Coug99

Anyone know a inexpensive source for 25 gallon nursery pots. I am trying to find enough inexpensively so I don't have to move my bananas to bigger containers for a while.

Thanks,
Chris

Dangermouse01

If you have a local nursery that you frequent enough that the people there recognize you, ask them if they have any used ones that they might want to sell.
A while back, I was looking for about 15, 3 gallon pots, I knew that the nursery I spend money at sells them cheaper than the Lowes or Home Depot. Stopped in told the worker what I was looking for, she said they had new ones for sale or she would sell me used ones for 75 cents each, bought what I needed. Went a different time, asked a different worker if they had any used 3 gallons for sale, she said "no, but we have new ones for sale". Walked thru the yard found the person who sold them to me before, asked her, she said "sure, how many do you need". So now knowing who to ask, last week went and said I was looking for some 7 gallons, she asked how many, then said she would look to see if they had any used ones. They did, and she sold them to me for half of what they sell the new ones for, and about the only difference was they were dirty, not ripped, cut up or anything.
I dont think they would have many used ones in 25 gallons, but you never know. But they would probably order them if you asked them to include them in their next order, and might give you a decent deal.

Never hurts to ask.

DM

oakshadows

Found some decent pots at Walmart, Not anything for long term but good enough to raise plants to a good size. They are about 25 gallon so will do for now. Intend to cover them with a wrapper, a heavy cloth, to avoid sun damage and hope they last for several years. At $6 each it wasn't too hard on the wallet. Good shopping.

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Waiting

I ordered pots here:

http://www.chulaorchids.com/html/black_pots.html

Prices are good but shipping can kill you. I found someone on u-ship to haul them cheaper than FedEx would have been.

Waiting

Wow, that's a great price. The only nursery in my area that carried large pots closed last year, that's why I had to resort to ordering. Even then they were hard to find.

A local landscaper sold me 4 roughly used 30 gallon pots for $30, that's all he could spare.

RAINFOREZT

Walmart.com: Mainstays Rope Handle Tub, Blue: Storage & Organization

look near the storage container or laundry tub area at wall mart. you need to drill the holes. its may not be durable but you cat get them for $4 to $6.
Saves a lot $s

20 Gallon Multi Use Tub with Rope Handles

gtrplr71

I picked up 3 45 gallon pots for free found a local wholesaler in austin that has a pile of them 15 ft. Tall

Coug99

Thanks everybody for the info, I just found a nursery wholesaler in my area i did not even know about and they had several relatively inexpensive 25 gallon pots and I got 5. Now I just have to chose which of my 14 bananas are going to be planted in the 5 pots. tuff choices.

Thanks again,
Chris

SOCALROCKER

You might wanna try the city you live in and check out the Park Works Service Dept.They are always planting new trees in your local parks or medians in the street.They usually have some laying around in there yard.I got some from my friend who works for the Park Service's.He got me ten 25 gallon pots for free.

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jhkewin

RE 25 Gallon pots;
I've been getting plastic 30 and 55 gallon barrels from a local carwash supply house for free. Lots of other places to get barrels. Pool supply, Craigslist, Chemical supply...
Any other ideas for finding free barrels?

JCA433

You might want to try fabric pots that are air and water permeable. This pot has the advantage of allowing more oxygen access to the roots and when the roots reach the end of the container they are pruned to promote branching and do not circle the container. Unfortunately the soil will dry out faster than traditional pot.

nullzero

I recommend fabric containers as well. They are cheaper, lightweight, and promote a good root system. Its nice to have a container mix with a little more water retention.

lkstapleton

I have been using Rubbermaid and Toter wheeled trash cans. I usually paint them to look better, but the green Toter cans look pretty good without paint. The advantages are that you can get 45-95 gallon containers fairly cheaply, plus they are lighter than ceramic and with the wheels, can be pulled either inside or very close to the house to shelter them from cold weather. For me (in San Jose, CA), this gives them just enough protection to be able to get them to produce flowers, and someday, I hope, fruit.

The 45-gallon size can be found for $25-$30, and the 95-gallon runs about $90 and is HUGE.

Lisa

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Abnshrek

I like the nursery pots myself #1 they are cheaper than trash cans on wheels and that's why I have a 1/2T rated super hand truck.. It moves the 33 gallons like its nobody's business, and anything else (those ceramic pots)... :^)

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lkstapleton

So Abnshrek, how do you make sure that when the bananas start getting big, that the whole plant doesn't tip over? I would think that might be a problem with a smaller container, when the banana stalk starts getting heavier than the dirt and water in the container. I am a little worried even about my 45-gallon containers, and they have a lot of dirt and water in them.

Lisa

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Abnshrek

No, I'm not worried about that since I'm only using the 25 gal to get them thru the winter in my banana room. Most are going in the ground next spring. :^)

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cincinnana

Here's my 2 cents and I hope it helps. I use 25 to 45 gallon plastic landscape pots for my banana plants. Go to a big box store, buy some 1/2" rebar and cut it into 3 foot lengths. You will be using this to pin your pots to the ground. You will be pounding the rebar through the bottom of your pots and they will never blow over. You can drill a hole for the rebar to pass through the pot so it does not damage the pot. When the rebar is pounded down no one will ever know that your plants are pinned to the ground. I use two or three depending on the height .. Hope this helps.

Happy gardening!!!

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lkstapleton

Oh, I see. That sounds like a great idea for first-floor gardening. I will have to remember that one. Right now, I am growing the "mother" plants on a second-floor balcony, and then I plant out the pups in the yard to experiment with which ones will thrive and bear fruit when left outside all winter. That way, if I lose the outside plant, I can try again if necessary. So far, I have only gotten flowers on the balcony, but I'm still going to keep trying. (I'm zone 9a.)

I think my husband would object to me pounding stakes in the floor, which is also the garage roof. ;=)


Lisa

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LilRaverBoi

Blow Mold Containers

You have to order 5 of them, but per pot, the price is def right.

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Capitum

Local soda distributors like coca cola or pepsi plants. It has been a few years, but last time I went to one they gave me about 4 55g plastic barrels, and about 20 5-gal pails. Free. I've also found more recently that the local grocery store's bakery will sell 5-gal pails for $1, which is even cheaper than the local big-box store (no, my nanners aren't that big, I'm just contributing relevant info)

I went on a tour of a local greenhouse who does intensive fruit farming in bags; each bag was in the 2-gal range and were on drip irrigation multiple times per day, with some very specific micronutrients added based on what was growing. He had fruit trees producing several years faster than in the ground, would grow them for 3-5 years, then discard the trees as they got too big and were past their production prime. He sold fruit to the local school system, it was a good sized operation. It had the extra advantage of mobility, although I suspect he didn't move trees around often. He also had them packed really close together. I had thought about that for bananas, but I don't have a greenhouse yet and definitely don't have the micronutrient knowledge or the automated systems needed to keep stuff alive in an environment with such low tolerance for screw-ups. Just curious, what is the smallest container (hydroponics or otherwise) that anyone has gotten fruit in?