Square-pot carrying trays that works with red SOLO party cups?

luigiwu · January 18, 2015

Does anyone know if these square-pot carrying trays will work with red SOLO party cups?
I like my red SOLO cups as the planting pots - they are inexpensive from Costco and my tomato plants did SUPER in them last year. I always use a drill, stack up 5 cups at once, and make holes through all of them in one shot. I want to use these square trays because I don't want my party cups to be tipping over when I start to harden them off... that was the only negative to using the party cups for me.

http://www.greenhousemegastore.com/p...carrying-trays

January 18, 2015

I just put the SOLO glasses in a mesh-bottomed tray.

I hold each over a candle to burn a hole in the bottom.

What I like about the plastic glasses is the different colours.
Red ones for hot peppers, yellow ones for sweet, white ones for C. chinense, etc.

RobinB · January 18, 2015

Interesting idea! It should... I have a few 3" square pots and just held it up next to a generic Costco brand solo cup.

Personally, I like something deeper and easier to carry. I have to carry my seedlings, which are in these cups, inside every night until they go in the ground. I put my tomatoes out in Wall O' Waters about 2 months earlier than I could otherwise. I use old milk crates that have an added bonus of some wind protection for the young seedlings.

LDiane: a candle? Brilliant! I've been poking them with a steak knife.

luigiwu · January 18, 2015

The issue I have with the party cups on a tray is that then tend to tip over... I also really like using my Costco party cups to grow my seedlings. The did well in them last year.

aclum · January 18, 2015

Hi,

For the solo (and other) plastic cups, I use a small soldering iron. I also use it for poking drain holes in multiple layers of plastic mulch before putting it down in the garden. I've seen other people here mention using a wood burning tool for putting holes in the plastic.

Anne

aclum · January 18, 2015

Hi again,

Here's a link showing the type of soldering iron I use (upper left) and the woodburning tool someone else had mentioned (lower left).

http://www.harborfreight.com/welding/soldering.html

Anne

ContainerTed · January 18, 2015

For years, now, I've been using the standard 72 cell flats for germination. At first pot-up, I use 9 ounce plastic cups. These fit perfectly into the square 18 cell flats (3 x 6). Main thing is that this allows me to water them from the bottom. I have always felt that this method makes for more robust root systems. Plus, the fact that I use clear plastic cups allows me to make sure nothing gets root bound.

Salsacharley · January 18, 2015

I use these for 4" round pots. I don't use solo cups so I don't know how they would fit in the 4" round trays, but perhaps worth checking out.

Cole_Robbie · January 18, 2015

Charlie, those are nu-pots, right? Do they lock into the tray so that they don't float up and tip over? That is my biggest watering issue. My peat-based pro mix wants to float like a boat when it is dry. If I place them in a tray or bin of water, it has to be low enough so they don't float, or else everything falls over. If the pots locked into the tray, that wouldn't happen.

Salsacharley · January 18, 2015

These do not lock in but the 4" pots drop all the way down where the top of the pot is flush with the top of the tray. These are Dillen pots from Harris Seeds.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

Charlie, those are nu-pots, right? Do they lock into the tray so that they don't float up and tip over? That is my biggest watering issue. My peat-based pro mix wants to float like a boat when it is dry. If I place them in a tray or bin of water, it has to be low enough so they don't float, or else everything falls over. If the pots locked into the tray, that wouldn't happen.

crazyoldgooseman · January 18, 2015

I use red solo cups in my repotting and they kept tipping over also. My redneck solution was to cable tie some 2 by 4 in fencing to the 72 cell tray bottoms. after that I bent open the fence holes a little so the cups fit snug. Not the prettiest but it works for me.

Hunt-Grow-Cook · January 19, 2015

I'd see if the square bottom solos would fit in that. They tend to be slightly better at not tipping for me. That would be awesome if they fit in that I might have to try that myself.

Hunt-Grow-Cook · January 19, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by luigiwu

Does anyone know if these square-pot carrying trays will work with red SOLO party cups?
I like my red SOLO cups as the planting pots - they are inexpensive from Costco and my tomato plants did SUPER in them last year. I always use a drill, stack up 5 cups at once, and make holes through all of them in one shot. I want to use these square trays because I don't want my party cups to be tipping over when I start to harden them off... that was the only negative to using the party cups for me.

http://www.greenhousemegastore.com/p...carrying-trays

I'd see if the square bottom solos would fit in that. They tend to be slightly better at not tipping for me anyways. I prefer them to the regular solos but they are harder to come by.

January 19, 2015

I go to Lowe's or Home Depot and get flats that have been emptied- they just throw them away and are happy for customers to take them. I also have a few trays that held 3" round cactus from Walmart- they hold the small 4oz clear plastic cups perfectly-they are what I usually start my tomato & pepper seeds in.

