Best options for seedling transplants.

I am looking for options/ideas of containers for seedlings.

I have a small medicinal herb farm, for my annual seedling sale I am about to run out of all my recycled plastic pots. I have tried coconut coir pots (costly, did not break down quickly), cow pots (moisture management issues, concerns about the manure/food sources for cows like GMO corn).

I am thinking about trying Fertil brand pots. Has anyone tried them? They are a pulp product. An organic farmer (though not certified) suggested using the green pulp pint berry boxes since they will rapidly decompose in the ground. My concern is finding about the material content. Like what else do they have but pulp in them? Heavy metals? Dyes?

My criteria-
1. large enough quantity that I can make/purchase in the hundreds. Nothing "cute" like egg shells (which suck by the way, wont every try that again).
2. dont have to be certified organic but I have to be reasonably confident that I am not putting something toxic in the ground like heavy metals/dyes.
3. sturdy enough to last 4-6 weeks. I'd be game to try the newspaper pots but I dont think they will last long enough in the greenhouse for slower growing herbs, also not sturdy enough to go on adventures to plant sales.
4. Smaller size- like 9x9 cm. Strong preference to square over round but not a total deal breaker.

Thanks!

What price point per unit are you looking for?

HaHa. That question implies that I actually am pretending to make a profit
I'd love something in the 20 cent pot range as a realistic option.

I am thinking about trying Fertil brand pots. Has anyone tried them? They are a pulp product.

I think that is the brand I bought a couple years ago to try....made in France? and from spruce and fir pulp I think...from Gardener's Supply maybe? They sounded perfect but I've tried them now and don't like them at all!  I had hopes for the fiber pots but they had the same problem all of them seem to with having to keep them too wet in order to keep the fiber from drying out...and they attracted pill bugs!

I've ended up liking the plastic pots from that same company.  Heavy enough I can reuse over and over and fine for selling plants at the market and I reuse all the plastic pots that I can come up with, yogurt containers and other pots from friends.

I have to admit I hate most paper pots and prefer to use and reuse plastic ones.

It may be too late for this year, to order plant pots, so how about solo cups? I have used both the paper and the plastic ones and they work beautifully for tomato seedlings because they are so deep, and are readily available in large quantities. The waxed paper ones work well for just a few weeks.

Just checked- 50 solo cups at Walmart in Canada is $4, so less than 10 c per pot.

Hmm, I like the idea of exploring the wax paper cups. Yes, I have not liked so far any paper/pulp containers I have tried. The coconut coir ones did well with moisture management, they just are expensive and dont decompose quick enough.

Maybe I'll buy a small quantity of wax paper cups and try them this year as a trial run, see how they hold up in the greenhouse and how well they either decompose or compost.

I re-use again and again plastic pots for plants at home, but for my plant sale they go out into the world and usually never come back. I actually offer people one free plant if they return 30 pots to me. I usually get a few that people recycle back to me but not enough to refill my stores for the next year sale.

I have messed around with various sorts and prefer to reuse plastic pots from year to year. We have just kept them from purchasing random plants over the years, and local garden centres often have a stash of freebies to pick through.

Here in the UK Amazon has packs of 100 small plastic pots for cheap. Make sure when you search you look for pots in bulk eg “100 small plant pots” or you get listings for individual larger pretty pots.

Thanks for idea. I am resisting buying new plastic pots for plant sales. The ones I use at home I endlessly recycle, but I just cant guarantee that others will do the same. We must be the change we want to see in the world- and I want to see less disposable plastic! But I also like the idea of checking local garden centers/maybe even landscapers for ones they would dispose of.

I kind of do all of the above. I reuse all the pots I get when I buy plants. I have bought plastic pots, got some at the dollar tree ( they are very thin, but still last several years if I'm careful.  I have also used the generic form of sold cups. They also last several years and stack well for storage. I'm going to try cow pots ( made from cow manure) for a few things like cantaloupe and watermelon that don't like to have there roots disturbed
I've been wanting to make one of those things that compacts the soil, for starting seeds. It's intriguing to me, but I never really understood how they stay together when you water, seem like they would fall apart.
For selling the seedlings, what if you start them in pots, and take them to market. Bring small paper bags, butcher paper, even the parchment paper I get at Sam's club says it's biodegradable.  When someone wants to buy a plant put it in, or wrap it in one of the options above. If someone insists on the plastic pot, charge them for the pot.  I don't know if it would help, but it's a thought.  I would be fine taking a plant home that way, but I'm trying to use as little plastic as I can, so the general public may not agree.