I just picked up a bunch of 22" diameter plastic pots at my local Lowe's that were marked 75% off for a sale price of $4.50 each.  They hold 18 gallons.  Not sure if this deal is available at most of their stores or not.  They had them in blue, green, beige...and some other color.  Not sure how long they'll hold up, but pretty great price.

Good find, I'll have to stop in and see what else they are marking down.

My Home Depot had similar priced/sized planters but of a difference design, much narrower at the bottom. I'd be standing up trees all summer long.

Good find. You two will have people running out to their big box stores all week long. I'll be one of them.

I picked up a bunch of those exact same ones, Greg. They don't have a lip on the rim for easy carrying, but for four and a half, it is still a good deal.

Yeah, I was thinking about using one of those pot lifting strap sets with handles.  Between my figs and my citrus it's overdue.  Something like this one should help save my back:

Good price. But you get what you pay for. Only bought two last year at full price and am glad I didn't buy more. Very thin plastic and after a year of sun, brittle too. Check out the lip of the one holding my Adriatic JH, all cracked up.

I thought the plastic looked pretty thin.  Does anyone have suggestions for a good material to paint plastic pots with that will stick well and block the UV....that and not cost more than the pot?

I picked up some 20" planters at my local Lowes for $3.74 each.  The plastic is a little thin, but for under $4 a pop, I'm willing to roll the dice on some containerized fruit tree growing experiments.

Yes, that is a great price but you get what you pay for!  Once the sun hit that pot in one season, it will get brittle and snap like a potato chip.  And the same goes for those large blue tubs with the rope handles at Lowes!  After a year in the sun that plastic will get brittle and break.  Been there...done that......you guys are better off getting 55g barrels and cutting them in half.  I get mine from a local source for ten bucks a barrel.  Cut the barrel in half and you got yourself 2 - 27g containers.  And these containers are larger and wider than the pots Bill uses for his SWP.  I know b/c I have 2 of Bill's pots.  Bill says his pots last 20yrs.  The jury isn't out yet on the half 55g barrels.  They should last 15 years but I really don't know.  I do know my figs grow better in SWPs.  Again, you get what you pay for.  IOW, you can pay not or pay later.

They also have these type at my local Lowes.  They don't seem too flimsy.  They are not quite 22".  A little more at $6.25

Thanks Dennis, are you talking about the blue plastic 55 gallon barrels?

Ed:

It was at the Lowes at Pittsburgh Mills (I think it has a Tarentum address).  But I think other stores have them.  Lowes' website will show you what is supposed to be in stock at each store.  They had 3 sizes - biggest was $6.25, next was $5 and smaller one (like 12") was $3.75.  It's weird though - only certain colors are on sale.  They have blue, couple shades of green and brown for those prices - but beige or red, for example, will be $25.  I also have some of the other ones posted in this thread and these are way more rigid.  I thought they were a good deal.

yes Greg, those are the ones.  My source sometimes sells them to me for $5 a piece.  Right now, I got enough to keep me busy but Fall will be here before you know it!  So, I'm prepping mine now.  I need about 100 more barrels though.

Many outfits sell 55 gallon barrels on Craigslist.

Thanks for the heads up. I checked my local Lowe's and found the 20 inch for $3.74.
 

It's good to know that they can't take the sun. I have some cheap automotive rubberized undercoat. I'm going to try spraying one with that to see if it will stick. That should make a good UV block.

Thanks greysmith, let us know if it does stick.  I was wondering about the tar they use on foundations....might just make a mess?  I wonder if there are any good exterior paints and primers that wouldn't flake off....assuming they would.

My other thought was that I'd drill holes in the sides, sink them in the ground and mulch over them to keep the sun off.  Not fully sure what I'll do with mine yet.

I'm up-potting my plants into #20 nursery pots this year. (20 gallon). They are like $10 each at a local grow shop. The plants in the 22 gallon SIPS from Bills Figs did great but so did the plants I have in nursery containers growing next to them.

20 gallon nursery pots :)  Currently have pots similar to the Lowes ones.  Found myself picking them up from the deck on more than one occasion.  Had to tie off the trunks of each tree to the railings.  Up-potting to 20 gallon nurseries.

I don't know if I'd buy a concrete or clay pot of that size.  Would be extremely heavy, especially once it's filled with potting mix.  I guess if you only had a couple, and you had a hand truck or dolly, maybe you could move it around.  But for me, even a fabric or plastic pot with a tree and mix in it is difficult to manuever. 

At those prices and sizes you can get very durable root pouches.  I think for very large soil volumes root pouches are great.  Just have to make sure you get the ones that are very heavy duty.  Only problem I had was rodents chewing through it.  I think that happens well before the sun does it in.  A small hole isn't a problem and the larger ones are easy to patch.  I did make the mistake of buying 20 gallon root pouches without handles.  The 10 gallon are easy enough to move around, but the 20 gallon get a little hard to grasp without handles.  But I got them for cheap at some online site, less than $5/per. 

I sprayed one yesterday and it seems to stick okay.
  I used a Rust-oleum brand undercoating that I bought at Walmart. I'm remembering it costing about $4. There was another brand that cost twice as much. I had already used some out of the can so I can't be sure but it looks like you could paint two pots with a can. It says it's paintable so you could put another color over it. It's adding money and work to a cheap pot. If you're doubling the life for half again the price it's probably worth it... if you like that pot.

I've been using bags. I like bags, but they are a problem to move. I'd like to know where you got the root pouches. Seems like you could rig some kind of strap handle.

greysmith...looks kind of nice in black!  Did you say this stuff is flexible so that it won't crack if flexed?
Thank you.