I often see members discussing how they get pots.  This is how I get my pots. 

 

Where is that? 

I just got about 25 1 gallon or so size pots from lowes for free today. That is quite a pile though

That is behind the nursery that I work at.  Almost ever nursery has one although some of them won't share the really big tree pots. 

Most nurseries here will not share at all. A few years ago one of our larger nurseries moved and did not take all the pots with them. He did however pay his employees to slice the pots rendering them useless.

That is crazy.  Back in NJ I knew of a number of places that let people take them as it cost money to get rid of them.

Sometimes all it takes is to ask. Last year I went to a local nursery, and noticed a pile of used pots under a tree in the front yard. I made some random purchase. When checking out, I asked if I can have some of the pots. They told me to take whatever I wanted. I ended up bringing home more than 100 sturdy pots, many of them at 10 or 15-gallon range.

As a nursery employee myself, be NICE, get to know us, and ask. All the time people whom never shopped there come in and demand things, nothing grates my nerves more. If I know you, I'm sure we can scrounge something up.

I called a bunch of places, none wanted to share. Richfield Farms in Clifton wanted $1 each for used 1 gallon pots.

I have a friend who is a commercial blueberry farmer and he has what I call a pot mountain:)   Sadly he has no 1 gallons but you can get all the 2-3 gallons you would ever want for 5 cents for a 2 and 15 cents for a 3 gallon.  Still trying to find a source for 1 gallons though.  

1 and 3 gal are cheap enough i don't mind paying for them. and i reuse them. but after 3, i usually go up to 10 or larger. that's where price sky rockets. it seems whole sale is cheap, but the retail guys added lot on top. online is cheap too, but they add as much as price of pot for shipping.

i'm trying to find some bartering opportunities with local organic gardening shop. maybe give class on fig propagation for large pots.

Try landscape stores.  I have made several purchases from this store, but he was happy to have me take all I wanted.

Pete,

When I get out your way to visit I will toss some in my car for you.

Frank,
Good point about supporting the local nurseries.  The little nurseries are having a tough time.  I helped out on good Friday at my friend's place and I can tell you we starting moving plants out at 8 am and were still working at 5 pm without any real breaks.  I am amazed at how hard they work to bring top quality for almost the same price or sometimes less than the big box stores.  You have to be a plant person to appreciate that the short, sturdy tomato in big pot will grow twice as fast as the tall, leggy, root bound tomato in the small pot.  I think in the future I will buy more from them and use my space and time for growing more difficult things or things they don't carry.

Hi,
I don't need that mamy of pots. So for the few I need I buy them or I reuse the ones from the plants I bought in the past - especially the ones from my figtrees or tayberries ...
I just noticed how many soda bottles and milk bottles I trash away each month.
I started using empty 1liter milk bottles for pot for my tomatoes as those bottles are not clear- for tomatoes the more space they have the more they grow.
One man's trash is... So if it is my trash, why not use them ? when they fit of course ...

Try calling up landsacpers, some times they don't like to get rid of the pots after an install, they may give or sell you the pots after installing a landscape.

Lowe's recycles pots. If you ask, they'll likely show you to a rack of empty pots that await trucking away for processing. I got pots, seed trays and other materials for free last year.

My local nursery has a large pile but they keep them somewhat organized, I picked up a few 25 or so gallon ones for 2 bucks a piece. Glad I didn't have to get them online.