Buying plastic pots

[JMCKG]

Where’s the best place to purchase cheap plastic plots? Looking for 6”/150mm for my young tomato plants, would others agree that size is ok before transplanting into final large buckets?

[bikermike]

M&S - £4 each, but they do come with a load of chocolate swiss roles in them

I generally shove mine straight from small (50mm?) pots to growbags tbh.

[veggiechicken]

I prick out the little seedlings into any old container I can find - about 3"-4" - and from there into flower buckets.

[JMCKG]

I prick out the little seedlings into any old container I can find - about 3"-4" - and from there into flower buckets.

Ah, will try that. Got lots of smaller pots but though I needed larger. Thanks.

[veggiechicken]

The larger the pot, the more difficult it is to pot them on, I find. The plants will be taller, bushier, and more vulnerable to damage.

[lottie dolly]

mine are either in a 3in pot,or white plastic chuckaways,plus you can write on the white one's,wash and reuse,just stab a hole or slit in the bottom,THEN plant in final position.

[burnie]

I don't buy plastic pots anymore, haven't for a couple of years, plants bought sometimes have plastic pots and I do re-use them, but I prefer terracotta for their warmth, water retention and planet saving properties.

[bikermike]

Whilst you may have noticed a certain degree of levity in my original post, it probably wasn't the most helpful.

so - if you are going to buy plastic, don't buy too cheap as they won't last unless UV-stabilized. I buy them when I need them from the Garden centre. you'll make the saving as you will be able to re-use them. I'd say terracotta pots are lovely, but don't bounce well.

The cheapest way to get pots is to re-use plastic from your kitchen.
The tubs from M&S I can vouch for - I've had some strawberries outside in them for about 4years, and they are still going strong.
I also use -
500ml cream tubs as they are nice and deep and narrow, so when I'm starting off sweet potatoes I can keep them in the greenhouse in a propagator for longer (and they develop deeper roots).
small yoghurt tubs are fine for small seeds
meat tubs are good as deep tubs (more strawberries in them) and/or as tubs to hold loo-rolls
meat trays are good instead of saucers
I think the best was we had a waitrose readymeal paella that came in a plastic approximation of a paella pan, so is a nice bit 12" dia shallow tray I use for potting up on (so I can tip the missed compost back)

then there's big emulsion tubs, grout buckets etc etc

So that is the *cheapest* way of getting plastic pots, albeit not the quickest, and you do end up with lots of different sizes unless you can be quite disciplined.

Another trick (that has been mentioned elsewhere) is to plant seedlings into loo-roll cores - you can then plant these out/into bigger pots without having to disturb them.

[DannyK]

Try florists. They may have some from defunct stock.

I got a load of 5" half pots like this.

[jackarmy]

Pot noodles, awesome little pots

[veggiechicken]

Try florists. They may have some from defunct stock.

I got a load of 5" half pots like this.

Garden centres often have a help yourself pile too. Problem is, I always end up buying stuff while I'm there!!

[Small pumpkin]

Depending on your location you can get some good deals on eBay if you select used when narrowing down your search parameters.
Unfortunately I can only sit and stare at such deals ( I regularly do, I'm a bit sad ) because they will never deliver to my location or it collection only and it always the other end of the country

[Aberdeenplotter]

Depending on your location you can get some good deals on eBay if you select used when narrowing down your search parameters.
Unfortunately I can only sit and stare at such deals ( I regularly do, I'm a bit sad ) because they will never deliver to my location or it collection only and it always the other end of the country

Yes, Fleabay has some good deals on plastic pots but even here, delivery can be an issue with some sellers reluctant to accept that we are part of the mainland :?

[MarkPelican]

Depends how many you want.

10 years ago, I bought 4000 9cm pots from Dejex. Cost me £80. Still got most of them but it gives me the freedom to not bother washing them.

[mrsbusy]

I often see people offering flower pots on Freecycle / Freegle - might be worth having look on their website.