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Nov 9, 2014 1:39 AM 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
the more I read the more discouraging it gets to find safe containers. Plastic containers with recycle number 3, 6, or 7 are unsafe. I found a website with large food storage containers that say bpa free (see below) so maybe they are safe. Yikes. Challenging.

http://www.webstaurantstore.co...
Www.carolmedfordart.com
My passion is painting but gardening is running a close second.
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Nov 9, 2014 6:12 AM CST
Name: greene
Savannah, GA (Sunset 28) (Zone 8b)
I have no use for internet bullies!
Avid Green Pages Reviewer Keeper of Poultry Vegetable Grower Rabbit Keeper Frugal Gardener Garden Ideas: Master Level
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Boxer grow bags are made from recycled water bottles. These are extremely affordable. I buy mine at the local hydroponic store but they are available online as well.
https://rootpouch.com/ and
http://rootpouch.com/products

"All of our fabrics are BPA free, and resistant to UV light."

Here is an example of one online supplier's pricing. Note that the bags 5 gallons and larger come with convenient handles.
$1.00 — One gallon, each
$20.00 — One gallon, pack of 25
$1.50 — Two gallon, each
$30.00 — Two gallon, pack of 25
$2.00 — Three gallon, each
$40.00 — Three gallon, pack of 25
$3.00 — Five gallon with handles, each
$25.00 — Five gallon with handles, pack of 10
$3.75 — Seven gallon with handles, each
$33.00 — Seven gallon with handles, pack of 10
$4.50 — Ten gallon with handles, each
$40.00 — Ten gallon with handles, pack of 10
$7.00 — Fifteen gallon with handles, each
$56.00 — Fifteen gallon with handles, pack of 10
$8.00 — Twenty gallon with handles, each
$64.00 — Twenty gallon with handles, pack of 10
$9.00 — Twenty-five gallon with handles, each
$70.00 — Twenty-five gallon with handles, pack of 10
$10.00 — Thirty gallon with handles, each
$83.00 — Thirty gallon with handles, pack of 10
$12.00 — Thirty-five gallon with handles, each
$95.00 — Thirty-five gallon with handles, pack of 10
$14.00 — Forty-five gallon with handles, each
$110.00 — Forty-five gallon with handles, pack of 10

If shopping online, please check for the best pricing as some folks (such as 'Heiroom Organics') think 'organic' growers want to pay double the normal price.
Sunset Zone 28, AHS Heat Zone 9, USDA zone 8b~"Leaf of Faith"
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Nov 9, 2014 10:57 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
GREENE thx for the info. I appreciate it. I also discovered Home Depot carries buckets in Medium and large size that are a recycle 2 which is supposed to be safe and they are fairly inexpensive. I will also check out the grow bags you listed. thanks again.
Www.carolmedfordart.com
My passion is painting but gardening is running a close second.
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Nov 10, 2014 10:17 AM CST
Name: greene
Savannah, GA (Sunset 28) (Zone 8b)
I have no use for internet bullies!
Avid Green Pages Reviewer Keeper of Poultry Vegetable Grower Rabbit Keeper Frugal Gardener Garden Ideas: Master Level
Plant Identifier Region: Georgia Native Plants and Wildflowers Composter Garden Sages Bookworm
@Escuba,
If you like, I can mail you one of the brown Boxer bags so you can check it out. They weigh next to nothing and can easily be sent in an envelope.
Send me a Tree-mail with as address if this sounds good to you.
Sunset Zone 28, AHS Heat Zone 9, USDA zone 8b~"Leaf of Faith"
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Nov 10, 2014 3:34 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
GREENE Thank you for the offer. I am going to go ahead and order some and try them out -- they look like a great solution. Appreciate your kind offer -- and the information.

Cheers Smiling
Www.carolmedfordart.com
My passion is painting but gardening is running a close second.
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Nov 10, 2014 3:37 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
GREENE how have you used these? Alone or as a liner in a pot ? I supposed you could do either -- just wondering, do they dry out quicker than plastic pots?

