How a Professional Grower Selects Pots & Trays
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- Опубликовано: 20 июл 2024
- Let's talk about nursery pots & trays. Different size & shapes of pot may more useful for a particular plant or stage of growth. In this video I'll first discuss the effect of pot height on water (and thus air) holding capacity of your potting mix. Next, I'll talk about the practical differences in using square or round pots/trays. I'll also discuss material (mainly plastic) and overall soil volume.
Here's the link to that University of California article on soil porosity & pot height: ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/post...
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Thanks Jason. Another very informative video.
Why are most nursery containers still black when the high temperatures generated on the sunny side keeps the roots from growing there?
Hi Fred. Good question. Black plastic does heat the soil, and I've seen studies where the temp in the pot is boosted by several degrees - resulting in overall faster growth. But like you mentioned, it can be a double-edged sword! It's more beneficial in the cooler "shoulder seasons" than in the hottest parts of summer, where soil temps on the most exposed edges can inhibit growth. I've grown with lighter colored pots for some crops, and they do seem to moderate this a bit, but I'll add this: for many crops it's an "edge" problem: plants grown "pot tight" with reasonably filled-out foliage will minimize the sunlight that hits the top of the soil and the rims of pots within the crop block. Now let's go to another part of the issue: lighter pigments and pot colors require more "virgin plastic" to get the right tone (read: more expensive), and even so I've seen a significant amount of variability in pot color as they arrive from the supplier, and fading problems in the field. Also, depending on the color, they can show quite poorly when they're a little dirty. Making a fade-proof, UV resistant black pot seems to be fairly easy in comparison - resulting in more consistency and reusability in the field.
Given that the additional heat is a "mixed blessing", I think nursery owners and growers will often choose to manage the overheating problems with supplemental shade, watering or just accept a little variability in those edge pots rather than pay extra for pots that might pose a different set of problems.
@@FraserValleyRoseFarm
Wow, thank you, Jason, for such a thorough and thoughtful answer.
Pots colour is black to save roots from radiation, if light pass through the pot walls, green algae formation occurred with the wall of pot, which is harmfull to plants life
Roots need darkness and leaves need light, light cannot pass through black pots.... i grow grass around the pots to fix root heating issues
As a beginner gardener I can’t thank you enough for this video. It is a huge help
Thanks again Jason for a very informative video.
My pleasure. Thanks for watching Christie.
Thank you for this video. I learned a lot!
Thanks Mary!
Thank you for the educational video.
This type is very valuable.
Thanks Paul.
Such a helpful video Jason. You are an amazing educator!
Aw - thanks Diane! I'm happy to hear you liked it.
Thank you for this excellent, clear, explanation.
I go though over a thousand pots a year and only save a few specific types/styles for my own use in propagtion and growing on. All are tough, easily washable and reusable. Sized consistently and therefore easier to store. Everything that does not fit the profile is recycled. It makes for much less stress when things are organized.
Also helps me get the medium right when the pot sizes are consistent. Which has been a huge factor in successful perennial growing .
You bet Eric. It makes sense to be a little "picky" on the front end rather than think you can modify your watering or soil for every irregular pot.
A couple things about plastic use. If you sell a potted plant, that pot is never thrown away if it is of sufficient quality. No gardener ever throws away a pot they can reuse later. It's only the cheap shitty pots that are brittle and effectively fall apart when removing the original plant that are discarded. Secondly, for seed starting trays for home gardeners, multicell type things, buy the best you can afford because reusing them every year takes away the environmental burden that everyone is so uppity about and saves a considerable amount in the long run.
I actually learned this lesson with tools. I used to buy the cheapest tool I could find to do the job. Then next time, I would buy the cheapest tool I could find to do a similar job. Just buy a good quality wrench and you'll have it until you die and save a heap in the long run.
Well, that's my rant for the day. Thank you and goodnight.
I finnaly set out the pots i dont use anymore by the curb with free sign..hubby said no one would take them...they were gone in an hour...
Thanks Brad. Well said. I visited a shrub producer a couple of year back and the owner was quite proud of these custom-made plastic trays they used for liner productions. He showed off by standing on the tray - "indestructible" he said, "even after all these years". They paid more and used more material initially, but over the 20+ years since they started using these liner trays, they'd more than made up for the extra costs - and avoided so much disposable plastic!
