I generally favor plastic pots.... But I feel like the best thing you could do (without changing much) is group them close together so that they support each other.

Side note, nice to see you on the forum again, Manuel!

Thanks. This group is great for support and encouragement. I'm going to have to start using plastic for the small pots. Grouping them together doesn't work, when I'm constantly moving them to the sun on the roof and fire escape, etc. sigh. I'm surprised they haven't been designed better

There are certain terra cotta pots that I find are too skinny. I skip buying those pots and get ones with a better bottom/top ratio instead.

Grouping helped me a little, but plant trays and square pots are optimal if you are moving things around frequently.

I wish I felt. Ether about using bigger pots and doing group planting, but I just can't place different plants together, even if they are desert cacti

I mean clustering pots together so they have a lesser chance of toppling!

I know what you meant. Just that those Azalea type of pots have a better bottom to top ratio and don't topple over, but they are too large for small plants. If I did mixed pkantings I could better take advantage of those larger pots.

This winter is going to be rough. Definitely will have to get artificial lights for them

I have a stack of terracotta azalea pots. Fantastic for growing outside but indoors they take up way too much space. It's a little frustrating.

Exactly. I have these four little Cuspidatas that I was planning on planting individually, but now I might plant all 4 in one of those azalea pots

I second (third?) the tray suggestion... it makes life so much easier, especially when you are moving lots of plants around. You don't need big trays, small drawer organizer ones form the dollar store work well for tiny pots..

More gravel will increase the bulk density of the medium and act as ballast.

The small drawer organizer sounds like a simple and feasible idea. I hadn't thought about it.

As far as gravel, I'm mostly using 3/4 pumice and 1/4 soil. Some of them I have them in 2/3 Turface and 1/3 pine bark

I'm doing a setup where I have individual 2'' and 2.5'' pots in chocolate boxes, and those boxes are in a peaches box from Trader Joe's. It helps with movement and stability.

Hi Manuel,

I'd go w/ tray or box idea as well. One can customize it. I use a clementine crate for a bunch, on my fire escape window, since I'd need to pick them up in one fell swoop if necessary. Tho' of course I have a few singles off to the side ;>).

Nighttime, Just shot this hastily w/ a desk light at the window to make the point. There's 9 clay pots in there.

Shoe boxes are a handy size to start w/ depending on the size of your clay pots as well.

Manuel, I don't know if these are available anywhere near you but I have a store (it's actually our local grocery store) that sells azalea shaped pots in that same small size as the tapered ones. If you can't find them I wonder if your regular source could order some for you?

If those aren't options I agree with the trays, they have helped me tremendously.

You can find trays in a lot of places like others have mentioned, I sourced restaurant flatware dishwashing trays that are heavy gauge and vented on the bottom but I've seen bakery trays, fruit trays, etc. too.

I've found lots of neat metal basket- and tray-type things at Goodwill, garage sales, and such. They have good airflow around all sides and bottom, since all have at least little feet. I can leave them out in the rain, and some I can bottom water with the pots in the container. (I clean them all first.) They are all different sizes and shapes, and not particularly space efficient. But I do really like the added character they provide for places & times I have the space. :-)

Here's one I particularly like the color of (I added green chicken wire, that I had laying around, to the bottom so it's steady for smaller pots):

Here's one that's super steady for the right size pots. The outside holes are about 2.5in/6cm, and the center is bigger. I would love to find more of these. Anyone have any idea what it is? I took a few pots out so you can see better -- it opens like a clam shell and has a latch to close it, as you can see up front.

For tiny pots, I use egg cartons:

I still like my Ikea Fintorp dish racks. They have a removable drip tray. I take that out when the plants are outside. When they come in, I keep them mostly dry, but with the drip tray in place, I can water a few plants individually without taking them out of the rack. I have my plants in terra cotta with gritty mix, so the pots are heavy, but the racks have held up well, and they are not so large that I cannot carry them in and out. The only problem is the V groove down the middle, but with some chicken wire that should be fine. Thanks for the idea, Shawna!

Shawna

I believe that it could be wine rack - perfect to hold the pots...I see the center ring is split to open up? Test if wine bottles fit...and I don't know if they would not fall thru the bottom? It may not be wine rack but I can't think of anything else.

I have used shallow baking pans from second hand or goodwill stores. When using tiny pots I put gravel into the baking pan and squish the pots into the gravel. Bonsai pots can work well too, especially for small headed, shallow rooted succies, lithops, sempervivum and similarly scaled succulents will do well in them indefinitely. With others that get bigger I use the bonsai pots until they outgrow them.

I keep almost all of my plants in terracotta pots and the shallow bulb pans (as Al mentioned) work great for succulents, you can put several small ones together if you like