Who has the best deal on "good" nursery pots nowadays?

[sbarnhardt]

The title of this message says it all.

I'm in need of some "good" nursery pots to repot some JBP. Don't have a clue where the best place is for both quality and price. Have looked on Amazon, of all places, and what seems to be decent pots run around $1.50 apiece for 2 gallon pots and a bit less than a buck for 1 gallon. This very well might be a good price, but thought I'd ask before I went ahead with it. Looking to buy 20-25 pots.

Thanks

 

[Desert Rat]

Clearance rack at Lowes. $1 each, but you'll have to throw the dead plant in it away first. I'm planning on staining some terra cotta bulb pans to a deeper red, similar to what I've seen used in Japan. I figure it's a more attractive happy medium between an actual bonsai pot and ratty plastic nursery containers.

 

[Paradox]

I recently bought pots from this place very reasonable prices for bulb pans up to 10 inch diameter (12 inch are a bit expensive imo). I like the bulb pans because they are shallower than regular pots.

http://www.kkorchid.com/pots-and-containers/Plastic-Bulb-Pans.html

 

[rickyny]

Yea I would go to lowes or home depot. Lowes has plenty clearance near the indoor plants. Some may come along with half dead plants but some of those pots are well worth the $1. Home depot is currently clearance all outdoor plants and sell for about $3 a plant, you may find something worth keeping. And as a vendor for home depot who is out in gardening almost daily during the summer, They will stack plants on top of plants in carts or on wheeled shelf racks. If they all look rotted or dead they all go straight to the garbage. Ask an associate if you can take a few pot before they bring them back to receiving. They do it quite often.

 

[whfarro]

I have just gone to a local nursery and asked if they had any "extra/old" nursery pots I could buy. They have me a dozen or so...for free. Can't hurt to ask locally.

 

[coh]

I have just gone to a local nursery and asked if they had any "extra/old" nursery pots I could buy. They have me a dozen or so...for free. Can't hurt to ask locally.

Yep, another good reason to become friendly with a local nursery owner/manager. They've let me rummage through their stacks of pots a number of times.

 

[Eric Group]

The nursery next to my house has a big wooden bin of plastic pots- pot recycling is what they call it. Take one ( or ten), leave one (or don't) any time I need some cheap, plastic nursery pots I just go there. Got a few free at Lowes before too - just ask the people working in the nursery.

 

[sorce]

Free on craigslist.
Pop up garden centers. Free.
Sorce

 

[CWTurner]

Ditto Craigslist. Example http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/grd/5098808079.html
CW

 

[sbarnhardt]

I appreciate all the suggestions for "free", or nearly so, pots. But what I'm after is a source to order/buy some pots. A source that, from someone's experience, has a quality product at a decent, fair price. I have no, that I know of, a greenhouse supply business in a reasonable driving distance from me, so they'll need to ship them. I'm looking for a "good" pot because I'll probably let them rock on in these pots for a time and then choose the likely candidates for long term bonsai training. The rest of them will probably either be disposed of or just planted as regular trees.

 

[rockm]

You're going to have to narrow it down a bit. Ceramic, plastic, size, etc. There are MANY growing out alternatives.

These, for instance, can be used in a variety of situations...
http://www.andersonpots.com/products/anderson-flats/

 

[Dav4]

From Home Depot just a moment ago… Free is good!

 

[Desert Rat]

Here's the stained clay pots. $7 from Lowes. Not necessarily cheap, but light years ahead of the regular black plastic nursery pots for me. They're 10" "Azalea" pots, with $4 Minwax Red Mahogany stain.

 

[DougB]

Well Barney where are you in NC? We have several sources and several great clubs for you to join. Also if you be specific as to type, size and composition of the pots you are looking for, then we can help you.

Oh and interesting my last name is Barney!

 

[sbarnhardt]

Well Barney where are you in NC? We have several sources and several great clubs for you to join. Also if you be specific as to type, size and composition of the pots you are looking for, then we can help you.

Oh and interesting my last name is Barney!

I'm 30 minutes or so north of Charlotte. I know they have a club in Charlotte that meets at UNCC, but they meet on Saturday mornings. I'm retired and work 1 1/2 days a week. Guess when the half day is? That's right.............Saturday mornings.

I'm just looking to buy some nursery pots, 10-12 inches in diameter, which to me denotes plastic, usually black, of a gauge that would withstand a couple or so seasons outside. I'm not against terra cotta/clay pots, but I'd imagine the cost difference between them and black plastic nursery pots would be enough to rule them out. I'm just looking for places that sell them and hopefully a place that someone has done business with before and could honestly say they are decent to deal with.

 

[coh]

How about something like this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Plastic-Nur...0-Container-/261963807526?hash=item3cfe427b26

May not be the right size, but found this with 1 ebay search. I haven't bought them this way (and it sounds like most people don't). I would think if you poke around on ebay or amazon you'll find something you can use.

Edit to add...after re-reading your first post I see that you have looked at amazon. Anyway...hope you find what you want.

 

[Dav4]

Fwiw, terra cotta pots would fall apart in a few years of freezing/thawing...go with the plastic if they'll be exposed to freezing temps.

 

[M. Frary]

Why not use collanders? They are a dollar each at dollar stores. They work excellent. Or when I need something bigger I use cut down 5 gallon hydraulic oil buckets washed out and a hundred 1/8 inch holes bored into them.

 

[qwade]

I like This Vendor

 

[jeanluc83]

Colanders: TigerChef

I've never bought from them but their prices look okay if you can't get them locally. I got some from a local Chinese restaurant for $1 each.

The down side is that they break down in the sun. Some last better than others. I often wonder if a quick coat of paint would help them last longer. For the cost and effort it probably isn't worth it.