Thank you Jason, your videos are solid gold, such a blessing. I’m 68 now and only got into growing a couple of years ago. However, I have had loads of success and much pleasure and, to be honest, I really don’t think this would have happened without yourself and Mike K. Thanks again! 🌹🍾❤️
That's wonderful to hear Mike!
Wow what a fantastic and informative documentary go to the top of the university PROFESSOR
Thanks Graham!
I'm just a hobbyist but I found this super interesting and helpful!
Thanks Fate Show - that's what I was hoping.
Great content, as always. Immediately useful info!
Fantastic video! A little fabric wick will drain the perched water table from a shallow succulent pot if it’s on the ground.
nice! i would think this was a more in-depth answer of my bonsai pot question a couple months back :D
Thanks Jan
That was VERY interesting and I learned quite a few things. Like why my Lisianthus babies loved the 288 trays but struggled in the 72s.... A fact I've been pondering all summer. You have such a wealth of knowledge! Just love your channel, more please!! 👍👍 🇨🇦Penny4a
Thanks so much!
Your last comment about why we do not put a small plant in a large pot was so helpful in understanding why not to . Thank you for explaining why .
My pleasure. Thanks for watching Agnes
I had no idea this much consideration went into pots. Really appreciate you sharing this.
My pleasure. Thanks for watching Alexander
Thank you Jason that was very interesting.🍁🍂🍁💚🙃
Thanks Judy
So much useful information Jason. 👌
One of my new neighbors asked me why I was using 10 and 15 gallon pots for some of the same plants.
I explained to him that I had to use the taller 15 gallon pots because of so much rain at lower elevation and the shorter 10 gallon pots at the higher and drier new location. Of course the maturity of the plants also has a lot to do with it as well as having the ability to compare the two as they acclimate to the new surroundings.
So many factors can influence how the plants grow.
All of the plants are now on the new property and really liking the much cooler temperatures, at least right now.
I will probably keep most of the plants clustered relatively close together through the rest of this year and probably into March or so to allow for simple easy care of the plants and just let them adjust to the much higher elevation and weather patterns. Still plenty to do, but so far so good.👍
I think the naturally biodegradable pots can actually become a well received product for garden growers, but definitely not suitable for commercial growers because the average degradation time is from 20-75 days (the reason for the white composting mold) and the more moisture just speeds that process up, the same applies to all of the different "recyclable" type products.
Unfortunately, every grower knows that you need around 9 mos to 2 years for most varieties of plants to grow strong and healthy enough to sell, plus a buffer of time for plants that don't sell as quickly.
At least the better quality black plastic pots can be reused in the growing process and you can encourage regular customers to bring back their empty pots for full ones.😉
I actually encourage people to save their egg cartoons and give them a discount on their next purchase of eggs.
From a grower standpoint, you could offer a return credit for all returned pots towards future purchases; however, the safety of reused pots that have left the property and then returned might be a concern.
Definitely a great conversation to have whenever it comes to being more efficient and practical ways to reduce unnecessary waste product when we can.🤙
Thanks for your input - we've always been friendly to when customers bring plastic back to us (even when they wedge in unusable plastic from other growers) but we've been thinking about how to offer a discount/credit kind of system. The pots coming back to us is clearly going to save us money, but I don't want to make any kind of a complicated offer that requires extra admin work for either of us (well let's face it, it's Lisa who answers most customer correspondence, so I'm really hoping not to irritate her with more to keep track of).
@@FraserValleyRoseFarm I just do a flat 10 cents per container no matter what size unless they bring in larger pots like the 10, 15, 25, 35 gallon and then it's $3 for the 10 & 15 and $5 for the 25, 35.
Most people like getting something back.
Regular clients get a flat 5% off total purchase because they usually bring in more containers than plants purchased and it's a nice thank you of appreciation for their loyal business.
I have had a couple people try to bring back one tiny container looking for a good discount, but usually they are quite generous.
You are absolutely right, it must be simple and easy to do or it just isn't worth the effort.
Shout out to Lisa for all the things you do that most people might not know.😉🤙
another excellent video -- thanks again
You got it!
Great video !!!
Just amazing Jason, in one gallon pot over watering is a real problem. I always try to mantain good moisture level for roses.
Really appreciate this info, I'll be putting it to good use, thank you 🌻
Thank you for taking the time to answer my question. Also, the technical information in this video is really useful to me. Thanks.
This is the best video and research source! Seems to be common knowledge among growers and now we know it too! Thank you, thank you!
