What are the guidelines on the seed pack? You should follow them for containers too. If it were me, just 4 or 5 about 6" apart. Most types I grow tend to stay low and wide. If too crowded, it leads to disease, lack of sun and fighting for food, regardless of where planted. I hate thinning, so plant sparse. It's less painful...lol.. Have you grown it before? How are you planning to use it? Fresh or cooked? You may want to start a few more pots. If cooked , fresh spinach wilts down to nothing and takes a lot for a meal. JoJo

The first time I gre eggplant it was in a 5 gallon bucket. The thing was an absolute bohemoth. It got to be almost 3' tall, and I couldnt give the stuff away after a while. It got to be like zucchini in the sense that no wanted it because they'd already received too much! :-D The pot was on my back deck getting direct sun for about 12-14 hrs a day in the height of the summer. I fed it once a week w. 10-10-10 miracle grow, and watered it daily. After a while, it needed bamboo stakes to hold it up The growing medium was a 3:1 mix of miracle gro potting soil and composted cow manure. I've got a 35mm at home I believe. I'll see if I can scan it tonight. It's from about 6 years ago

If I container plant, just as the others have suggested I put one herb type per container. Depending upon the herb, it may also be just one plant in the container or it may be multiple. It really depends upon the plant and how I intend to use it. But since plants all like different amounts of water, different amounts of light, different soil preferences, etc. having only one per container works out best. You can always try putting a variety of different plants in the same container. See how it fares versus single plant/species pots. Gardening is a great thing to learn experientially. Eventually though, I think you'll come to the same conclusion we already have. ;) FataMorgana

If you are forced to grow dahlias in pots, the larger the pot the better. This way, there is more constant moisture in the soil at any given time so the roots don't dry out between watering. Lack of water will cause the plant to not reach its predetermined genetic height, and not be as full as they should be. Most full-sized dahlia plants IN THE GROUND are two to three feet wide, and 3.5-5.5 feet high when full grown. If you put more plants in a small pot, you would be exacerbating an already stressful situation. Can you do it? Sure! But the blooms might suffer as a result. It would be better to make sure you fertilize with a time-release tomato fertilizer, and water every day (once you see green growth) until you see it drain from the bottom. Also, pinch out the tip of the plant after it reaches 3-4 leaf sets so it becomes bushier instead of spindly.