SharonRossy · January 22, 2015

Hi. You should be able to buy the flats that have a raised bottom to keep the pots from sitting in the water and they are just open so you can put any shape container in them I found the solo cups fit well in the trays and were stable. The only thing is you might want to double up the trays to make them more solid. And the trays are cheap.

January 18, 2015	#1
luigiwu Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: ny Posts: 1,219	Square-pot carrying trays that works with red SOLO party cups? Does anyone know if these square-pot carrying trays will work with red SOLO party cups? I like my red SOLO cups as the planting pots - they are inexpensive from Costco and my tomato plants did SUPER in them last year. I always use a drill, stack up 5 cups at once, and make holes through all of them in one shot. I want to use these square trays because I don't want my party cups to be tipping over when I start to harden them off... that was the only negative to using the party cups for me. http://www.greenhousemegastore.com/p...carrying-trays __________________ Subirrigated Container gardening (RGGS) in NY, Zone 7! Last edited by luigiwu; January 18, 2015 at 04:18 PM.

January 18, 2015	#4
luigiwu Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: ny Posts: 1,219	The issue I have with the party cups on a tray is that then tend to tip over... I also really like using my Costco party cups to grow my seedlings. The did well in them last year. __________________ Subirrigated Container gardening (RGGS) in NY, Zone 7! Last edited by luigiwu; January 18, 2015 at 04:17 PM.

January 18, 2015	#7
ContainerTed Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: 6a - NE Tennessee Posts: 4,538	For years, now, I've been using the standard 72 cell flats for germination. At first pot-up, I use 9 ounce plastic cups. These fit perfectly into the square 18 cell flats (3 x 6). Main thing is that this allows me to water them from the bottom. I have always felt that this method makes for more robust root systems. Plus, the fact that I use clear plastic cups allows me to make sure nothing gets root bound. __________________ Ted ________________________ Owner & Sole Operator Of The Muddy Bucket Farm and Tomato Ranch

January 18, 2015	#11
crazyoldgooseman Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Southern Maryland 7a Posts: 200	I use red solo cups in my repotting and they kept tipping over also. My redneck solution was to cable tie some 2 by 4 in fencing to the 72 cell tray bottoms. after that I bent open the fence holes a little so the cups fit snug. Not the prettiest but it works for me. __________________ Anybody see where I sat my beer? -crazyoldgooseman

January 18, 2015	#2
LDiane Guest Posts: n/a	I just put the SOLO glasses in a mesh-bottomed tray. I hold each over a candle to burn a hole in the bottom. What I like about the plastic glasses is the different colours. Red ones for hot peppers, yellow ones for sweet, white ones for C. chinense, etc.

January 18, 2015	#3
RobinB Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Near Reno, NV Posts: 1,621	Interesting idea! It should... I have a few 3" square pots and just held it up next to a generic Costco brand solo cup. Personally, I like something deeper and easier to carry. I have to carry my seedlings, which are in these cups, inside every night until they go in the ground. I put my tomatoes out in Wall O' Waters about 2 months earlier than I could otherwise. I use old milk crates that have an added bonus of some wind protection for the young seedlings. LDiane: a candle? Brilliant! I've been poking them with a steak knife.

January 18, 2015	#5
aclum Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Merced, CA Posts: 832	Hi, For the solo (and other) plastic cups, I use a small soldering iron. I also use it for poking drain holes in multiple layers of plastic mulch before putting it down in the garden. I've seen other people here mention using a wood burning tool for putting holes in the plastic. Anne

January 18, 2015	#9
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	Charlie, those are nu-pots, right? Do they lock into the tray so that they don't float up and tip over? That is my biggest watering issue. My peat-based pro mix wants to float like a boat when it is dry. If I place them in a tray or bin of water, it has to be low enough so they don't float, or else everything falls over. If the pots locked into the tray, that wouldn't happen.

January 19, 2015	#12
Hunt-Grow-Cook Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Sacramento, CA Posts: 360	I'd see if the square bottom solos would fit in that. They tend to be slightly better at not tipping for me. That would be awesome if they fit in that I might have to try that myself.

January 19, 2015	#14
JoParrott Guest Posts: n/a	I go to Lowe's or Home Depot and get flats that have been emptied- they just throw them away and are happy for customers to take them. I also have a few trays that held 3" round cactus from Walmart- they hold the small 4oz clear plastic cups perfectly-they are what I usually start my tomato & pepper seeds in.

January 22, 2015	#15
SharonRossy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Montreal Posts: 1,140	Hi. You should be able to buy the flats that have a raised bottom to keep the pots from sitting in the water and they are just open so you can put any shape container in them I found the solo cups fit well in the trays and were stable. The only thing is you might want to double up the trays to make them more solid. And the trays are cheap.