All 4" pots are not created equal. The conifer on the left is from Park Seeds. In the product description, they specify a 4" pot. What they meant was a 3.25" roundish pot that is 4" deep (These are my measurements, I could not find this info on their website). The conifer on the right is from Stanley & Sons Nursery in Oregon. This is their 4" pot. It is 4" square and 5" deep.

There is a considerable difference between these two 4 inch pots.

Lesson learned: beware of marketing measurements:)

Thank you for the lesson.
From your photo it would appear that not all plants are created equally either!

as well

Thanks for the heads up, Frank.

And now you know!

A round pot is a measurement of the diameter taken at the top of the pot and the square pot is measured diagonally, like a TV screen is measured. At least that's the way it ought to be.

In a perfect world!

Video Screens (or monitors) rarely match the dimensions for actual screen size sold with them either it seems...

>> the square pot is measured diagonally, like a TV screen is measured. At least that's the way it ought to be.

I never knew that! Thanks.

If TV screens and computer monitors screens do not measure what is stated, that is fraud. My TV in the family room is a 40" and my computer monitor is a 22". They each measure exactly that. I never really knew if their stated measurements were accurate until just now.

Not the brightest bulb here, but why are they measured on the diagonal?? Never understood that

The thing that really surprised me is that Park Seeds used the depth of the pot in their description:)

I am sure that corporations decided that the diagonal would sound like the screen was larger than if measured across, so that's what they used. It is the same philosophy as pricing an item at $10.99, instead of $11.00, or gas priced at $3.328, rather than $3.33. I cannot begin to tell you the friends who say, gas is $3.32, when the price is much closer to $3.33. In their minds, the price is lower than it actually is. Business 101.

gingin said:Not the brightest bulb here, but why are they measured on the diagonal?? Never understood that

This practice goes back to the days when televisions were tubes, which were round. You can read an explanation here.

http://answers.yahoo.com/quest...

interesting

I guess it depends on whether you are buying a plant or a pot.

If it's a pot, a 4" square pot is 4x4" at the top. Since the pots are usually tapered, they also give you the bottom measurement as well as the depth of the pot. Oh yes, most vendors provide a volume too.

If it's a plant, some vendors use any measurement they want to make it sound big:)

And now we know!