Very good information. It's always helpful to understand the professional growers perspective and how it relates to the home grower. Thanks Jason.
Thank you Jason, it makes sense now that you explained it ! 🍁🍂🍁💚🙃
Hello! It's actually very important what size the pot is. A mistake can kill a plant. Thanks for the great tips👍🌻🐦
Thanks for wathcing!
Very informative!
Thank you valuable information !
My pleasure. Thanks for watching.
Thank you so much for this video! I have been looking for information on how feasible using biodegradable pots would be for a nursery. I have a small vegetable and herb nursery and was really wanting to get away from plastic. I considered biodegradable pots and even soil blocks but after this content, I realize it's not really going to work just yet. Thank you for your honesty.🍅
i actually just had the last problem you mentioned this year...i put some spruce plugs in larger pots with a "wetter" soil mix thinking i'd save myself the up potting next year...but a lot of them turned yellow and developed root rot. Lessoned learned. Jah Bless Jason!
Thanks Ben Neb
this is amazing information. thank you!
Thanks Chloe. I'm glad you enjoyed
Another goodie Jason! Had no idea about much of this info you presented. Thank you! Jim Putnam (RUclips)had some lovely things to say about you on a video I watched the other day! I thought it was so cool, because I already know how amazing you are!
Excellent! Thank you for sharing; I will share your video in my channel community
Thank you!
This is so great!!! Thank you!
Wow such a great video! Thanh you so much for all the info 🥰
Thanks Desmond
Love your channel,Jason
Thanks! Appreciate the great content!
Great video. So informative.
Thanks Angela
Excellent!!
Thanks Lee!
Thank you Jason. You are so very knowledgeable and I appreciate your sharing your knowledge with us. As a side note, I watched your "watering" video and it completely changed how I water my plants. I think of your explanation every time I water.💦💦💦👍🙂
Thanks so much Denise!
This year I started growing my yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius) in bigger containers of 90l. Watering was easier for rectangular containers than for the round ones. After harvesting I can see if the square pots are working better than the round ones. The rectangular containers will be better for storage of tubers and stapling in my basement after the first frost. Stems and leaves get cut and the storage roots with rhizomes stay undisturbed and fresh in the containers.
Thanks Kati.
thanks for the video
Fascinating. I would appreciate your insight and guidelines on how to deal with root bound, potted plants that you’ve purchased and are about to plant in borders.
For me, it depends how tightly they're rooted. If it's not too bad, and I can just tease it apart a bit by hand, that will reduce the damage and subsequent transplant shock. If however the roots are tightly woven together and circling, I throw politeness out the window and prune off the bottom inch or so of soil & roots. This makes it much easier to work apart and I do find the plants recover nicely.
Gracias amigo. Saludos desde Perú.
Huge fans of your videos, my gf and I have probably watched all of your vids now, keep em coming please! And if you could make a video on growing roses During the winter in your greenhouse, how you heat your greenhouse, and stuff like that, I would love it haha
I have a few vids in the library dealing with my plants during winter. Overwintering Perennials & Shrubs (and older one): ruclips.net/video/cIh-WkJoqRI/видео.html Nursery Plants Winter Cleanup: ruclips.net/video/tohjS_Q_qX0/видео.html Preparing for a Cold Snap: ruclips.net/video/CYDBMJSaDnE/видео.html On the topic of heating, I don't heat the greenhouses themselves (too expensive) but I've done a couple of vids last year describing a heated bench project to protect just the most vulnerable plants. Under Bench Heat Project: ruclips.net/video/CYDBMJSaDnE/видео.html and Diesel Heater for Greenhouse: ruclips.net/video/kgvnMTN4ohE/видео.html
@@FraserValleyRoseFarm I will watch these tonight thank you for responding!
Informative.
Regards
Helpful video, thanks!😘
I'm so glad you found it helpful!
@@FraserValleyRoseFarm Hey! Quick question:
Under my plants I have a saucer that catches the water that drains from my pots after waterering, should that water be thrown out?
Because I sometimes come back after an hour or so and the plant seemed to have
sucked up the water in the saucer...
Thanks!
Having a little extra run-off can help to flush out extra salts from the potting soil (depending on how you're fertilizing). Maybe you don't have to do it every time, but a heavier than average watering with pure water every now and again might be helpful - and in that case, you'd want to remove the excess water. On a routine basis, I don't see a problem with letting your plant take up the extra water in the saucer.
