Andrew,

I reckon a lot depends on how many plants you try to start. I start hundreds and this year probably thousands so what works well for me may be a lot of extra work for you.

One place I would look at is Novosel Enterprises. Also, if you want to keep your seedlings smaller yet stocky, don't use any nitrate type fertilizer and reduce your temps - 70 degrees is more than enough once they start. Also, don't water them unless they need it, but water from the bottom. You will get a great rootball but not a tall plant.

Mike

I agree. Novosel E. is where I get my stuff. I get 3-72 cell trays and 200-300 4 1/2" pots at least once a year. The pots can be reused for later season plants and even the next year. If I didn't sell and give a few away, I wouldn't have to keep buying them.

Andrew,

I used to use square 2ý" pots to start my zinnias early, and I could get 32 of them in a standard 11 x 22 tray. But at that size, the seedling's tap root came out the bottom of the pot within a couple of days and needed to be repotted within a week or ten days. So I switched to 3ý" square pots. I could get only 18 of them in a tray, but the root volume was many times as much as with the 2.5" pots, so I could keep my seedlings in the 3ý" pots for several weeks.

I still use those 3ý" square pots, but I tried some of the clear 3.25 inch square pots, and I like them a lot, too, because they are slightly deeper and have a little more root volume than the 3ý" squares, and you can see the development of the roots through the walls of the clear pots. And they have very good drainage. I have pretty much retired my little 2.5-inch square pots as a waste of time. I might find a use for them someday if I start some smaller slower growing seedlings. But zinnias are just too fast for them.

ZM