Full Tray vs. Partial Tray – What’s the Difference?

In 2019, we released partial trays to better serve our smaller customers. This option allows you to order in quantities less than a full tray with a $0.19 upcharge per plug. We know navigating different tray sizes can feel confusing, so let’s look at it together.

Plug Sizes and Partial Trays

We start plants in 3 different tray sizes depending on their needs. You will not be selecting the plug size. We’ve already selected which plug size each of our products is best rooted in.

You can tell which plug size each plant is by looking at the product page for that plant/plant family or our price list in the middle of the catalog. These pages will tell you if the plant is sold in liners of 100 (105-cell trays), liners of 70 (72-cell trays), or if the tray is a seedling tray. (Which is a 288-cell tray billed as 250.)

The 288-cell trays are only available as full trays, so if you’re ordering any partial trays, you will be selecting from the 100 or 70 plug size.

In the picture above, you see the soil plug diameter difference between liners 100 and 70. Plugs from liners 100 cannot be shipped in the same tray as plugs grown in liners 70 because the plugs are different sizes. If you order 35 Petunias, 35 Coleus, and 35 Angel Wing Begonias, you will have two partially empty trays. 

The first tray will have the 35 Petunias and the 35 Coleus. It will be ⅔ full. The second tray will have the 35 Angel Wing Begonias and will be ½ full because these are grown in liners of 70. 

For plants that are grown in liners of 100, you may order in quantities of 35, 50, 70, or 100. When the quantity ordered equals 100, you will have filled one full tray. So it takes three quantities of 35 to fill one full tray. 

For plants that are grown in liners of 70, you may order in quantities of 35 or 70. When the quantity ordered equals 70, you will have filled one full tray. So it takes two quantities of 35 to fill one full tray. 

Pricing

As previously mentioned, partial trays are $0.19 more than list price per plug. When there is a sale, partial trays are discounted, but the advertised price on our sale page is full tray price. The sale price for a partial tray is that full tray price plus the $0.19 upcharge per plug. You can view this breakdown on the product page of that item.