MadAbout,

I started out using 2.5-inch square pots because I wanted to plant one or two seeds per pot and thin to a single plant per pot. I liked those pots at first, because I could get 32 of those pots in a standard 11" x 22" tray (4 pots wide by 8 pots long).

However, I grow a lot of zinnias, and I found that those 2.5-inch pots were just too small. A zinnia seedling would no sooner be starting its first true leaves than its taproot would be growing out the bottom of the pot. They needed to be re-potted within a week of planting them. So I switched to 3-inch square pots, and that is what I use now.

Going from 2.5-inch to 3-inch doesn't seem like much of an increase, but it actually is. The volume of a pot goes up with the cube of its linear dimension. I get 18 3-inch square pots per 11x22 tray (3 pots wide by 6 pots long).

I have used both dark green square plastic pots and clear square pots. My current preference is the clear pots, because I can see when they are getting root-bound. I start some zinnias from cuttings, in which case it is very helpful to see the progress of the rooting (usually within 10 days to 2 weeks). But even for seedlings it is handy to see when a pot is getting rootbound, so I will know it is time to set it out or re-pot it. (I re-pot 3-inch pots to 5-inch square pots).

I got my green plastic square pots from Novosel. I got my 3.25-inch clear pots from rePotMe. Since the 3.25-inch pots are rimless, they fit in the same space as my 3-inch square green pots, and the clear pots are a bit deeper too, for a little more root volume, which I (and my zinnia seedlings) like. I wash and re-use my pots each year, and I will continue to use both my opaque green pots and my clear pots. If I need to buy more pots, it will most likely be the clear kind.

There are, of course, other sources for the same pots I mentioned. If you can use a whole case of pots, you save a considerable amount of money per pot by purchasing them a case at a time.

Happy New Year!

ZM
(not associated with any product or vendor mentioned)

try this website.I have ordered from them many times,

http://www.mortonproducts.com/page.cfm/1278

I've been more than satisfied ordering from Megastore greenhouse or something like that name.

The correct name of the online store is Greenhouse Megastore, not reversed as I posted above. Sorry for the mistake. Are you looking for a lot? You can buy a large amount and a small amount. I ordered several items from them last year. Delivery is fast and they even have an 800# if you don't want to order online or if you have any questions. I ordered 20(4 inch nursery pots last year along with 10 daisy trays. Very reasonably priced I thought.