Best place to buy decent pots / trays etc

D-K-M

Hi all,

This year all of my plants have come up :beer:, so much so that I'm run out of gravel trays and pots. Looking on ebay etc most people are selling those flimsy ones that last a year at best. Most of the ones I own are made by Stewarts - both the 9cm pots and the gravel trays. While I realise that Stewarts quality is really good a scan of my local garden centre tells me I don't want to pay those prices.

Does anyone know of a good place on the internet for these? As I say, I'm not wanting the cheapo ones (buy crap, buy twice (or more)...) but as I'm looking to buy 50-100 of the things plus some normal sized heavy duty gravel trays I want to save a few pennies.

Happy gardening.... it's going to be a good year

djohn2002uk

Decent injection moulded pots here for 11p each look as good as Stewart.
http://www.plantpotsdirect.com/plant-pots/9cm-round-plant-pot-injection-moulded.html
Can't find as good a buy for Gravel Trays though.

D-K-M

thanks for the reply, will check it out

Sally_A

I use the mushroom cartons (500g of mushroom sizes) as sowing trays, they are free and just the right size.

As for pots, ask around, a load of people have stacks of old flower pots that they don't know what to do with.

As starter pots, vending machine cups are a useful size.

djohn2002uk

Also found heavy duty trays with no holes on the same site at a good price too. But only one size and that is seed tray size.

Sally_A

Cat litter trays are approx. twice the size of a standard seed tray, deeper, and long lasting.

Cat owners seem to acquire more than kitty can poop, I think occasionally they are given as free gifts with litter.

Good size, and very durable. Ideal for getting leeks or brassicas started.

valk_scot

If it's for the greenhouse floor and if you have a local fishmonger, ask him for some used polystyrene fish boxes. These are at least as big as the large gravel trays and have the benefit of providing some insulation at the base.

As for temporary pots, you can make them out of double layers of newspaper. Google for instructions for various sizes. Loo roll inners, yoghurt pots, polystyrene or plastic cups...the list of free stuff is endless.

(For really big pots for spuds btw the cheapest are the orange builders buckets that B&Q sell.)

Sally_A

If you want a hole-less seed tray, line one with holes with newspaper, and insert the whole lot into a freebie carrier bag.

djohn2002uk

I thought his original post was quite specific in so much that he didn't want "cheapo" but decent quality pots and gravel trays at a decent price.

Sally_A

Yes, you are right djohn2000uk, but as ever my money saving brain takes over.......I like free, but maybe DKM hadn't thought about adapting freebies around him/her.

valk_scot

djohn2002uk wrote: »

I thought his original post was quite specific in so much that he didn't want "cheapo" but decent quality pots and gravel trays at a decent price.

Yes, it was in the "Buy crap, buy twice (or more)" comment. But even better is not to buy at all, or at least till you save up for the good quality non-crap.

Also the OP says himself this is an exceptional year, I personally wouldn't be buying good quality extra stuff or indeed buying anything at all if I probably wasn't going to use it in subsequent years. More MSE to make do with some free, temporary pots, no?

Though having said all that I bought twelve 12" pots at my local Scout jumble sale for 30p last month, and a bin liner full of smaller ones for £1. Some of them are better quality than the others but I don't see myself needing new pots for quite a while. Well worth the lavish outlay of £1.30, even though some of them are a bit crappy.