Hi Gang, I grow a lot of bulbs in black nursery containers, a practice that helps in some ways but which also has drawbacks. Recently, I decided to calculate the volume of some "5-gallon" containers. I guess I should have known, but even the largest-appearing ones are just under 4 gallons in volume, and only if you will fill them with soil to the very top. Other so-called 5-gallon containers are about 3 gallons in volume, about 650-710 cubic inches. That puts them in the 11-15 liter range. When I did the math for a typical 1-gallon can it came in at 0.7 gallons (about 2.7 liters). I did some calculations on a 25-gallon container and it seems to be about 25 gallons in volume. I have a few Crinum in such containers and they seem happy. Crinum in smaller containers also seem happy, but I think they achieve their best growth in 15 gallon containers, or larger. Still, tough plants that they are, seedlings will mature and come to blooming size in 3-4 years if they are potted up in "4-gallon" containers, but they need to be potted up by the time they are a year old. My old practice was to hold half a dozen seedlings in a 1-gallon container (or sometimes 2-gallons) and forget about them till their 3rd year, and then I'd pot them up or out, or trade them. They definitely grow better with more space early on. The biggest problem with containers here is that the soil will warm up to the overnight low temperatures (sometimes 70-75 F, ca. 22 C). The soil can stay warm for weeks in July and August. This is at least 10-15 degrees F warmer than the soil is 15 inches below ground level. On warm days, if even a little sun hits the side of a black container, the soil can warm up to 80-85 F on that side of the container. I don't think the roots like all that heat. For me, Crinum grow their best when planted in the ground and heavily mulched. The 6 inches of mulch shades the soil, helps retain water, impedes weeds, and probably has other wonderful benefits. In such situations, with 6-8 hours of sun per day, the Crinum have a long growing season. In contrast, some other plants I grow (Aloe species or Opuntia species) get planted in lava rock (scoria). Then, I dribble in some soil that is mostly coarse sand and perlite, and perhaps 10-15% humus. It can take Aloe or Opuntia (and other cacti) a year or more to get used to the scoria-with a bit of soil, but once established they thrive. The benefit from using so much scoria (and the inherent air pockets) is that my Aloe and cacti survive winters here. Of course the desert plants always want to rot because of they year-round rain and humidity. Therefore, in addition to the scoria-based soil, I treat them with myclobutanil (formulated for lawns, the mealy grains) and they seem happy enough. Fertilizer can run right through a scoria-based potting medium, but I like they way my plants grow-not too much unnatural "lush" growth. Insects are the greatest problem for Crinum and Opuntia (not Aloe yet). Scale and mealy bugs adore Opuntia here near Houston, TX, whereas grasshoppers dine on amaryllids. Cordially, Joe