Question: Are there free (or low cost) sources for nursery pots? Presumably nurseries reuse them. I'd like to get a few dozen in varying sizes for starting vegetables.

Answer: 
I've always had the opposite problem. After a few years of trips to the nursery, combined with the fact that the pots are not recyclable (at least they haven't been in the past -- not sure if this has or will change soon), I've had more of those things than I can ever reuse. There are enough gardeners in my neighborhood that we started an informal exchange. I would give my extras to a neighbor who gave them to a friend who needed a few.

So, I would start by keeping what you get from the nursery and talking to your neighbors to see if they have extras that would otherwise wind up in the trash.

I'd also recommend you look into (non-petroleum) alternatives. I've tended to use peat pots more often than the plastics, and they have the advantage that you can just plant the whole thing in the ground where it degrades.

Another thing I have read about quite often, but haven't tried is using newspaper. Again, it is something that will biodegrade around the plant. Here are a few links on how to do this:

* <http://smallmeadowfarm.blogspot.com/2007/01/newspaper-pots.html>
* <http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-organic-planting-pots-using-old-newspa/>

I have to admit that I've always kept a number of gallon pots for plants that I have to keep indoors until later in the spring (such as tomatoes), plants that would be too big for either peat pots or newspaper pots.

Check with your local nursery too. I've heard of some nurseries that take back pots for reuse and to keep people from just throwing them away.
**Ask friends**

Like rsgoheen I have too many. So I would suggest that the average gardener is in the same boat as us two. If you have any gardening friends or friends of friends then just ask them. It's likely they'll be all too pleased to get rid of some of their build up.

**or ask a Nursery**

I wanted a few free polystyrene trays at the start of spring, so I asked my local nursery if I could have some of their old ones. It helped that I was buying some stuff there too. They let me have half a dozen.