Plastic pots have the advantage that the slightly tapered shape makes it easy to slip a plant out for repotting or planting out. That shape, combined with the relatively large holes - which don't clog the way small holes might - may make it less likely for the lower half of the root ball to become waterlogged.

What sizes of pots could you use? I have hundreds that I'd like to get rid of, although they're mainly small - 3 or 5 inches. If you'd like, I can pop a few dozen into a box and ship them to you - just let me know if they'd be of any use to you.

dtd thanks for the offer but this is just a trial balloon and I have no commitment yet.

Hole size is no big deal for number 10's a church key works well.

Dislodging the plant may be a bit more bothersome, just think of how one gets cranberry sauce out of the can. Many plants need a bit of roughing up of the root ball anyways.

If I were giving away plants of some value and in some cases less easy to find would any body complain ?

But if I can't hear them..........up here in Ye Old Salem

How about if you were to slip something in the cans, up along the sides that would help hoist the plants up. Kind of like a shoe horn in reverse. Maybe you could cut some kind of flexible plastic and run it down, across the bottom, and up the other side. Maybe like a flexible plastic school folder cut into strips.

Ron, I'm dying to know - how did you get Franklinia seedlings? Should I be looking for those in my garden? I've got 4 good-sized plants, but haven't noticed any seedlings yet... Or did you need to do something to get them to sprout?

Stewartia, yes, they self-sow at a nice rate, just enough to give away one or 2 every year ... but if I could propagate Franklinia, I'd be in heaven.

dtd, how did you get Franklinia seedlings? Its an easy answer, I collected the 3/4" round nutlets, dried them, removed the seed and sowed them.
The problem I find is that many of the seeds don't germinate. I believe fresh seed should produce good results. My first attempt, the seeds were old when I was given them, way back when. I was persistent, I got a few plants, gave them away.

This past year the plants at the AA were in full bloom on October 22, and many buds were ready to open and still others had produced seeds and dispersed them. I have observed these many times and never saw a flower or seed.

A few of the seeds will germinate quite readily, but I prefer to sow for the winter chill, and uniform germination should take place in spring.

I don't have seedlings now, I have sown the seeds and I do expect germination in the spring. I have also in the past had success with good germination with only a few seeds using this method as described by Dirr and others.

Peter Del Tredechi has a good write up on Stewartias,

http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/icb.topic940313.files/Nov%202.%20Stewartia%20_Scarlet%20Sentinel_.pdf

GG, perhaps your method would work, just think of all the plastic pots you have to cut open to remove the plants.A Ginsu knife, 25 cents at a yard sale works great.
I should point out that these are give away plants, so I hadn't given much thought to removal from the tins.

Ron

I don't suppose you have a good source for yogurt containers? Bottom holes have to be melted, so it's a bit of a production, but they are the right shape, and cut fairly easily.

Though I suppose in theory, you could use a can opener on the bottom, and shove the entire thing out the top. I'd just be afraid of rust.

"Beggers can't be choosers" and "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth" may be appropriate aphorisms to consider for your worry about recipients reaction to "tin" cans. I have received swap plants in all sorts of containers - including plastic grocery bags. I never complained. I never heard anyone else complain either. They were too busy exclaiming how great swaps are!

But - Do you really want to deal with all those rust rings where the cans are sitting after watering them the first time? If you don't have any appropriate plastic containers in your recycling bin, a better choice is to go to the dollar store or wherever and get some disposable plastic drink cups. Punch, cut, or melt with a soldering iron (the latter my choice) some drainage holes. You might also request some empty plants pots on your local Freecycle.com if the idea of adding to the refuse stream doesn't appeal to you.

Deb

I don't know, but I'd wonder if the high iron in the soil might cause problems(?) I think that I might try one or two plants of different types in cans this year to see if it seems to be an issue.

If you don't have a very active Freecycle near you, I'd bet that if you put an ad on Craiglist for the size pots you'd like, you 'd get all you needed. Just put a general area you are willing to travel to.

I just use a drill to make holes in the bottom of plastic containers. I goes very quickly.

Hi Ron48,

I just looked up Franklin Tree and was amazed to discover that it is it's 300th anniversary this year. Here is the article that mentions its discovery and history.
http://www.terrain.org/articles/18/rowland.htm

I would love to have one of these "rare" Franklin trees and I would not care what kind of container it comes in including but not limited to an old shoe! Hahaha!

As I said earlier this was just "fact finding" The container size is #10. In the past I gave away as many as 70-100 plants in 1 and 2 gallon plastic containers granted they were some time 2,3, or 4 years old.

I have a source of washed #10's, The good old church keys works quite well, on the sides or the bottoms in my weekend trials.

Yogurt containers are fine for a few, but when you have maybe a hundred or more its difficult to grow them on with out watering them 3 or 4 times a day.

I'm a firm believer in fall planting except in a few instances, so a fall give away is my usual.