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Jan 2, 2016 4:23 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Carol Texas
Central Texas (Zone 8b)
"Not all who wander are lost."
Bookworm Region: Texas Organic Gardener Hummingbirder Herbs Greenhouse
Garden Art Fruit Growers Dragonflies Composter Cactus and Succulents Gardens in Buckets
I am one happy camper. I've really wanted to keep my GH gardening as organic as possible but containers have been a problem -- so many "unhealthy" ones out there. I bought this plastic storage bin at Home Depot just before Christmas for around $5, to keep some extra "stuff" in. It has a red lid. Today I turned it upside down and read the markings. USA made (gives the date of mfg in the circles) - and "PP" for recycle. I looked that up and listed below what it says on the Livestrong site. I'm going to buy more and cut them down to the right height, use the red lid as a tray, and almost fill each shelf in the GH rack with a planter. Whoohoo ! Back to Home Depot to get more before they're gone ! These are about 15" height by 25 long (narrow at the bottom), and about 15" across.
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From Livestrong site:
"PP stands for polypropylene, a strong plastic mostly used in caps and lids. You can identify polypropylene by a triangle and the number 5 on the bottom of your container, although many lids do not include this "resin number". PP has a high melting point and can be "hot-filled" or used with products that need to incubate. It also does not transmit any known chemicals into food. This makes it an ideal material for a garden container, though large PP containers may be hard to find."

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Hurray!
Www.carolmedfordart.com
My passion is painting but gardening is running a close second.
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Jan 4, 2016 4:57 PM CST
Moderator
Name: Lynn
Oregon City, OR (Zone 8b)
Charter ATP Member Garden Sages I helped plan and beta test the plant database. I helped beta test the Garden Planting Calendar I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Plant Database Moderator
Forum moderator I helped beta test the first seed swap Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Plant and/or Seed Trader Garden Ideas: Master Level
Great information Carol.
Did you look at Walmart to see if they have something like what you found?

I use a clear one for tomato seedlings, but I don't cut it down. That way I can put the lid on for winter protection, it seems to keep the seedlings plenty warm enough until the ground and outdoor temps are ready for the seedlings to be planted out in the beds.
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Jan 10, 2016 1:44 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Carol Texas
Central Texas (Zone 8b)
"Not all who wander are lost."
Bookworm Region: Texas Organic Gardener Hummingbirder Herbs Greenhouse
Garden Art Fruit Growers Dragonflies Composter Cactus and Succulents Gardens in Buckets
@valleylynn when I went back to Home Depot to get more tubs, I discovered some nice #2 planter boxes (about 3' long) in the outdoor section. I've rarely seen any with the recycle # on them, so I was very pleased to find these - so I ended up getting them instead of cutting the others down. I can fit 2 of these on one of the metal shelves, and 2 on the next shelf down --so that is quite a bit of planter space. Then I'm loading up the metal shelving unit next to it too -- haha. Gotta keep stuff going ! The clear plastic bins you mentioned at Walmart sound like a great idea too -- I'll look those up next time I'm in there.
Www.carolmedfordart.com
My passion is painting but gardening is running a close second.
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Jan 10, 2016 3:23 PM CST
Moderator
Name: Lynn
Oregon City, OR (Zone 8b)
Charter ATP Member Garden Sages I helped plan and beta test the plant database. I helped beta test the Garden Planting Calendar I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Plant Database Moderator
Forum moderator I helped beta test the first seed swap Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Plant and/or Seed Trader Garden Ideas: Master Level
Here is what I did with the containers from Walmart. I winter sowed seed into milk jugs, when the seedlings were ready to transplant I put them into plastic cups (from Walmart) and place them into the large container. If the nights were going to be cold I put the lid on. Wish I had taken another photo photo when just before transplanting into the beds. Best tomato plants I ever grew. No wilting or slowing down at transplant time.
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Jan 11, 2016 7:28 AM CST
Name: Jo Ann Gentle
Pittsford NY (Zone 6a)
Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Cat Lover Heucheras Hellebores Container Gardener
Birds Region: New York Avid Green Pages Reviewer Irises Garden Ideas: Master Level Lilies
My daughter gave me two of these for Xmas.
I tried to grow tomatoes in a Rubbermaid tub but it really didn't produce very many toms.Think the tub got too hot.
http://earthbox.com/earthbox-s...

