How Many Flowers Are in a Flat? A Guide to Buying Bedding Plants

As an avid gardener, I look forward to spring every year when the garden centers roll out their flats full of colorful annuals and bedding plants The sight of those first sunny flats gets me excited to start filling my flower beds and containers with vibrant flowers. But if you’re new to buying bedding plants, you may wonder – just how many plants come in a standard flat? In this article, I’ll cover the basics on flats and six-packs of flowers so you know what to expect when shopping for annuals

What is a Flat of Flowers?

A flat, sometimes called a tray, is a shallow rectangular plastic container used to hold multiple flower or vegetable seedlings at the greenhouse where they are grown. Flats allow growers to efficiently move many small starter plants at once.

The plants are removed from their individual pots or cells and placed together snugly in the flats for easy transport to retail stores. Flats are stackable and come with drainage holes and handles for convenience

Standard Sizes of Flower Flats

While flat sizes can vary most bedding plant flats conform to standard sizing

• 10 x 20 inches holding 50 or 72 plants
• 10 x 10 inches holding 18 to 36 plants
• 8 x 16 inches holding 32 plants

Larger flats may have 100 or more cells for tiny seedlings. Typical cell sizes are:

• 4 inch pots
• 3 inch pots
• 2.5 inch pots
• 1.75 inch six-pack cells

What is a Six-Pack?

Six-packs are plastic carrying trays that contain 6 seedling pots or cells. They make it easy for consumers to transport smaller quantities of flowers. Six-packs contain:

• 4 or 6 inch pots holding 1 plant each
• 2.5 inch pots holding 1 plant each
• 1.75 inch cells holding 1 plant each

The most common are the six to a tray 1.75 inch size holding 6 single baby plants. Sometimes you may see these just packed loosely in flats without the six-pack trays.

Typical Number of Plants in One Flat

On average, most bedding plant flats will contain:

• 32-36 plants for 4 inch pots
• 50-72 plants for 3 inch pots
• 18-24 plants for 2.5 inch pots
• 36-72 plants for 1.75 inch cells

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

Buying Individual Six-Packs vs. Whole Flats

When shopping for flowers, you can choose between buying:

• A whole flat of one flower type
• Individual six-packs of different flowers
• Loose pots plucked from flats

Buying a full flat is most economical, gives you more flowers, and allows you create mass plantings of the same variety. This works well for large beds or planters that use a single flower type.

Six-packs allow you to mix and match smaller quantities of different flowers. It’s a great option if you just need a few flowers to fill in small spaces.

Price Per Flat Based on Plant Variety

Flower flats range in price based on the variety and size of plants:

• Common annuals like marigolds, zinnias, impatiens: $20-30 per flat
• Specialty annuals like vinca, nicotiana: $30-50 per flat
• Popular perennials like pansies, violas, foxglove: $30-50 per flat
• Unique specialty plants like orchids, garden mums: $40-100+ per flat

This gives you a ballpark estimate, but always check your local prices. Bigger box stores often have the lowest prices on basic annual flats.

How Many Flats Do I Need?

To determine how many flats you need, calculate the number of plants recommended for each flower bed, then divide by the number of plants per flat.

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

Leave some gaps between plants and reserve some extra in case of damage. It’s better to have a few extras than come up short after planting. Consider buying an additional six-pack or two for flexibility.

Caring for Flowers Before Planting Them

Follow these tips to keep flats of flowers happy until you can get them planted:

• Water flats daily, never letting them fully dry out.

• Keep flats out of direct sun and wind which can dry them out.

• Provide bright, filtered light indoors if you can’t plant them soon.

• Avoid chilling sensitive flowers like tomatoes, marigolds and zinnias.

• Plant into garden beds or containers within 1-2 days of purchase for best results.

Get the Most Value from Flower Flats

To make the most of the flowers you purchase in flats, follow these strategies:

• Stick to flats of just 3-5 versatile, colorful annuals you know you will use a lot of.

• For small infill spots, buy a few six-packs of different flowers.

• Plant flats of the same flower together for bold impact.

• Use some plants in containers on porches, patios or decks.

• Share any extras with gardening friends and neighbors if needed.

Sample Flat Planting Plan

To give you an idea of how many flats to purchase, here is a sample planting plan:

• Bed #1 (10 ft x 3 ft) – 2 flats marigolds (100 plants)
• Bed #2 (5 ft x 5 ft) – 1 flat petunias (50 plants)
• Bed #3 (3 ft x 3 ft) – 1 six-pack violas (6 plants)
• 3 Containers (10 inch pots) – 1 six-pack impatiens (6 plants)
• Extras – 1 six-pack zinnias, 1 six-pack nasturtiums

This covers three flower beds nicely, fills a few containers, and leaves 12 extra plants to tuck into bare spots or share. Adjust quantities to suit your specific garden size and needs.