix intended for containers, and check moisture regularly, especially in warm or windy weather. Water and feed for the crops you are growing. If your season is winding down, you can buy the container now and plan the planting for spring.

See the 100-gallon Smart Pot or compare large Smart Pot sizes.

Planting references: University of Maryland Extension's container vegetable guide and cilantro growing guide.