Has anyone used this before? I like the wheels idea.
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Jan 11, 2016 10:07 AM CST
Moderator
Name: Lynn
Oregon City, OR (Zone 8b)
Charter ATP Member Garden Sages I helped plan and beta test the plant database. I helped beta test the Garden Planting Calendar I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Plant Database Moderator
Forum moderator I helped beta test the first seed swap Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Plant and/or Seed Trader Garden Ideas: Master Level
I haven't tried those Jo Ann. Let me know how they do for you.

I placed the tote in morning sun, and if it was above 40°F I removed the lid. If it was colder the lid stayed on. The lid also had holes punched in the top, or I would place it a little crooked so it increased the ventilation. Worked really well.
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Jan 11, 2016 11:22 AM CST
Name: Jo Ann Gentle
Pittsford NY (Zone 6a)
Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Cat Lover Heucheras Hellebores Container Gardener
Birds Region: New York Avid Green Pages Reviewer Irises Garden Ideas: Master Level Lilies
Lynn. They have a tube for watering into some sort of reservoir in the bottom. Water must wick up into the soil.
I will put them together in April.
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Jan 11, 2016 12:18 PM CST
Name: Jean
Prairieville, LA (Zone 9a)
Charter ATP Member Plant Identifier The WITWIT Badge Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Garden Sages
@Ecscuba It is good that you found the planter boxes rather than cutting the tubs down. The rim at the top is what helps provide strength to the container and helps to keep it from twisting and cracking when moved full of soil. I learned that the hard way. Thumbs down
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Feb 27, 2016 7:44 PM CST
Name: Eric
North Georgia, USA (Zone 7b)
Region: Georgia Garden Ideas: Level 1
Ecscuba said:From Livestrong site:
"PP stands for polypropylene, a strong plastic mostly used in caps and lids. You can identify polypropylene by a triangle and the number 5 on the bottom of your container, although many lids do not include this "resin number". PP has a high melting point and can be "hot-filled" or used with products that need to incubate. It also does not transmit any known chemicals into food. This makes it an ideal material for a garden container, though large PP containers may be hard to find."

Smaller PP containers are everywhere. If you use yogurt cups, sour cream tubs, or the plastic drinking cups like "Solo" brand cups and the knockoffs of those, all of those are made from polypropylene and usually marked with the number 5 in the recycling triangle.
FYI, Milk jugs are generally LDPE (low density polyethylene), recycling number 2, and are also very safe for food.
Recycling numbers 2 (LDPE), 4 (HDPE) and 5 (PP) are considered the "safest" plastics for food containers.
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Feb 27, 2016 8:34 PM CST
Moderator
Name: Lynn
Oregon City, OR (Zone 8b)
Charter ATP Member Garden Sages I helped plan and beta test the plant database. I helped beta test the Garden Planting Calendar I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Plant Database Moderator
Forum moderator I helped beta test the first seed swap Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Plant and/or Seed Trader Garden Ideas: Master Level
Great information to have Eric. Thank you for posting it.
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Mar 19, 2016 6:39 AM CST
Name: Paul
Madison, IN (Zone 6a)
if you need/want plastic trays, go to your local fast food place (Wendy's, Burger King, any pizza joint), most have their veggies pre-cut and placed into plastic trays that are about a foot square, are made from recycled material, are sturdy, have ridges on the bottom for water draining, fit 9 or so yogurt containers or can be used for straight seeding, stack nicely for storage, are free and keep material out of the landfills. Just a thought on the tray's, there's no cutting and each tray can be labeled easily if you only have one type of plant in it.


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Mar 19, 2016 4:16 PM CST
Name: Lynn
KC, Missouri (Zone 6a)
Thanks for this post. I was reading another post here about ebuckets but was wondering about chemicals leaking and ending up in the fruits and veggies grown. Also, they commonly recommend using a colander from the dollar store and I would really worry about that sitting in the water and leaching out BPH or other nasty things since those are usually from other countries and the cheapest manufacturing processes used. But maybe I just worry too much Sighing!
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