I was searching the internet for some black nursery pots around 7 gallons I found some pretty good deals on them but then the shipping put them way over the top price wise I tried some of the local nurseries but no luck there either and then I remembered Lowes had some buckets with there name on it and twice as strong as nursery buckets I believe they were $2.60  and using there credit card brought it down to $2.30 not bad 

Dave,

Many bakeries (grocery stores, donut shops, etc.) give away five gallon buckets when they are done with them.  They get their frosting and glazes in them.  The crap they use is not so easy to get off the buckets.  Also, some burger/sandwich/salad shops get ingredients in them.

~james

I thought about that but I needed 40 containers quick, my nephew wanted to bring home  used compound  buckets from a house they were just doing but I wasn't to enthused  about washing all that hardened taping compound out of the buckets 

I've gotten the free containers and like them. But there are draw-backs. I would get them from the local grocery - both the bakery and deli sections. I had to go in early to fit their routine, and sometimes they wouldnt' have them. When they did, it was only 2 or 3, and I usually had to wash the gunky stuff from them. And the ones I got were more like 3 gallon size.

They are a valuable resource however - they are especially useful as food-grade buckets for washing produce outside, and then watering the garden. :)

How big a hole do you drill on those 5 gal bucket for drain? And how many?

Pete

3/4 and i drilled 4 in each 

The Lowes buckets look great. Are they 5 gal, or a little bigger?

I saw this add but from the prices it appears that these are not recycles pots:
http://ottawa.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-sell-home-outdoor-plants-fertilizer-soil-Pots-W0QQAdIdZ379212412

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This place had the best prices  but the shipping was  expensive to Connecticut 

Cool site, thanks. Even with shipping charges (from Oregon to Cali) they are fairly reasonable. They have simple, smaller aluminum labels 500 for $44. But who has that many fig trees (lol)?  http://www.growers-inc.com/09pit-3alc.html

I use 6 gallon buckets from wine grape juice.

Just fyi

Dave, see this thread:  http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/MA-Self-Watering-Containers-5367144

Dom has had a lot of luck using 5gal buckets self-watering.  Thought this may be of interest to you also.

I did see that Jason, and it was in the back of my mind and I was looking for these containers unfortunately I was on a time crunch to get them potted but I figured I could always turn them into self watering containers down the road I don't believe that the holes I put in the sides will effect the pots if I turn them into self watering? 

I need to comment here about the self-watering containers, because I have made about 15 of them so far this spring.

I have found that the standard orange Home Depot buckets are better for this because when stacked, there is a lot more space beneath the top bucket compared to the Lowes buckets...meaning much more water can be held there.

I got some 5 gallon and some 2 gallon buckets from the bakery at Sam's Club. Just tell them how many you want and they'll put them aside for you. They're free and they're also food grade so you won't get any chemicals leeching into the soil. They come in handy when I go to the vineyards to get grapes to make wine. The lids seal really good for things like that.
 

I'd put a big handfull  of lime. Obey the dosage on the bag. Espoma makes a good organic lime product designed for container plants.

just fyi to get volume;

I just had a profitable visit to Lowes in Ottawa.
I just bought two 60-litres bags of Miracle Gro potting mix for $9.99 each (sale here). Also bought two honeyberry planys for $13.99 each (not sale but I was looking for these varieties (Indigo Gem and Borealis).
But the real no-cost profit was the 7-gallon nursery pots in the recycle bin. I asked if instead of sending these for crushing I can really recycle them. They gave me seven of the 7-gallon pots ang four 5-gallon pots. I am basiclly a bashful person event at senior age so I could not ask for the remaining six 7-gallon pots. Bashful yes but determined to save the remaining six 7-gallon pots from being sent to be crushed, I went back inside bought one more 60-litre bag of Miracle Gro potting mix so I thought I gained some right to ask the cashier again if I can use the other 6 pots for using this extra mix in it. I did notice some reluctance but was told  '---ok'.
This way I helped save thirteen 7-gallon pots and four 5-gallon pots from the crusher and helped myself. It was a good trip to Lowes.

Excellent!!  As a basically bashful person myself, I totally understand about the discomfort of asking people for things (like fig cuttings), and congratulate you for asking - and getting - the pots.  Enjoy!

Gina
It was also for the health of the used nursery pot. I did not want them to be hurt under the crusher.
http://www.horttrades.com/plastic-recyclers

Sounds like a good program. I would hope that other reusable pots could be saved for those who wanted them especially since nursery pots have become so expensive. I've pulled more than one plastic pot out of the trash, including a couple 15 gallon ones. We also have a local nursery/grower who will take any and all used pots year-round. I assume they sanitize them before re-using for plants. A small price to pay.

Our curb-side recycling also will take all clean plastic containers (including gardening pots) except styrofoam and packaging peanuts. They'll even now take plastic bags. We don't even have to sort anything.

If Lowes discards a pot it's a fair chance the plant was diseased.  Please sterilize with bleach or rubbing alcohol.