I am seeing them on Amazon - so will compare the prices.
Www.carolmedfordart.com
My passion is painting but gardening is running a close second.
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Nov 10, 2014 7:25 PM CST
Name: Ann ~Heat zn 9, Sunset
North Fl. (Zone 8b)
Garden Sages Region: Ukraine Native Plants and Wildflowers Xeriscape Organic Gardener I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database!
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I'm all ears!
Also Greene, I'm interested in knowing about drainage with those bags.
I am a strong believer in the simple fact is that what matters in this life is how we treat others. I think that's what living is all about. Not what I've done in my life but how I've treated others. ~~ Sharon Brown
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Nov 10, 2014 7:32 PM CST
Name: Kyla Houbolt
Gastonia, NC (Zone 7b)
Composter Plant Identifier Organic Gardener Herbs Daylilies Sempervivums
Frogs and Toads Container Gardener Cat Lover Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! The WITWIT Badge Winter Sowing
Wow. This is a new twist for me. Do the plastic containers with bpa in the plastic leach that much into the plant roots that the plant actually takes up a measurable amount? I'd love to see an article or something describing this -- and please don't misunderstand, if I sound incredulous or like I am scoffing, I am totally not, just, this is something I'd neither heard of nor considered as an issue with organic growing!

So please educate me.
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Nov 13, 2014 11:14 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
KYLALUAZ I don't have a proven answer but I do see discussion on the web. It makes sense to me that if the containers are in the sun and have water that chemical leaching would occur. I read on the web that a good container would be food safe recycle 2. Those usually have a fork and knife on them. Not all recycle 2 are "food safe". They said you might be able to get them from a restaurant. I saw them on Amazon. Large buckets.
I came to the conclusion that the "safest" planter is just plant in the earth...I'm sure there is something not right about that too. Haha. Seriously I just want to avoid chemicals where I can. I read that terra cotta is very safe. It does dry out quicker but that seems like a nice alternative and they really last a long time. So, decisions decisions.
Www.carolmedfordart.com
My passion is painting but gardening is running a close second.
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Nov 14, 2014 12:26 AM CST
Name: Kyla Houbolt
Gastonia, NC (Zone 7b)
Composter Plant Identifier Organic Gardener Herbs Daylilies Sempervivums
Frogs and Toads Container Gardener Cat Lover Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! The WITWIT Badge Winter Sowing
@Ecscuba, thanks for answering. I agree, the safest place for planting is in the earth -- as long as you're in a clean spot! Smiling Healthy, living soil is a magical substance, in my opinion.

Terra cotta is great, it's just mighty heavy and so moving it around is harder. I have planted in all kinds of found and scrounged containers, and some of my favorites have been large baskets I've gotten at thrift stores. Every kind of container has its drawbacks as well as its benefits. I'd still be very interested in any link to information about plant roots taking up toxins from plastic, if you run across such.
Last edited by kylaluaz Nov 14, 2014 12:27 AM Icon for preview
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Nov 14, 2014 6:47 AM CST
Name: Kyla Houbolt
Gastonia, NC (Zone 7b)
Composter Plant Identifier Organic Gardener Herbs Daylilies Sempervivums
Frogs and Toads Container Gardener Cat Lover Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! The WITWIT Badge Winter Sowing
ETA: I also wonder if older plastic containers are less an issue for this; I suspect that used ones that have been around for a while have probably leached out all they're going to release of that stuff, so they'd be safe enough, compared to brand new ones.
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Nov 14, 2014 6:37 PM CST
Name: Elaine
Sarasota, Fl
The one constant in life is change
Amaryllis Tropicals Multi-Region Gardener Orchids Master Gardener: Florida Irises
Herbs Region: Florida Vegetable Grower Daylilies Birds Cat Lover
Just thinking, there's no guarantee that terracotta is safe either. You don't know where the clay came from, and even though it is baked (which would kill bacteria and other pathogens) soil-borne toxins could still leach out of the clay.

I got some terracotta pots from Lowe's a couple of years ago, and broke one before I was able to plant it. Discovered that there was a layer of the red clay on the outside surfaces of the pot, but inside that there was plain grey clay.
Thumb of 2014-11-15/dyzzypyxxy/c9839a
Elaine

"Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm." –Winston Churchill
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