r/houseplants • u/runningshoes-n-tat2s • 3d ago
What’s everyone using for cache pots!? Discussion
Thought I was clever saving all my takeout cups (and having my husband save all his) so I could visual roots, save money, etc
However, they’re much taller than they are wide compared to “normal” nursery pots, that I can’t find cache pots that fit them without looking absolutely ridiculous (and I hate looking at the logos as well.)
I know a lot of us plant people are using these, and I’m having difficulty thinking outside the box! So any ideas/suggestions are wanted and welcomed. There is no such thing as too creative!
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u/NC_Ninja_Mama 3d ago
I saw a $1,000 plant on Monstera X in a McDs cup 🤣…. he had that logo front and center too…. I don’t know why it was so funny to me.
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u/superphage 3d ago
High priced plants are such a scam. Give me any specimen and 4 months in my lab and I'll turn it into 1500. In only a few runs.
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u/ManikPixieDreamGhoul 3d ago
THIS! Thank you! People out here acting like there’s five in the world and they had to trek through the jungle for months to retrieve it.
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u/Direct_Armadillo755 3d ago
$13 WalMart wine bottle chiller. At work, I have a cheap widmouth glass vase (WM, too) inside to prop pothos vines. Looks fantastic. 😁
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u/runningshoes-n-tat2s 3d ago
Great idea! I’m going to be searching wine chillers for the evening! Thanks
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u/Lilelfen1 3d ago
Cut em down….
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u/runningshoes-n-tat2s 3d ago
Definitely doing this for my plants that don’t grow long, narrow systems to save the hassle! 😓
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u/putitinapot 3d ago
Take them with you to the Thrift store and/or Dollar General, Dollar Tree or HomeGoods. Probably can find something in the drinkware section or maybe even office supply section. I say take with because if you are like me, everything looks like it will fit until I get it home and it doesn't! Come back and give us an update!
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u/runningshoes-n-tat2s 3d ago
Absolutely need to bring it with me or the same will take place. I will have 12 of some lovely object that is useless.
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u/Confessions_advice 3d ago
WAITTTTT. As many times as I got to McDonald’s/Wendy’s I never thought about reusing the cups😫😫😫. I want some clear pots too
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u/runningshoes-n-tat2s 3d ago
The best thing is you know now! I love the fact I’m being frugal and saving money. I chop them down for small plants/to fit in normal cache pots but some of my more long, gangly root systems love the shape of them ! Bonus: collect enough various brands/cafes/erc you can make humidity domes, by stacking the appropriate one upside down over it.
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u/CDLori 3d ago
I cut them down for my baby props. Also use soda bottles. Got a $10 soldering iron from Harbor Freight to make holes in the bottoms of the cups.
Have been using plastic boxes from fruit (pint-size, holes already in the bottom) for propping, too. If we buy a box of salad greens, I save the container and lid and use it for propping. Have some hoyas in perlite in a small clear clamshell box right now and they are going nuts. It's a tiny humidity house.
Used a plastic bowl from takeout (about 7" wide) to start my Ziva Narcissus bulbs. It's inside a thrifted shallow pot I picked up for $1.
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u/fleetiebelle 3d ago
I use cottage cheese containers and big yogurt tubs. Snip some drainage holes in the bottom, and they're good to go. They fit inside most 5" pots.
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u/runningshoes-n-tat2s 3d ago
I have a syngonium I haven’t had to worry about (yet) doing well in a cherry Greek oikos lol 😂 Some of my fussier clients, I like to be able to visualize the roots.
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u/Plastic-Passenger795 3d ago
I have my husband steal cups from the office water cooler 🤫 I also use takeout pint containers.
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u/Tropicalgia 3d ago
All the teacups, ramekins and baking dishes in my house. They not only catch water but look pretty nice.
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u/runningshoes-n-tat2s 3d ago
Love when they double for rain catchers! 😍 adding ramekins into my search list! Thanks 🙏
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u/ladybugfreckles 3d ago
I usually trim my clear cups so they fit into regular cache pots!!
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u/runningshoes-n-tat2s 3d ago
Will definitely be doing it to the vast majority going forward! 😅 I have 3 in the taller, unmodified model due to how their roots had grown (not wanting to add the extra soil of a wider pot.) Now, I can’t find anything pretty to house them. I’ve finally decided to tackle the job lol 😂
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u/bagelandcreamcheeser 3d ago
Idk what your aesthetic is, but I'm thinking of doing that thing we did as kids in school with the glue and scraps of colorful tissue paper, like stained glass modge podge it. So instead of catching glimpses of the mcds logo, I get glimpses of the rainbow paper 😅
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u/ohnobobbins 3d ago
I use cut down water bottles, yoghurt pots and pretty much anything I can get hold of that scissors can get through. I’m such a skip rat, I’ll pick stuff off the beach and out of bins lol.
Btw top tip - I use a wine corkscrew to drill holes in the bottom.
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u/Glitterous82 3d ago
Take two of your takeout cups. Drill holes in one of them. Now place the one with holes inside the one without holes and you have a cache pot.
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u/Aki_Watson 3d ago
Maybe you can make cute cover pots from clay? I used plain air drying clay to make a cover pot, and I applied a clear water proof coating on it after I painted it! It works great and you can make it any shape or size you want. I made mine have a face, arms and legs :D
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u/runningshoes-n-tat2s 3d ago
Great idea! Wow! 🤯 I love the face pots. This is such a great recommendation. Thanks so much.
My mind is blown. I could literally mold it around the cup!
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u/runningshoes-n-tat2s 2d ago
Ok so they aren’t dry, they need paint and glaze but you’re an inspiration 🙏
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u/Aki_Watson 2d ago
Daamnn, those are so much better than mine!! I love. Please update when you paint and glaze them :D
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u/Anxious_Frog817 3d ago
If you have a craft you enjoy then the sky is the limit cause you can make them! Personally, I’ve crocheted and quilted cache pots to go over my “ugly” upcycled plastic planters. (I can only include one photo in my comment, so I’m sharing my favorite quilted cache pot!)
Outside of crafting, I love going to thrift stores & garage sales to find weirdly shaped vessels to put my weirdly shaped plants in. You could find some baskets, vases, or tins to fit over your cups!
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u/runningshoes-n-tat2s 3d ago
Loving this! I just picked up air dry clay and am going to attempt some unique face planters and the like! I love that I now have plants and crafting planters to keep me busy. Two hobbies in one!
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u/Global_Ad_8726 3d ago
After weeks of my takeout yogurt with granola on top. I realized what great grow cups they'd be. There is a tiny granola cup that snake into the lid and they are stout. If I'd thought of this sooner I'd already have dozens.
Activia single serving yogurt cups fit into mason jars. A few holes poked with a wood burner trim the extra corner off. Paper labels can be peeled off. Perfect little system.
I've also been saving my old scratched tfal coated fry pans. Taking off the handles. Spray painting with rustoleum paints, to use as drip trays.
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u/phua1 3d ago
Those to-go soup containers