It may seem rather obvious to some, but grow pots don't have to be "official" pots.

Does it hold soil? Does it drain properly for the species? Will it hold together through weather and waterings?

It'll work then.

Screen sided grow planters? You can use colanders or pond baskets. They won't last as long, but chances are good that the tree will be transplanted by then anyway.

Shallow bonsai pots? Use the bottom drain pans of big pots-drill a few holes in them (I'm referring to the plastic ones here). Heck, you can use the clay ones too, I do have a problem with plants drying out too much in them personally but it might work in your area.

I've used cool whip containers, waterbottles, styrofoam mushroom trays (ended up being too light though), dishpans (great for bald cypress), deep lids, icing buckets, feed pans, concrete mixing pans, anything I could put holes in .

Build em out of lumber-cheap for big boxes, free if you find old pallets or use scraps.

Save your money for the "finishing" pots..... grow em out in anything!

One good hint about using plastic containers is you can cut the sides down to make the shallower. Be careful though, I found out 5 gallon buckets bite back when being cut with a saw!

What have you guys used?

I've gotten hold of some big plastic "totes" approx. 18"x24"x4" with hand grips molded in. I just got out the old drillski and made the thing look like it had been hit on all four sides with a shotgun, covered the hand grips so my soil would stay in and voila! I also think a plastic soda crate might work, too. Vic

I've used old cat litter pans, milk crates, plastic totes...
Actually, just yesterday, I traded in a trident root over rock at New England Bonsai Gardens. The tree had been growing in an old litter pan for 3 years. Hitoshi, who owns NEBG, was quite amused with my ingenuity, though I think I didn't get as much for the tree as maybe I should have ...oh well

Dave

I have large cats who use the extra large liter pans, they do not like the tops on them! So I have extra large and deep lids which I line with screen....Works great!

I used a large styrofoam packing shape that came with our eliptical trainer. I poked multiple holes through the thick bottom. There is a collected oak happily residing in it and the styrofoam is not in the landfill(yet).

I regularly visit Goodwill to buy up colanders for growing containers. I also have a bunch of old redwood fruit picking lug boxes that make great growing boxes. Cat litter boxes are cheap and easy to poke with drain holes.
Paul

If you wanted to use clay bottom drip trays, as Susan mentioned, you can put holes in them using a masonry drill bit.
As long as there is no glaze on one of the sides to drill in to the bit will make a quick (cleanish) hole.

... although the bit I bought was 9.50$ I've put holes in plenty of pottery I found at goodwill and yard sales for pennies. It has paid for it self many times over!

Anthony

I use the tops and bottoms off plastic 55 gallon drums, cut them @ what ever depth you want....I cut mine around 4 to 6 inches (10 to 14 cm).

redhawk

Here to Redhawk...with a little time an UV bleaching hard to tell that there plastic from a distance

Tom,
is that the type of drum that redhawk is talking about?
Gorgeouse tree! Is the red color natural or did you color t
lime sulpher to get it like that?