AusBonsai

Hi all,
I've been looking at the orchid pots as grow pots, though they are not readily available in many places. I've tried cutting down taller black plastic pots, which for some reason are cheaper than the orchid pots. But cutting the top half off leaves the rim a bit thin and wobbly.
Then I hit on the idea to split the top half of the cut down pot and pull it in to decrease the circumference to the size of the bottom half. The top half is then riveted together at that size and the bottom half is inserted into this smaller top half and the two halves are then rivited together to make a sturdy half-height "orchid pot" for half the price of a bought one. The top lip also has to be split along the edge for a small section where the overlap is to make a snug fit. I hope the photos below help to explain what may sound complicated, but is really quite simple. Depending on the type of plastic, the most difficult part is the cutting in half of the pot.
Cheers, Frank.

Ingenuity! Gotta work with what you've got!

I have come across these guys though; https://www.fameorchids.com/index.php/orchid-squat-pots. Cheapest I've seen and will post anywhere!

Thanks Reklaw , yes they are cheaper than other places I've seen around here. I'll keep Fame orchids in mind if I need a larger number of pots, but for the odd couple I use every now & then I'll adapt the ordinary old black plastic pot.
Cheers, Frank.

very nice idea i will try it soon, thanks for sharing.
cheers.

Nice work


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If I was you I wouldn’t bother.
Buy the orchid pots.

The orchid pots are perfect mainly because of the drainage design.

top tip !!
i have got a number of very cheep pots with lots of drainage from a $2 shop that this idea would suit perfectly

Great idea just wondering why is it better to have lots with holes around the sides?

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im with rory on this one.
those orchid pots are still pretty cheap, probably the cheapest thing youll have to buy when it comes to bonsai anyway.

I love this idea too Frank. Always good to see some way of repurposing things rather than wasting them. Time and cost of the remake would need to be factored in for any meaningful comparison of prices between this remake and new orchid pots.
I now use lots of orchid pots because they look good and have that great drainage Rory is talking about although I am finding that the drainage in the 30cm pots is just a bit too good. The mix tends to drain out the bottom when it gets dry
It probably suits the large particles of orchid mix but I'd like the holes just a bit smaller please. I have been lining some of the pots with mesh to stop mix leaking.

just wondering why is it better to have lots with holes around the sides?

I'm assuming 'lots' should read 'pots'? If holes are only on the base and the pot is sitting on a flat surface drainage can be limited. With holes that come up the side a bit the water can still drain even if the pot is sitting on a flat bench or on concrete, etc. Bonsai pots have feet to lift the pot a little for the same horticultural reason but those feet have been incorporated into the design and are now also aesthetic as well as functional.

Thanks shibui,
Time is not a factor for me as I'm now retired and enjoy "pottering around" (excuse the pun) and always have a few projects on the go. So I'm re-purposing the old pots as I'm re-potting my trees instead of hoarding them, thinking I may use them again some day. I understand that others may not have the time or tools/ facility to convert these pots, it was just a suggestion that others may want to go with.
Cheers, Frank.

That's a great idea. Nice work.

I love these kinds of life hacks.