@@FraserValleyRoseFarm Makes sense, thanks!
Jason, this is off topic, but I've got to tell you. In the end of Aug. I took about 60 Hydrangea cuttings as you taught us. I had tried it in potting soil in the past without luck. This time I did it in kids play sand with a dome. I checked it today for the first time and 17 had rooted well. I repotted them in potting soil 4 inch pots and am very excited. Considering I spent $20 to $35 each for my 107 hydrangeas that I took cuttings from. If these 17 grow I will save a fortune. Thank you for the lessons.
That's fantastic Dennis! How rewarding.
@@FraserValleyRoseFarm Yes and the ones that are left were harder stemmed so I haven't given up on them yet. May just take a bit longer.
Fantastic discussion. Sounds like a class you'd get at an Ag school
Thanks!
I have several roses (coral miracle shrubs developed from Miracle on the Hudson, according to the tags) that I purchased in the spring and didn't find a good place to plant them in the ground. I'm in zone 7b in the southern US. We had a horrifically hot sunmer so I had to water twice a day during the worst of the heat. This is my first attempt at growing roses and I'm in love! I'm afraid I've started an obsession. The containers are about 2 gallons I think and I have terra cotta pots slightly larger I want to put them in. Would I be better off moving them to slightly larger plastic pots and dropping them into the terra cotta ones instead of planting directly in terra cotta pots? We have very hot and humid summers but winters can be freezing for several weeks with ice and snow some years. I will protect them from wind and low temperatures. I have very limited space outside so want to make the most of it.
I've been watching your videos for a couple of years and you are such a good teacher. You've inspired me to try roses and to not fear an occasional failure. Thank you!
Home Depot now sells herbs in biodegradable cardboard containers and I always choose the biodegradable pots.
When growing succulents in short pots it's best to have a layer of gravels at the bottom! It dries out way faster that way!
Thanks Golden Boy
Excellent content as always, thank you! A lot of people say that round pots will encourage roots to grow into an impenetrable ball as they grow around and around the pot while square pots will allow the roots to grow down when the hit the corner. How true is that theory? I have seen it myself.
I haven't seen much conclusive research on pot shape (square vs. round) on root development, but I did grow perennials in square pots for many years and can tell you with certainty that it didn't prevent the "impenetrable ball" from forming.
A topic I didn't know that I needed to know! I don't think anybody else has ever mentioned it in other videos/books. Thanks!
P.S. What is your take on using fiberglass squares as plugs for seed starting?
I know a few growers who make starts in rockwool - and I'm sure they have their reasons. I found they held a lot of moisture at the surface, and even had some damping off problems (as well as unsightly algae). Like any medium, you'd have to tune in your watering and troubleshoot as you learn the properties
Love from India
❤❤❤
Jason, this is super useful information. Thank you. I am a grower, and I produce trees and shrubs from seed, cutting, liners and so forth. I've been partial to the Anderson band pots with their open, cross bottoms that fit perfectly into the Anderson flats. Do you think that the band pots with their cross bottoms drain better than a closed bottom pots with drainage holes. It seems like they would drain better, but there's a lack of capillarity to help the water move out of the pots. Thanks again.
I haven't actually noticed much of a difference. Unless you're talking about a container with insufficient (or clogged) drain holes, I think you'll eventually reach roughly that same tension between capillary action and gravity. The potting soil can make quite a difference too, of course.
Makes sense. Thanks for the reply , kind sir. I'd love to visit your nursery some day.
Great video . Oh gosh the ever-ending problem of growing containers. Last year Proven WInners made all growers buy their branded pots [which are pricey). Apparently not everyone was happy with that considering they already came with their large branded labels and high royality charges. We'd always grown our annuals in square pots so to keep like-minded plants together on a bench without wasting space was an issue. In the end it worked out but I really had to think hard about where everything would live. Some larger growers are no longer going to grow their plants because of this, besides the fact that their plugs cost more than other breeders plants. I honestly can't stand the way the white holding trays look after a season, so discolored with leaf and bloom drop.
Proven Winner is introducing a new biodegradable pot that will feed the plant a little and you can plant it directly in the soil or container. Time will tell if this will work.
Thanks for your insights on this. I had a similar experience with another line of "branded" plants years ago - and I have to wonder how the big horticulture companies defend these decisions. I mean, I guess it's all motivated by marketing dollars, so maybe there's no thought to grower concerns or the environmental toll of what amounts to single-use plastic because you're right: those PW pots and trays look like hell by the end of the season.
