how many in a flat of flowers

How Many Plants Are In A Flat Of Flowers? A Complete Guide

As a gardener buying flats of flowers is a rite of spring. The sight of those first bright flats of petunias marigolds, and begonias at the garden center gets me excited to start planting. But if you’re new to buying bedding plants, you may wonder – just how many plants actually come in one flat?

In this article, I’ll explain everything you need to know about how many plants are in a standard flower flat. Whether you’re buying annuals, perennials, vegetables or herbs, this guide will help you figure out flats once and for all!

What Is A Flower Flat?

A flower flat also called a tray is a shallow plastic container used by growers to hold multiple seedlings or small potted plants. Flats allow greenhouses and nurseries to efficiently transport large numbers of young plants to retail stores.

The seedlings are removed from their individual starter pots and placed close together in the flats. This allows easy stacking, carrying and watering of many plants at once Flats usually have holes for drainage and may come with handles for easy lifting

Standard Sizes Of Flower Flats

While sizes can vary, most nursery flats conform to some typical dimensions:

• 1020 Flats – 10 inches x 20 inches. Holds 72 or 50 plants.

• 1010 Flats – 10 inches x 10 inches. Holds 18 to 36 plants.

• 816 Flats – 8 inches x 16 inches. Holds 32 plants.

Larger flats may hold upwards of 100 plants for very small seedlings. Typical pot or cell sizes within the flats include:

• 4 inch pots
• 3 inch pots
• 2.5 inch pots
• Six-pack cells (1.75 inches)

What Is A Six Pack?

A six pack refers to a plastic carry tray that contains 6 individual seedling pots or cells. They allow consumers to easily transport smaller quantities of various flowers. The pots within the six packs are generally:

• 4 to 6 inches wide – 1 plant per pot
• 2.5 inches wide – 1 plant per pot
• 1.75 inches wide – 1 plant per cell

The most common are the six to a tray 1.75 inch size, each holding a single small starter plant. Sometimes the starters may be packed directly into flats without six packs.

Number Of Plants In Common Flat Sizes

On average, here is how many plants you will find in each typical nursery flat:

• 4 inch pots – 32 to 36 plants
• 3 inch pots – 50 to 72 plants
• 2.5 inch pots – 18 to 24 plants
• 1.75 inch cells – 36 to 72 plants

For smaller annuals like marigolds, impatiens or petunias, you may get up to 100 plants in a single flat. Larger varieties like pansies, violas and begonias will have fewer per flat, around 18 to 32 plants.

Buying Flats vs. Six Packs

When shopping for flowers, you’ll have to decide between:

• Buying full flats of one flower type
• Buying individual six packs with different flowers
• Pulling single loose pots from flats

Getting an entire flat is most economical and gives you more plants to work with. It’s great for mass plantings where you want bold swaths of one variety.

Six packs allow you to mix-and-match smaller amounts of different flowers. It’s ideal if you just need a few plants to tuck into small spaces.

Price Per Flat Based On Variety

The price per flat varies based on the type and maturity of plants:

• Common annuals – $20 to $30 per flat
• Specialty annuals – $30 to $50 per flat
• Perennials like pansies – $30 to $50 per flat
• Unique plants like orchids – $40 to $100+ per flat

Check your local nursery prices as big box stores often have the lowest rates on basic annual flats.

How Many Flats Do I Need?

To determine how many flats you need, first calculate the number of recommended plants per flower bed. Then divide that total by the number of plants held in each flat:

For example, if a bed needs 45 marigolds, and the flats hold 50 marigolds in 3 inch pots, you would need 1 flat.

Always round up and buy a few extra six packs for flexibility in spacing and replacements. It’s better to have extra than come up short!

Caring For Flats Before Planting

Follow these tips to keep flats happy until planting:

• Water daily so they never dry out
• Provide bright, indirect light
• Avoid chilling tender plants
• Plant into the garden within 1-2 days

Get The Most Value From Your Flats

To maximize the flowers you buy in flats:

• Stick to 3-5 versatile annuals you know you’ll use a lot
• Add a few six packs of different flowers for variety
• Plant flats of the same flower together for big impact
• Use some in containers and baskets too

How Many Plants Are in a Flat?