Solo Cups

[parker49]

duno i wanted to get them to try em out atleast, i wondered if they are taller if they will fall over easier just like the solo cups...
i'm just using the normals ones this year.

I was a little worried about that too.
 
Ok thanks for the tip on ebay.

 

[jcw10tc]

I use the 3.5 square also.  I just keep them all every year and all the ones my wife gets for flowers so have hundreds of 3.5" now, much more stable than the solo, and holds more dirt as the bottoms don't taper so small.  I move the 1020 trays from basement to outdoors a lot once weather starts changing and also move about half to kitchen window and keep rotating so some get real sun at least every other day.  
 

Same as everyone said but I will add don't get the great value brand. they are really thin and flimsy. I had one full of water and it crushed in my hand just trying to pick it up. They also tip easily. use the actual SOLO brand ones. 
 
I'd put the small square pots a notch above solo cups as they are square, Less prone to tipping and utilize space better in the beginning because they can go side by side nicely where solo cups leave lots of open space between cups.
 
Also if you have something like this, it makes it to where you can pick them  all up and move them with zero risk of them moving around. ( I wish I had these)
 

 
Only thing clear cups are good for is if you double stack them on a normal solo cup for bottom watering. that way you can see how much water is in there. 

Menards in the midwest sells a  setup very similar to this with the 18 cells and the formed tray to hold them much better than a 1020 for about $4. I just got some new pots to try that are 3.5 square but like 5.5" deep from novoselenterprises.com.    

 

[snowmanaxp]

I had some aquarium gravel from years ago that I'm now using in the bottom of my solo cups. Gives it weight at the bottom and also helps with drainage. Might be something to look into.

As an FYI. A gravel layer does not help with drainage if you are using a good potting mix. From what I researched on container growing, adding gravel to a container is worse than just plain potting mix.

It may help with weight, in your case. But overall I'd a poor idea for container growing.

 

[CAPCOM]

I'll be using root riots to start. from there to red solo cups and then to 1 gal growers pots or 3.5 gal growers pots or to the ground.

 

[Suezotiger]

As an FYI. A gravel layer does not help with drainage if you are using a good potting mix. From what I researched on container growing, adding gravel to a container is worse than just plain potting mix.

It may help with weight, in your case. But overall I'd a poor idea for container growing.

 
I haven't heard that, but I'll have to do some more research, thanks for posting

 

[D3monic]

Menards in the midwest sells a  setup very similar to this with the 18 cells and the formed tray to hold them much better than a 1020 for about $4. I just got some new pots to try that are 3.5 square but like 5.5" deep from novoselenterprises.com.    

 
Sweet, good to know. Soon as I get some money I will head down there. I don't like going to the hydro store because police been kicking in lots of doors around here following people that shop there. I'm not growing but I got enough pipes and things around here they would still play grab ass and high five over it. Not to mention they take all your computers and electronics "Just in case" and good luck getting those back. Policing for profits is a real issue that needs to be stopped. But I digress. Menards. Gotta stop there. Home depot didn't have much a selection out yet. 

 

[meinchoh]

Red solo cups and one of those turkey baster needle thingy's to inject water. Waters the roots and keeps the top dry to fend off fungus gnats.

 

[D3monic]

Red solo cups and one of those turkey baster needle thingy's to inject water. Waters the roots and keeps the top dry to fend off fungus gnats.

 
That's a good idea. I imagine bottom watering doesn't work well for new seedling since the roots aren't developed yet. 

 

[nzchili]

solo cups annoy me. I always knock them over

 

[meinchoh]

 
That's a good idea. I imagine bottom watering doesn't work well for new seedling since the roots aren't developed yet. 

No need for drain holes either. Pretty clean way to water.

 

[juanitos]

I bottom water at seedling stage just fine. Evenly saturates the soil. And only pulls up as much as it needs. The extra evaporates in a couple days. Drainage is really important and really its much easier and faster to bottom water. With a fan mold / gnats aren't problem for me...

Also seen people put a layer of perlite on top that dries out fast to protect too

I'll post a video later and update here if ur skeptical

 

[CAPCOM]

I used a turkey injector and drinking straws last year. essentially, bottom watering with one cup and no holes. 50% savings on solo cups and no fuss trying to separate cups with sprawling plants 8 cups deep and 20 cups wide.

 

[pshngo]

I used a turkey injector and drinking straws last year. essentially, bottom watering with one cup and no holes. 50% savings on solo cups and no fuss trying to separate cups with sprawling plants 8 cups deep and 20 cups wide.

I would love to see  a pic of that, lol

 

[CAPCOM]

I would love to see  a pic of that, lol

couldn't determine whether you wanted to see 160 + solo cups in use, sprawling plants or the use of straws as described. So I will attempt to accommodate the best I can with the limited pics I took and have on my PC at present. I didn't take pics of the planting that the straws were being used. The pics displayed are the second planting. the first grow was decimated by aphids.

 

[pshngo]

couldn't determine whether you wanted to see 160 + solo cups in use, sprawling plants or the use of straws as described. So I will attempt to accommodate the best I can with the limited pics I took and have on my PC at present. I didn't take pics of the planting that the straws were being used. The pics displayed are the second planting. the first grow was decimated by aphids.

nice! what kind of lighting? I HATE APHIDS

 

[D3monic]

couldn't determine whether you wanted to see 160 + solo cups in use, sprawling plants or the use of straws as described. So I will attempt to accommodate the best I can with the limited pics I took and have on my PC at present. I didn't take pics of the planting that the straws were being used. The pics displayed are the second planting. the first grow was decimated by aphids.

 
That's an arse load of cups! be a pain the butt to water all those and not knock some over.
 

nice! what kind of lighting? I HATE APHIDS

 
High pressure sodium. They give off that golden hue. 

 

[Lovepeppers]

I use net pots. The seedlings love them as there is much more oxygen that gets to the soil.

 

[Peter S]

I was planning on using solo cups again this year, but the more I think about it I want to try something different. I think ideally I would want pots that fit securely in an open tray, and the open tray fits into a solid watering tray. That way I can load it up with plants that need watering and do them all at once, and not have them fall over everywhere. I remember last year the jungle of tippy solo cups was kind of a nightmare.

 

[snowmanaxp]

I pack my solo cups into a plastic storage tote, but even still it is not ideal.
I'm planning on purchasing the square pots with trays, just didn't get around to it this year.
I do have some that I reuse from other purchased plants, but they are not all uniform and I don't have the tray to fit them in.

 

[CAPCOM]

 
That's an arse load of cups! be a pain the butt to water all those and not knock some over.
 
 
High pressure sodium. They give off that golden hue. 

That's where the straws came in real handy.
 
And yes, 1000w HPS dimmable