Selfsufficientish.com

Went down town to buy some ordinary plastic plant pots, and was surprised at the prices!

As I don't have any medium-large containers that I could ultilize, I'm thinking of making my own pots.

Here are some possible solutions:

1) Paper mache - newspaper mixed with wallpaper paste and made waterproof with varnish like this:http://www.papiermache.co.uk/articles/w ... ier-mache/;

2) Pottery - Make my own pottery wheel like this one on You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOzIw4PcwyI.

No 2 may be no-go, as pottery clay (air dry variety) seems too costly.

Any one care to add their penny's worth?

For time and effort I'd personally not bother with the clay variety as bulk buying these work out very cheap. Sods law is you onlt need a dozen or so pots so they become expensive but I'd be interested in what you do with the papier mache ones.

What about trying your local freecycle?

I use toilet roll tubes. Ok so they cant be used again, but there is minimal root disturbance as the whole lot gets planted out together. Friends can also be persuaded to give you theirs and it makes them feel good cos they are throwing one thing less away.

You can reuse a huge range of packaging as plant pots .... yogurt tubs, soft fruit punnets, ready meal trays, tetra packs (from juice etc) loads of stuff....

I have managed to get loads of real ones off of freecycle too

freecycle always good for pots
i also got old mop bukets washing machine/ tumbledrer drums,
my old crash helmets and motor cycle boots
also use old pot and bowls i can get from work that has been damaged
any dose

Have you got a Scrapstore near you. My local one stopped taking plant pots a while ago as they had too many. You may have to pay to join but it isn't usually very expensive.

Otherwise, do you know any painters and decorators? Get them to save the paint tubs.

Zoe

Recycle old stuff as said above.

Visit your local supermarket and/or florists and/or garages. They nearly all seel bunches of flowers and these are delivered in small plastic buckets meant for single use or return. Many places have too many of these pots knocking about and its worth asking for them - the worst they can say is no. Your local tip/recycling centre may have some as well.

Or be creative! Old sinks, old buckets, small wooden boxes (just line them with black plastic) etc.

I've started using tyres. I'm not sure if all garages are the same but there's a place locally that usually have to pay to get rid of them but they'll let us take some for free. You could ask at garages or tyre places? They'll only say yes or no. You can have just one high or a couple. I've got courgettes in some this year and plan getting more for flowers and more veg =D

I use tyres too, to protect my rhubarb as I mow round them.

My only suggestion is making some from wood, although my version of medium large sized containers could be a whole lot different to yours lol! Zoo that could either make them too big or too small, old palettes are great for that sort of thing.

Lorna x

My best local source for pots is a nearby garden centre which has a recycling point in the car park. I've got into the habit of delving through this bank when I visit and making withdrawals.

Wulf

I've just potted out all my tomatoes into old compost bags. With forty-odd plants, it would have got very expensive in pots