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Gallon pots

Anyone have a source for nursery grade 1 gallon trade pots where you don't have to buy 50 or 140 at a time? My pots are of different heights and widths and I crave consistency. I think the peppers would appreciate it too.

My best pots are 6 and a half inches tall by 6 and a half diameter at the top WITHOUT SIDE HOLES. I could get them at the local nursery, but they don't open up here until April at the earliest.

I found a couple at Amazon, but $30 for 20 cheap flimsy plastic pots seems like gouging.
 
in my area, any big box store - Lowes, Home Depot, etc - usually has a cart stacked FULL of throwaways.  They give them away for free.
 
Of course, you probably don't have a store that stocks plants at this time of year, so it may be a moot point.
 
solid7 said:
in my area, any big box store - Lowes, Home Depot, etc - usually has a cart stacked FULL of throwaways.  They give them away for free.
 
Of course, you probably don't have a store that stocks plants at this time of year, so it may be a moot point.
 

Nope. Already been there and got the third eye treatment. Garden starts here begin around March 15 or later, there's no profit stocking stuff like that year round....

 
Rajun Gardener said:
  

Yup, those, though I'm not a fan of the holes on the sides. Still a consideration though, thanks!

juanitos said:
just use poly bags they are cheap / consistent.
 
here's an old video review i did of them.
Ya know, I never even thought of these, gotta learn more. Looks like they'd take up less space too.

Thanks guys, mucho help! My plants are past due for a bigger home.
 
I picked up about 100- 1 gal Pennington pots from Lowe's before they discontinued them. Uniform, well constructed and not rediculously priced. Unlike poly bags or flimsey pots, they will serve me well for many years
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I get my pots from the local supermarket @ the bakery dept.  so they are food grade & free...I  do know the folks behind the counter as I shop there.
They discard them or recycle them..I don;t know,hopefully the latter..but heck they  offer them gladly..I get 1 gal up to 5 gals & that's good enough for me.
Yes, i do share my peppers with them in return.
 
 
Some wonderful info from you guys, I don't know why the local box will stock seed starter soil this time of year but not planting pots. I just ordered some 1 gal and 5 gal poly grow bags. I gotta try this. I really hope it's not too good to be true....

Wiri, I'm going to check in with the local grocers as well, never thought of it....

Thanks everyone!
 
Don't wait on the box store to bring in seed starter soil, make your own. You got this!
 
4 parts screened compost made from shredded leaves or other garden debris
1 part perlite
1 part vermiculite
2 parts coir
 
another recipe I tend to use is
 
1 part garden soil
1 part perlite
1 part pete
 
 
Brocoli said:
Go to local Garden Centers and places where landscapers buy from, they will normally have a bin full of all different sized containers for recycling - whatever the landscapers bring back.
 
Just about any nursery or landscape shop that installs plants will have a big pile of once-used pots.  If you ask nicely, maybe buy a few items from the place, most will let you take some home.
 
Geonerd said:
 
Just about any nursery or landscape shop that installs plants will have a big pile of once-used pots.  If you ask nicely, maybe buy a few items from the place, most will let you take some home.
 
Most nurseries get a return credit for plastic pots, so you'll have to ask very nicely, or buy a lot.
 
In my geographical location (zone 3, not many of us can say that), the landscapers and nurseries are seasonal to a fault. It's not like switch from fescue to bermuda depending on the season, they shut down for 4 to 6 months.

Hence my inquiry. I've never grown plants on this scale at this time of year. Problems arise that a lot of you probably take for granted.

Again, thanks for the valuable links and info.
 
You just need to plan better this season, now that you are in the know, and you're serious about growing.
.
Hit those big box stores when the season is ripe, and get as many of their discarded plant pots, as you possibly can.  Even the trays that hold the pots can be useful, if you get the ones that are deep enough.  They are usually on a cart in a back corner of the store, that's accessible, but where nobody ever goes.  I've seen it throughout the country, so it would be odd for you not to find it in your neck of the woods.  But that's where I get my gallon pots from.  They aren't the best quality available, but they're free, and that counts for a lot.
 
stettoman said:
In my geographical location (zone 3, not many of us can say that), the landscapers and nurseries are seasonal to a fault. It's not like switch from fescue to bermuda depending on the season, they shut down for 4 to 6 months.

Hence my inquiry. I've never grown plants on this scale at this time of year. Problems arise that a lot of you probably take for granted.

Again, thanks for the valuable links and info.
hit up your local grocery's bakery...i've gotten 2gallon Frosting Buckets from them for free. A pizza buffet place gave me 2 gallon buckets too.
JimmyJohn's has 6gallon pickle buckets.
Even my local hospital's cafeteria will give me 5 gallon pickle buckets.
 
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