Perplexed Over Pot Size

[ThornyGardener]

I’m lil-ignorant.

I'm sitting here staring at a row of blooming-sized bare-root tropicals and empty pots, utterly stymied over what size pot I should use for my short season (probably only mid June-maybe mid September) zone 6, with less than full sun. 

Do I use a pint size ala Sean’s Dixie cup protocol? I also have 1.5 quart, 2.5 quart, 1 gallon… larger? I planted Rad Michelle’s huge Albert Greenberg in a squat 5 gallon but now wonder if that was too big.  (I plant hardies in 9”h x 22”w quarter-barrels.)

Question #1: to overwinter, is it better to have a tuber and store it? Put entire pot in a stocktank in the basement with grow lights? Something else?

Question #2: if tuber is the way to go, does planting the tropicals in a <quart pot help force one to be made? Then stop fertilizing in September and lift the crown to water level?

Anyone have advice on pot size so I can get these in the pond?

[Kat]

I pot all of my parent tropicals in 1 gallon pots.  If I want to try & force it to tuber I will plant in a quart size pot.

[enzo]

Hello, I use 4.5 inch quart pots with holes in them. As winter comes and goes--in the spring when I repot, I find tubers in the pots.

If you have a tuber and you know its alive (sprouted or recently pulled from a plant)--the safest bet would be to place it in a tropical aquarium. A basement setup would also work.