Why can't I find 2 1/2" round pots anymore??????????

Going nuts here with frustration. Whats happened to the oh so handy 2 1/2" pots??? I can't even find round 7cm which I suppose would be the equivalent. 6cm is too small, 9cm is too big, I NEED THE OLD 2 1/2" pots!!!!! but apparently that is too much to ask for!!!!

Val

 

Something like these?

http://www.primrose.co.uk/-p-51115.html?adtype=pla&kwd=&gclid=CLLE5KH15b0CFQkUwwodxBkAGw

That's 2 and 3 quarter inch in old money.

 

@Val..

Have a look at http://www.twowests.co.uk/product/economy-pots

 

I can find lots of 6cm ones so maybe they have changed the sizes?

 

I got some from the 99p Shop. 68mm (2.677 inches) x 73mm (2.87 inches). Check the drainage holes in the bottom though as some need poking out properly.

 

There's always these pots which apparently have Tardis like interiors - bigger on the inside than on the outside

 

I blame @Zigs. Carelessly leaving his 1973 Timelord technology lying around while he sits on barrels of caustic flammable chemicals rolling his rollies, someone was bound to nick some ideas.

 

Thanks everyone, I'll keep hunting, I hate change, it is never for the better!!!

Val

 

Dunno if any help, as I don't know what you want them for, but I now prick out seedings into modules (and 1" square) and then pot-on to 9cm so that I can pamper them until well into May before they start to outgrow the pots and need planting out.

 

I use the square Wilko pots a lot , they do a 7cm size which is near enough 2 1/2".

http://www.wilko.com/seed-trays-pla...-plant-pot-square-black-7cm-x-15/invt/0297682

 

I use square pots whenever I can as round pots waste a fair bit of space.
A tray of 16 2.5" pots is 100 square inches in area and the gaps between the pots amounts to almost 21.5 square inches which is just over the equivalent of 4 pots.

 

I still think that that is a myth - laid out on a staggered pattern, and over a reasonable area, I reckon its much the same. I find Round easier to pot-on. But its a debate that has been around before, and I probably shouldn't re-ignite it!

Filling a gravel tray, or similar, with pots then definitely square will be better.

 

Too late!

Rigid square pots can still result in wasted space along two sides of valuable propagator space, as on average 35mm (half 70mm pot width) of space could be wasted on those 2 sides. My three Sankey 50w Plantmaster propagators (£65 each) are 340 x 530 internally (0.18m2), so just a half pot width on 2 sides would result in 0.03m2 of wasted space, one sixth of the available space.

Luckily Wilkos square pots are 68 x 68mm and fit almost perfectly, but if I was to buy a different type of propagator I'd certainly want to very carefully check the dimensions because if there was an unusable 0.75 pot width on 2 edges that would be a whopping 25% wasted space.

0.03m2 Of wasted space many not sound a big deal, but for 3 propagators that's 0.09m2, and taking account of cabling to the greenhouse, waterproof connections box & thermostats that space costs £450/m2, so a waste of over £40's worth of kit. If that was under growlights in a box with a thermostatically controlled fan (with adjustable speed control to cut down noise in the house overnight), time switch, thermostats & multisocket costing £300/m2, losing 0.09m2 would waste £27. Expensive hobby innit? so really worthwhile sorting your pots out.

But round flexi-pots can be made to fill nearly every bit of available space.

Sure I saw them there earlier this week. Poundstretcher also had them last time I looked.

 

@Kristen I think you've got an LBS account (the place I recommended when you were looking for cheap perlite http://gardenerscorner.co.uk/forum/threads/buying-perlite.53924/ ). Last time I checked the cost of flexi-pots I think they were about (or even less than) 1p each if buying 3,000 but the minimum is now 6,000 for 80mm pots, but it was another supplier who no longer sells them.

What's the current price of 6,000 80mm flexi-pots from LBS?

http://www.lbsbuyersguide.co.uk/flexi-pot-plant-pots.html

 

All items currently sold out!

I've actually found 8 of what I think are 2.5" pots, and three even smaller ones, which I no longer use, preferring plantpaks- 24 cell tray inserts.

If these would be of use, and if the forum allows this sort of thing, I'd be happy to post them to you, just pm me with an address and they'll be on their way after Easter.