My other .02 cents: that business model seems a little abusive or something. They buy up the rights to the results of excellent breeding programs, and then to recoup their investment they double-dip on royalties and branded containers, in effect making *you* pay an extra fee to advertise for *their* brand.
What about growing, for example, rose cuttings, in a smaller pot within a pot? Would you, could you, (sounds a bit like a Dr Seuss book 😂) for ease of repotting, grow it this way? My theory would be the smaller pot would protect the root system while tender and encourage that growth, then once established, remove from smaller pot and plant in space already made from it into the larger one. Just a thought. I know it would most likely be too labour intensive for commercial growers, but for us home growers….do you think that might work?
Sounds like it's worth a try.
Jacqueline I don’t see the point of doing this. Can you explain why you would want to do this? What benefits do you imagine?
@@elsagrace3893
I think she means the larger pot will have dirt. It would be like setting a one gal in a 3 gal. Pack the dirt around the 1 gal while it’s sits in 3 gal. The plant will grow in the 1 gal pot inside the 3 that has dirt around the 1 gal, making a perfect 1 gal hole in the dirt in the 3 gal
When ready to bump the plant in the one gal up to the 3, simply pull the entire 1 gal out of the 3 leaving the dirt in place. Remove plant from 1 gal pot with root and dirt still in the 1 gallon shape and place it in the empty hole in the dirt of the 3 gal. I saw it done on a RUclips video about Japanese maples. Big trick is the plant in the one gallon will have to have it’s roots filled out. If not when you pull it out of the pot the dirt will fall apart.
Yeah, I know…..
@@cindyl3916 that’s exactly what I was thinking. However, hadn’t thought of the root growth that much but you are most likely correct. Wish I had a greenhouse to try some now. Would love to propagate some Japanese maples…lost 5 this year…not sure if it was the heat dome last summer or the colder than normal winter. Maybe both 🤷♀
Great video, do you have any recommendations on where to buy pots in bulk? Do you order yours online?
Thanks - Lisa can usually source used pots locally and still manage to keep it all pretty consistent. That's an advantage of being in an area with lots of other nursery growers (and blueberry farms!). When I have bought new pots, I did it through Cy Grower or JVK, which are local distributors for larger plastic suppliers.
I noticed some of the biodegradable pots just don't do well in my clay soil so I remove them before I plant the plants. I also don't think they ship well when buying online to be shipped to my home.
Very informative though when I'm considering pots for my seedlings for next year. Thanks!
Thanks Janice.
I have yet to see a biodegradable pot that a plant can grow through. Nope. The plant comes out and the pot goes in the landfill because it usually breaks when extracting the plant.
This discussion of porosity makes me think of vwc and it kinda clicks.. rockwool (super porous) has like a 65-80 vwc I think (brand dependent) and a way I’ve seen it measured is to prove the media ~1/3 up to measure or water content always reads 100% below that. Yeah there are equations to check vwc via input ml and runoff ml, to then check if probe placement is correct, but very very true, the bottom stays saturated. Even coco which has a vwc of like 50-60% (less porous) still reads near or at 100% when probed in the bottom 1/3rd of the container.
Thanks so much for your input on this Preston. That's exactly right and a good illustration of the science behind it.
small pots are easy to come by in NYC. Folks just throw them away. I have a thousand qt-gallon size.
Im looking for 15-20 gallon size to grow out roses to figure where they will go best. I found one site for 9 bucks a piece but the shipping was 400. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.
Thanks for the info, now I know why I kill one of my lemons last year.
Thanks Jose!
Hi Jason I love your videos
I have a question I have a lot of roses still in a gallon pot which I could not plant in ground
How can I save them from winter I live in Ontario zone 5
I am worried I don't want to loose them
Thanks
For plants still in containers/pots I usually leave them out until there's been some cold and the plants go into dormancy - below a certain growing temperature they stop producing new leaves and stems. Then I remove the old foliage and tuck them into a protected place for the winter. That protected place can be an outbuilding (shed) or carport/garage and doesn't necessarily need to be heated - so long as it cuts down on the wind and lets you control the moisture in the pot. Roses don't need a ton of water when dormant, so I just check every week or two to make sure the soil hasn't gone bone dry (shrinking away from the side of the pot, for instance). A little bit of indirect light from a window is ideal, but not strictly necessary. When you check for watering, also take note of their dormancy - if they're still pushing growth it's not cold enough or they're ready to come out for spring.
