Suggestions on source for trays and pots - Page 3

barbamWY · March 10, 2014

Chamomile tea diluted and sprayed on the sides of the pots works.
Barb

heirloomtomaguy · April 5, 2014

Yeah i will third or maybe even fourth the McConkey suggestion. I got 500, 4 inch pots and 100, 18 pot seed trays for 110 bucks.

smithmal · April 24, 2014

Man, you guys buy pots in bulk!

Looks to me like getting 100 4" pots with associated trays will run anywhere from $50 to $60 with shipping at any of the many options posted in this thread.

Another route is to go to your friendly neighborhood plant nursery and purchase their used 4" pots with carrying trays and then soak them in 5% bleach when you get home.

I would think they would sell them to you 50% less than what you can get them for when purchasing them new.

smithmal

MrBig46 · January 28, 2015

I use cups from coffee machine (pictures). Zero price for used material.
Vladimír

bobberman · January 28, 2015

The 8 ounce Styrofoam cups are really cheap like 50 for a $1. I use then and put a pin hole a inch from the bottom for drainage or if I water from the bottom I put a pin hole in the bottom of the cup! Its easy to get the dirt out also! Water the plants with warm water and it stays warm for a good while inside the Styrofoam! To make large pots for flowers lighter I put the crussed cups at the bottom so the big 2 to 4 gallon pots or planters are lighter.!

Begora · March 8, 2015

I love the perforated board I assume you made to hold the cups upright. I would love to do this. What material and tools did you use ?

MrBig46 · March 9, 2015

Wood drill jig, 7 diameters: 26-32-38-45-50-56-63mm.
The material in our country appoints Sololak and it is hard fiberboard made wet method (one face white). I don´t know the American equivalent.
Vladimír

Worth1 · March 9, 2015

Here it is called Hardboard, high density fiber board (HDF) fiber board and Masonite.
Also Isorel

The other thing is called a hole saw.
Mine are like this and I have had them for years for work.

You must be very careful with them because if they grab it can break the bit or break your wrist get hung up in pants leg and so on.

Worth

NewWestGardener · March 9, 2015

I should point it out that when choosing pots, it is best to work with SQUARE ones other than round ones, as the latter tends to roll and fall, a lot less steady when you carry them out in a tray, or in a moving car (like giving plants to friends). The square ones also fit the rectangle nursery trays better, stack them one next to the other, with no space wasted.
Costco sells the red drink plastic cups, round but squeezed flat on two sides, that is fine.

Worth1 · March 9, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by NewWestGardener

I should point it out that when choosing pots, it is best to work with SQUARE ones other than round ones, as the latter tends to roll and fall, a lot less steady when you carry them out in a tray, or in a moving car (like giving plants to friends). The square ones also fit the rectangle nursery trays better, stack them one next to the other, with no space wasted.
Costco sells the red drink plastic cups, round but squeezed flat on two sides, that is fine.

You just made me think of something.
For some time now I have been thinking about swedging (forming)small vegetable cans to grow tomatoes in.
To do this I would need to have a block of steel with about a 10 degree taper.
Why not make it square with rounded corners.

Worth

MrBig46 · March 10, 2015

I'd rather have square cups. But coffee cups in a vending machine are all conical.
Vladimír¨

Douglas_OW · March 10, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrBig46

I'd rather have square cups. But coffee cups in a vending machine are all conical.
Vladimír¨

With your system, you are better off with the round cups; square hole saws are hard to find.

Jim

Mr. Frost · June 6, 2017

Hello guys. I'm thinking of planting seedlings in solo cups. Is that okay? Plus how many drainage holes do I put?

Cole_Robbie · June 10, 2017

Solo cups work fine. I usually take scissors and cut four slits off the bottom edges of the cup.

Mr. Frost · June 10, 2017

Thank you very much. Perlite or vermiculite isn't sold where I'm at. Can I use styrofoam instead?

April 5, 2014	#32
heirloomtomaguy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: glendora ca Posts: 2,560	Yeah i will third or maybe even fourth the McConkey suggestion. I got 500, 4 inch pots and 100, 18 pot seed trays for 110 bucks. Last edited by heirloomtomaguy; April 5, 2014 at 01:11 AM.

April 24, 2014	#33
smithmal Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Sykesville, MD Posts: 42	Or you could go refurbished pots... Man, you guys buy pots in bulk! Looks to me like getting 100 4" pots with associated trays will run anywhere from $50 to $60 with shipping at any of the many options posted in this thread. Another route is to go to your friendly neighborhood plant nursery and purchase their used 4" pots with carrying trays and then soak them in 5% bleach when you get home. I would think they would sell them to you 50% less than what you can get them for when purchasing them new. smithmal

January 28, 2015	#35
bobberman Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Latrobe Pa. Posts: 142	The 8 ounce Styrofoam cups are really cheap like 50 for a $1. I use then and put a pin hole a inch from the bottom for drainage or if I water from the bottom I put a pin hole in the bottom of the cup! Its easy to get the dirt out also! Water the plants with warm water and it stays warm for a good while inside the Styrofoam! To make large pots for flowers lighter I put the crussed cups at the bottom so the big 2 to 4 gallon pots or planters are lighter.! __________________ Frank the Bobberman & Carpet Installer Inventor of the Bobber With A Brain,. Gadening, Greenhouse, Fishing, Softball, Scrabble. Single looking for a woman with a 100 acre farm! Last edited by bobberman; January 28, 2015 at 10:59 AM. Reason: adding

March 9, 2015	#38
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	Here it is called Hardboard, high density fiber board (HDF) fiber board and Masonite. Also Isorel The other thing is called a hole saw. Mine are like this and I have had them for years for work. You must be very careful with them because if they grab it can break the bit or break your wrist get hung up in pants leg and so on. Worth Last edited by Worth1; March 9, 2015 at 05:27 PM.

March 10, 2014	#31
barbamWY Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: North West Wyoming Posts: 466	Chamomile tea diluted and sprayed on the sides of the pots works. Barb

March 8, 2015	#36
Begora Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Long Island New York Posts: 3	I love the perforated board I assume you made to hold the cups upright. I would love to do this. What material and tools did you use ?

March 9, 2015	#39
NewWestGardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada Posts: 564	I should point it out that when choosing pots, it is best to work with SQUARE ones other than round ones, as the latter tends to roll and fall, a lot less steady when you carry them out in a tray, or in a moving car (like giving plants to friends). The square ones also fit the rectangle nursery trays better, stack them one next to the other, with no space wasted. Costco sells the red drink plastic cups, round but squeezed flat on two sides, that is fine.

March 10, 2015	#41
MrBig46 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Czech republic Posts: 2,534	I'd rather have square cups. But coffee cups in a vending machine are all conical. Vladimír¨

June 6, 2017	#43
Mr. Frost Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2016 Location: Nigeria Posts: 9	Hello guys. I'm thinking of planting seedlings in solo cups. Is that okay? Plus how many drainage holes do I put?

June 10, 2017	#44
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	Solo cups work fine. I usually take scissors and cut four slits off the bottom edges of the cup.