Looking for a large 50+ gallon nursery pot

[BlackThumbNJ]

Looking for a large 50 gallon, or larger if possible, nursery pot or relatively inexpensive alternative planter.

Whiskey barrel is a little small for this one.

Do they come that large? Where would one obtain one?

Don't know if I have time for a wood working project before I have to plant this.

For cold sensative bamboo in outside in pots, is styrofoam used on the bottom or just the sides?

[needmore]

You can get the black plastic ones in 50 gal but they are $$$$ and must be shipped common carrier. See if the diameter of a squat 35 is large enough, those can still come UPS/FedEx and usually run $15-$18 each. They are dang big and tough to drag around once in use, I like them for large field divisions.

[canadianplant]

WHat about an old wooden barrel?

[stonecrabber]

Just call around to local Landscape contractors or local Landscape Nurseries and ask about
getting some from them.

Another option is Craigslist just do a search for nursery pots and see what ya get.

I got 30 gallon pots for $1.00 a piece from craigslist about a month or so ago. The
50'sw are pretty big BUT you ain't seen a nursery pot till you've seen a 125

[Mackel in DFW]

I bought several 65 gallon containers and one 100 gallon container, used, after checking around with a few local nurseries. There are at least two different grades of black plastic pots, one is a lot thicker than the other.


Anything over 20 gallons is going to be really heavy once it's full of dirt, water and boo, so be sure to use good technique whenever moving anything around that large, my boss hurt his back for a few days helping me transport some 65's. I felt really guilty, but hey, he's built like a gnarly biker so I thought he could handle it. Good thing he's the nice biker type.

Regards,
Mackel in DFW

[Alan_L]

There's also the "tree box" option -- those newer boxes with removable sides that larger trees are sometimes grown in. Somebody on this forum uses them for his tropical bamboos. I don't think they were cheap, but are a more long-lasting solution maybe.

[Mark_NoVA]

You can pick up 150g or 300g (or smaller) 2-ft tall tubs for watering cattle at farm-supply places, and avoid the shipping.

[kudzu9]

Just remember that if you don't use a pot with tapered sides you'll have a bugger of a time getting it out when it's time to divide or re-pot. Just helped a neighbor try to get a Ph. nigra out of a 1/2 barrel. The small recurve at the top and the rough inside prevented us from getting it out. We finally ended up destroying the barrel in order to not savage the rootball.

[boonut]

There's also the "tree box" option -- those newer boxes with removable sides that larger trees are sometimes grown in. Somebody on this forum uses them for his tropical bamboos. I don't think they were cheap, but are a more long-lasting solution maybe.

I use the Amaroo Tree Boxes. Here is a picture I posted a few years ago... The large one on the left is a 125 gallon. The rest are 75 gallon. These pots will last a very long time if you take care of them. When I take them out to the farm, I use the front end loader on my Mahindra 5530 tractor. The pot uses nylon bolts and wing nuts so they come off easy. I start by taking the sides off, then the bottom and just bump it in the hole. You can also take the bottom off if you are doing it by hand and then take the sides off in the hole. This protects the roots. The pot has root deflectors to encourage roots to go back into the root ball instead of wrapping around the pot. I have used them for a number of years now. I got quite a few from a nursery going out of business. I paid for the rest at a local wholesale nursery business.... Kinney Bonded Warehouse. I have three different sizes of these pots.

I just drive the tractor out to the farm (two miles away from my house) with one or two of the pots on the front end loader. It used to take my two kids and my wife and I to take one of these pots to the farm and plant the boo. Now it only takes my wife and I to do it. Fairly easy with the front end loader.

You can look up Amaroo Tree boxes online to see where you might get them locally. I really like these pots. I think I paid $70 for the 125 gallon... it has been a while now. That is a six foot fence in the background.

[boonut]

Here is a picture of a 38 gallon tree pot that is broken down to show the result of turning the roots back into the ball. It is still sitting on the bottom. On the 38 gallon pots, the bottom snaps out. Again, the pots are very durable. You can use a fork lift on them.

[Squishee]

Hey Boonut, how much did that 38 gallon cost you? Was shipping free within the US?

[Alan_L]

Have you ever tried a runner in those tree pots?

[boonut]

I believe I paid around $24 for the 38 gallon. I got it at wholesale price. Kinney Bonded Warehouse is where I got the new ones. I purchased the used ones from a tree farm that was going out of business.

I have never tried a runner in the tree pots.

[marcat]

Got any body raising cows in your area mollasass tubs are about #40 some are heavy duty black poly and alot of farmers/ranchers will give them away.
MarCat