@@FraserValleyRoseFarm thanks for replying really appreciate
Proven Winner now has a new line of eco-friendly pots - let us know what you think of them. I know I am not a fan of press paper pots as they don't biograde fast enough and annuals get rootbound, and seriously, root disturbance is not as much of an issue that these marketers say it is - as a matter of fact, root washing can be done with everything. And it will wick water away from the rootball even in the ground. Then there are the jiffy pellets with fine netting - terrible as roots have difficulty breaking through, and thus, unable to reach for nutrients in the soil. I did have some cornstarch pots, and appeared to be okay at first, but all of the sudden, they crack due to their brittleness, and it becomes a mess.
Thanks. I'll have to check out the Proven Winners pots at some point. I'm not generally a big fan of highly branded products & packaging, so it may be a while before I force myself to buy something from them.
I bought a case of those bio ones and they fell apart about after the fourth watering...the kind Walmart carries
I know the kind! Mush in no time.
Goodness, i have a few gardening books but none touch on topic on pots except the brief don't choose big pot for small plant. Thanks for the vid and reading link. Tomorrow when pot shopping i know which to get for my roses.
I have a question. Do you ever face the problem when suddenly the soil you used for your roses is not suitable? I think because of cost cutting, the usual soil company i bought changed their recipe. The soil takes ages to drain. I already lost a rose and another is dying. I have mixed my own soils that my other roses show improvement in but my problem is the ones still in the bad soil. When i dig one out there are bad soil compacted around the root. Do i need to remove the soil around the root? I am afraid to disturb the root unnessesarily and shock to the rose. Thanks in advance.
This happened to me with my usual seed starting brand..all of a sudden it had large sticks..not good...so hubby got the bag...which looked identical at a glance...it had been put in with the others and i scooped it up in the pile of six..my bad..
That's a shame! I'm afraid I have no easy answer - if the soil is holding too much moisture (sometimes this happens when it breaks down a bit too far or "silts up") in the container, there's not much to do but replace the soil at the next opportunity. You might me able to live with it for a bit and manage your watering, but eventually you'll want to move into a more freely draining mix.
Tomato specific, what would you recommend from seed to permanent for home gardener
I usually grow my tomato seeds from gemination until fully rooted into 4" (9cm) pot, then into a 3 or 5 gallon pot. It sounds oversized, but they're thirsty!
Hi Jason, off topic question
My hibiscus rose of Sharon is very old and by my house. It is approximately 15 feet tall, I prune it back each year, but I think I am doing it wrong because it gets so many flowers the branches just collapse over, then we have to put string around it. Help?
Do you think I am over pruning or just pruning wrong 🤔☹️
That's a vigorous old plant! The only other thing I could suggest is to stagger your pruning over a cycle of 3-4 years, always pruning some old stems but leaving a portion of the older (& sturdier hopefully) in place for the sake of structure.
Sir plastic pots are good 👍, but Daisy family plants life is less in these pots, like marigold, signet, french, zinia & many more. After two months plants dead, but in cement and mud pot life is more than double.
Thanks for sharing your experience Rajinder
MONKS HOOD! ask them how much pot they need to get thru to next year. ///// how can I harvest the seeds? it grows well in an empty matrix I'll try
I feel like instead of large nurseries searching for an alternative material for potting instead of plastic, which would be more expensive to produce and could also have their own environmental consequences, they should rethink the way they source their pots. I get 5-10 years out of a sturdy plastic pot, sometimes more than that, and only have to replace them after they split on the side. I don't see how they couldn't make arrangements with the landscaping companies, etc. that they supply to return used pots instead of them just throwing them away at the end of a job. The thin plastic cell trays that go brittle after a year or 2 should be avoided whenever possible, instead try a flat with thicker plastic walls that will be reusable for years. If we used plastic responsibly instead of making things that need to be replaced to boost sales, it probably wouldn't be such a terrible pollutant like it is to begin with.
That makes a lot of sense. I took a nursery tour a while back where they used much *thicker* plastic trays - which seems counterintuitive when you're trying to save the resources. But here's the thing: they made a batch of these trays over 20 years ago, and root their liners in them every year. Saves annual expenses, sourcing, logistics, disposal - a larger upfront cost ends up reducing on the throw-away plastic they would have gone through each year.