Cheap potting supplies

drew33998

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A thread for sharing seedling flats, pots, colanders, seedling media, etc, etc.

Farmtek-seedling flats, pots, labels
 

jeanluc83

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For pots go to your local nursery and ask if they have any used pots they would be willing to get rid of. I got about 30 4" pots this way a couple of years ago for free.

For colanders try Tiger Chef.

I've never purchased through them before but the prices look pretty good.

There is also your local Chinese restaurant. I picked up a half dozen 11" colanders from the restaurant down the road for a dollar a piece.
 

drew33998

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What do you guys think about me trying to source some flats or pots in bulk? As in thousands. We may be able to get a better price.
 

Bonsai Nut

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Yikes, Stuewe would still be $500-$1,000 for Anderson Flats in the hundred count.

Yes. That is why I posted what I did about qty pricing. At Grower's Supply, you can get 25 flats for $75 (their qty discount), which is the lowest price per unit... until you buy more than 500 at Stuewe, when you see $2.80 per unit. 1000 at Stuewe and you get to $2.60.

These are for the 15 3/4" x 15 3/4" x 5" deep flats and the 17" x 17" x 4" shallow flats. The second type might work better for this contest, but I currently only own the first type. They are quite heavy-duty.
 

Bonsai Nut

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How many seasons have they lasted you?

I don't really know. Years. I have never thrown one out. They aren't designed to be used to plant trees in - they are designed to be used as trays for smaller propagation pots - so they are heavy plastic designed to put up with a lot of abuse. If you want, tomorrow I can make a short YouTube video showing what it looks like in real life. I'll smack it around a little so you can see what I'm talking about. I have a couple big trees growing in some of them I can show you roots coming out the bottom, etc.
 

Bonsai Nut

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I wish those came in smaller sizes.

Smaller than that and I use large 10" pond baskets. Believe it or not the cheapest source I have come up with for large pond baskets is Home Depot - they sell them in the garden area by their pond supplies for $2.47. FWIW the volume on a deep Anderson flat is 1240 cubic inches - the volume on a large pond basket is 525 cubic inches. The Anderson flat directs a lot more growth horizontally.

total-pond-pond-accessories-a16501-64_1000.jpg

The important thing to note about these flats and baskets - they are UV stable unlike colanders. Sun is the great destroyer of plastic unless the plastic is formulated for outdoor use and sun exposure.
 
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Gary McCarthy

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Smaller than that and I use large 10" pond baskets. Believe it or not the cheapest source I have come up with for large pond baskets is Home Depot - they sell them in the garden area by their pond supplies for $2.47. FWIW the volume on a deep Anderson flat is 1240 cubic inches - the volume on a large pond basket is 525 cubic inches. The Anderson flat directs a lot more growth horizontally.

View attachment 168064

The important thing to note about these flats and baskets - they are UV stable unlike colanders. Sun is the great destroyer of plastic unless the plastic is formulated for outdoor use and sun exposure.
LOVE IT. THANKS!!!
 

jeanluc83

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I'm a big fan of pond baskets. They are a bit more expensive than colanders but they much more stable and last longer.

If you use a mix that is on the finer side, line the pond baskets with drywall mesh tape to keep your mix from sifting through. The adhesive on the tape does not stick that well but enough to stay until you get the basket filled.
 

River's Edge

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Yes. That is why I posted what I did about qty pricing. At Grower's Supply, you can get 25 flats for $75 (their qty discount), which is the lowest price per unit... until you buy more than 500 at Stuewe, when you see $2.80 per unit. 1000 at Stuewe and you get to $2.60.

These are for the 15 3/4" x 15 3/4" x 5" deep flats and the 17" x 17" x 4" shallow flats. The second type might work better for this contest, but I currently only own the first type. They are quite heavy-duty.
I prefer the smaller size flat for individual pine tree growth, use the larger size for seedlings and cuttings. My preference is based on the extra depth for temperature and moisture stability.
 

River's Edge

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I'm a big fan of pond baskets. They are a bit more expensive than colanders but they much more stable and last longer.

If you use a mix that is on the finer side, line the pond baskets with drywall mesh tape to keep your mix from sifting through. The adhesive on the tape does not stick that well but enough to stay until you get the basket filled.
Great tip with the drywall tape. Useful in pots that have large openings as well.
 

River's Edge

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For pots go to your local nursery and ask if they have any used pots they would be willing to get rid of. I got about 30 4" pots this way a couple of years ago for free.

For colanders try Tiger Chef.

I've never purchased through them before but the prices look pretty good.

There is also your local Chinese restaurant. I picked up a half dozen 11" colanders from the restaurant down the road for a dollar a piece.

Colanders at "Dollar Store" Betty Crocker price varies from $1 to $1.25 each. Last three years only due to plastic deterioration from UV. Come in a case of 48. I have extended their life by planting the basket in a grow bed which protects the plastic from UV exposure and adds stability to the temperature and moisture levels for the plant.
 
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