Container prices

[JohnAndSancho]

Ok. I'm starting (or trying, or planning) to grow stuff that's gonna need some large containers. I mean, I have one or 2 things that can go in the ground in spring but that's one or 2 pots. 

 

Looking at the prices of 15+ gallon pots almost makes me want to give up.... I mean, for 1-3g I can get 100 bags for ~$10-$20 bucks. 25 gallon pots? They're like $40+ apiece. Looking at using trash cans isn't really any cheaper, for the most part. And then the price of decent soil - when you can find it? 

And then I'll definitely need to add more lights for stuff in winter. It's a little anxiety inducing. Just a little. And I've already taken the night night meds. 

 

Anyway, end rant. May the palm (and tropical) gods bless us all. 

[meridannight]

I'm in a completely different economic area from you across the pond in the EU, but large containers over here aren't that cheap either. 

There are a few tricks I've learned along the way that I can share:
1. Garden centers over here have regular sales where certain items are priced down considerably. I've been able to grab large containers for 70% off like that. When you see a discount like that, grab as many as you can afford to buy at the time, even if you don't have anything to plant in them yet. You'll need them later. If you're growing plants on the regular XXL containers (whatever gallons/liters) will always come in handy sooner or later.

2. Go out and look at some larger plants that are on the cheap side. Over here, conifers are usually sold in pretty large containers, and they can be quite affordable so much that a single conifer tree with its large pot can sometimes cost less than the large pot on its own. So you'll get a plant and a pot at the same time. I've got a number of good pots like that.

3. Sometimes people on local facebook plant groups, or just yard sale groups give away their plant containers for free. They want to get rid of those things littering their back yard and all you have to do on your side is undertake the trip and transport the stuff. I've seen offers like that several times, although I've never yet taken up any of them myself. But it pays to keep an eye on such groups, if you use facebook (not a lot of good for anything else, in my opinion). 

4. Repurposing other items. E.g. plastic water buckets can double as plant pots, you just have to drill holes in the bottom. Plastic water buckets can be had for as cheap as 5 eur over here. Much less than a plastic plant container of comparable size.


 

[JohnAndSancho]

1 hour ago, meridannight said:

I'm in a completely different economic area from you across the pond in the EU, but large containers over here aren't that cheap either. 

There are a few tricks I've learned along the way that I can share:
1. Garden centers over here have regular sales where certain items are priced down considerably. I've been able to grab large containers for 70% off like that. When you see a discount like that, grab as many as you can afford to buy at the time, even if you don't have anything to plant in them yet. You'll need them later. If you're growing plants on the regular XXL containers (whatever gallons/liters) will always come in handy sooner or later.

2. Go out and look at some larger plants that are on the cheap side. Over here, conifers are usually sold in pretty large containers, and they can be quite affordable so much that a single conifer tree with its large pot can sometimes cost less than the large pot on its own. So you'll get a plant and a pot at the same time. I've got a number of good pots like that.

3. Sometimes people on local facebook plant groups, or just yard sale groups give away their plant containers for free. They want to get rid of those things littering their back yard and all you have to do on your side is undertake the trip and transport the stuff. I've seen offers like that several times, although I've never yet taken up any of them myself. But it pays to keep an eye on such groups, if you use facebook (not a lot of good for anything else, in my opinion). 

4. Repurposing other items. E.g. plastic water buckets can double as plant pots, you just have to drill holes in the bottom. Plastic water buckets can be had for as cheap as 5 eur over here. Much less than a plastic plant container of comparable size.


 

I've been dreading this for a long time, but it looks like I need to get back on Facebook just to buy and sell stuff. I've struck out at the big box stores and it's the wrong time of year to hit up landscapers. I've found cheap *pots* online, like insanely cheap. Soil too. But then you tack on the shipping and it's not cheap at all anymore. 

 

Like I found 25 gallon pots for $5 apiece! I found 2 cu ft bags of Fox Farm soil for $18! 

Then you add the shipping and ugh. That $18 bag of soil is now $65, and $25 worth of $5 pots went up to $117. I just don't want to have to settle for fabric grow bags. I'm not growing potatoes. 

[SeanK]

I have never seen a nursery sell it's pots. I don't think they're discarded. My guess is the BB stores send them back to the grower whilst Mom & Pop stores pot up and raise the price.

[JohnAndSancho]

5 hours ago, SeanK said:

I have never seen a nursery sell it's pots. I don't think they're discarded. My guess is the BB stores send them back to the grower whilst Mom & Pop stores pot up and raise the price.

I think BB stores just throw them in the trash with what they don't sell/whatever died in them. Mom and pop shops and online sellers definitely reuse and pot up. 

[JohnAndSancho]

She built her own box container and has a 15 foot tall Blue Java banana in her living room. Good lord this is a setup. I don't think I could do 15 foot indoors. I don't think even the living room has 15 foot ceilings. Maybe I shouldn't try Blue Java 😂

[JohnAndSancho]

Greenhouse Megastore has great prices ------ until you get to the 15+ gallon pots. 

[PalmatierMeg]

John, this may not apply where you live in MS but in the past I've picked up some good sized pots lying by the side of the road after being lost/discarded by commercial plant sellers.

Too bad you aren't closer. I have a boodle of large black nursery pots that my husband wants us to get rid of this coming dry season as I am getting out of the large palm trade. I hate to send them out for composting, so I may leave them by the street for free.

[JohnAndSancho]

2 hours ago, PalmatierMeg said:

John, this may not apply where you live in MS but in the past I've picked up some good sized pots lying by the side of the road after being lost/discarded by commercial plant sellers.

Too bad you aren't closer. I have a boodle of large black nursery pots that my husband wants us to get rid of this coming dry season as I am getting out of the large palm trade. I hate to send them out for composting, so I may leave them by the street for free.

We don't have lots of plants sellers here either. I think it's pretty much Lowes and they throw theirs in the trash.. I'm not quite desperate enough to go into dumpsters on camera yet. 

[happypalms]

John try the plastic grow bags, they are about the cheapest for large quantities that buy by the box full, research online for companies that ship out these plastic bags. You can get those cheap China ones from your favourite eBay shop, I know you love eBay. There is a trick to filling them up also and they. A fall over the bags, but I have had great results using these bags and you can grow nice palms in them. 

[SeanK]

On 10/2/2025 at 11:19 PM, JohnAndSancho said:

Greenhouse Megastore has great prices ------ until you get to the 15+ gallon pots. 

The cheap ones I use are thin, blow-molded. Great for me but no way I'd trust one beyond a 3-gal size. Walls are too thin.

[PalmatierMeg]

20 hours ago, JohnAndSancho said:

We don't have lots of plants sellers here either. I think it's pretty much Lowes and they throw theirs in the trash.. I'm not quite desperate enough to go into dumpsters on camera yet. 

Have you asked the nursery if Lowe's will give you some of those throwaway pots? Better than sending them to a landfill. All he can say is, "No."

[JohnAndSancho]

6 hours ago, PalmatierMeg said:

Have you asked the nursery if Lowe's will give you some of those throwaway pots? Better than sending them to a landfill. All he can say is, "No."

I didn't, but I should have. I mean most of the stuff on the rack of death was bound for the landfill anyway. I'll check Wally World on Monday when I go the other direction to ship some eBay packages and pick up Sancho's pills and hope there's still some clearance stuff in their garden center. 

[Jason Briscoe]

I've used these before. Not quite as big as you need, but they are fairly heavy duty.

Life Story Flexible 17-Gallon Plastic Storage Tub with Rope Handles, Multi-Purpose Utility Bucket (Black) - Walmart.com