Solo cup drainage
 

I'm talking about those red 16 oz "party drink cups" - Solo - or maybe Hefty - Costco, etc.

The sturdy ones. I use them to pot up. Every year I have a hard time cutting drainage holes into them. They are, as they advertise, sturdy!

I have arthritis, and these are difficult to puncture. I've used knives and nails (both of which are dangerous), and STILL struggle.

What's your suggestion, please?

Donna

soldering (sp?) iron

Using a burner on a gas stove, I heat the blade of a cruddy knife. Goes in like buttah.

soldering plastic, serious bad toxic fumes.
Snip the edges with scissors...so easy. You actually need up-the-edge drainage but most important bottom feeding....
Just bottom holes with cups that are naturally indented for stability can give false bottom feeding where some do not get the water needed via the indentation and the air bubble with the edges resting on a flat surface.
Note all nursery pro pots have slits up the sides. Snip...

how much do Solo cups cost?
shows how often I buy beer cups doesn't it?
I buy my thermo-formed 4 inch (about 4 inch diameter and about 3.5 inch tall) nursery pots for around $20 shipped or so for 100 of them.

[URL="http://www.ebay.com/itm/281426360763?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT"]http://www.ebay.com/itm/281426360763?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT[/URL]

and these are professional nursery pots, and no, they don't have slits up the sides, just a series of drain holes on the bottom

I stack them up upside-down and then use a 3/8" drill bit and just drill them out down the center.

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Snipping the sides of the bottom sounds easier, except that I have no strength in my hands - squeezing the scissor, especially on hard plastic, is very painful (and when it is a repeated action, that makes it worse).

Solo cups after a party are free

You need to phone a friend. Or ask a neighbor to help if you can't handle a drill or scissors. Really no other way...or purchase pots with drainage like i did recently. They have snug trays the pots rest in and easy to cary.
The other pot that is used is styrofoam, (ick), but easy cups to poke a hole with a pencil. If you are having trouble that would be the easiest. And cheap at your local grocery. Stack two three upside down and wham with a sharp pen or pencil...done. Three or four holes in a second.

I just take a metal food skewer and push it through a few cups at a time. Mine is quite sharp and goes through easily. Once it is in I just give it a twist to make the holes wider.

I stack 5 togethor and then I drill holes using a drill.

Drill, smaller bit and I stack them about 9 deep, set them upside down and drill. I can drill a pack of a 100 in about 3 minutes or less. That is putting 4 to 5 holes in the bottoms.

No problem with them wicking up water or draining that way.

BTW, no one told me, and I ad never used a drill before, but keep the drill running as you poke the holes in [U]and[/U] coming back out.

I also use the stack cups and drill method.

imp, you must have a LONG drill bit! lol - I only can stack 5 togethor coz that's the height of my drill bit.

i use a wood burning iron pokes nice round holes in the cups. dollar store sells solo cups here in Canada 18 for $1.25