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container Thrifty ideas for cheap containers / pots? Help!

tori

tori

Hi

I don't know if this is a problem experienced by my fellow chilli growers but I find plant pots very expensive to buy.

Not being able to afford ordinary pots I made a big mistake the other week and bought forty 6 litre plastic buckets about from the thrift store for 60 cents each for putting my plants in. I poked in some drainage holes but to be honest I dont think my plants like them very much and the plastic gets hot. Should I bin these buckets and learn from the mistake or do you think the plants will pick up?

I was wondering if any of you have any thrifty ideas for cheap containers?

At the moment I need smallish pots for my four week old seedlings which need pricking out and repotting. I was wondering if plastic or paper cups might work as i can buy those cheap?

I also saw on the tv the other day someone had made pots out of old newspaper has anyone heard of this or tried it?
Thank you for your time reading my message

Any ideas are very welcome!
Tori:)
 
tori said:
Hi

At the moment I need smallish pots for my four week old seedlings which need pricking out and repotting. I was wondering if plastic or paper cups might work as i can buy those cheap?
Click to expand...

Quite a few people on here use plastic cups.
 
I used 16 ounce "Party Cup" and found that they worked great. Just remember to drill some holes in the bottom. They were really cheap at Walmart.
 
Pepperfreak said:
I used 16 ounce "Party Cup" and found that they worked great. Just remember to drill some holes in the bottom. They were really cheap at Walmart.
Click to expand...
Are party cups though enough? the ones I use may look soft, but that plastic is like glass. much nicer to handle when it doesn't get broken or smashed easily.
 
I start my seeds in the 72 cell planter trays...first transplant is either to 9 oz clear plastic cups (very cheap, disposed of in the recycle barrel), second transplant is to 6" round pots (34 cents each, reusable), third transplant is to 5 gallon nursery containers (99 cents each, reusable)...is reusable a word?...

that was the routine for my first round of seeds I started the last of January...the transplant routine I used for my backups I started the last of February, I went from the seed starting tray to 3" square pots to 5 gallon containers. My nursery man sold me the trays and 3" square pots (one tray and 20 pots that are reusable) for 2 dollars each. I got 10 of them...

my opinion...some plants went straight from the 9 ounce cups or 3" square pots to the 5 gallon containers and some when from 9 ounce cups or 3" cintainers to 6" round pots (34 cents each)...it may be just me but the ones that went into the 6" pots before going into the 5 gallon containers seem to be doing better....
 
had very similar things as you A.J the ones i put in early season straight into big pots(same as your large containers) have been very slow and the small 9cm pot plants have gone wild and im repotting like crazy, got throught 200 litres of soil in three days repotting to the flower(morrison) containers as we call them in the u.k 8 for £1 so good value..next year leave in 9cm then straight into bigger containers..cuts down on the midrange pots does it not :)
 
Don't use newspaper, it may get moldy on you. I buy my small square pots for less than 4 cents a peice and they last indefinitely. If you want to be really thrifty use old yoghourt containers or even peanut butter or any old plastic containers as long as you put drainage holes.
 
I've been having friends and neighbors save their plant flats they get their flowers or tomatoes in. They are 3 inches long, 1.5 inches wide and 2 inches deep. A tray hold 72 of them, which I can place in a tub when it comes time to water them. They will support plants that are more than a foot tall without a problem. I've collected about 200 so far and want another 150 or so. They will probably be the only thing I raise seedlings in next year. More than likely, they will all be under LED lights.

Mike
 
mornin' Mike...

the trays you are talking about...it seems they would make an "oblong" root ball...is that an advantage?..
 
Many nurseries/gardencentres recycle old pots and will gladly give them away free. Also try freenet or other re-use sites.
For medium sized pots try old kitty litter containers(find a neighborhood cat lady)
 
I get my larger plastic pots at Wal-Mart, they have many sizes and the prices are not bad either, even the largest pots are around $4 to $7 depending on the style.

The larger plastic pots I use for my Habaneros cost about $2 each and come with their own drippan that snaps on the bottom.
 
AlabamaJack said:
mornin' Mike...

the trays you are talking about...it seems they would make an "oblong" root ball...is that an advantage?..
Click to expand...

AJ,

Yeah, it's rectangular but the plants don't wilt or have any trouble starting off.

I just picked up eight plants yesterday (I told Shaun to get two, so he gets two sets of four!). They are at least 14" tall, strong stems, a rootball that takes five minutes to wash the potting soil off of (they are for a hydro system that is going to be displayed at the fair).

As long as one bottom waters when the plants are younger so there's no damping off, they seem to be the cat's meow, especially since they don't take up much room - 72 plants in a 10"x20" space. 288 plants in a 2'x4'space. Cuts down on the need for more lights and room, plus I only have to move four trays to water!

Mike
 
sounds like something to look into when I start my seedling business...thanks man...

Richard K...there is no way I could have spent 4-7 dollars a pot for my uses...I have close to 350 plants in 5 gallon containers....would have been cost prohibitive for me...but for the small grower it is a good thing...I have my "prize" plants (4 naga morich, 3 red savina, and my orange hab) in pots with the 'reservoir' in the bottom that I got from walmart...the hab is in a 7 gallon pot and the others are in 5 gallon pots...
 
I put an add on freecycle for pots and got about 200 of them worked good for me I have also seen themon craigslist as well just gotta look around and it was all free.
 
Free is good!

I use the plastic bottles that water comes in and the gallon milk or water jugs. Cut the top off, poke a hole or 2 for drainage. Tada. Instant pot. Then they get recycled when I'm done with them.
 
AJ,

Take a look at the 110 bulb, 10mm, 45 watt LED light. It will cover 900 sq. inches. Two pepper plants and a tom are growing bushy while one tom seems to have more than normal spaces between branches - but that may be the type of plant it is. I figure I can raise 324 plants under each light. Thats nearly 650 seedlings for less than 1¢ per hour, if I use two lights.

Man, I can't imagine how long it would take to just sow that many seeds.

Mike
 
you can get 'grow bags' for pretty cheap on the internet (12pk for several dollars depending on size). you can get them in sizes ranging from 1/2 gallon to 10 gallons. just throwing this idea out there because i didnt see it mentioned by anyone else. i've never used them nor do i know anyone who has.
 
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