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Post by Alan on Feb 26, 2007 23:58:40 GMT -5
If you don't like paying ridiculous prices for nice plastic planting pots then give your local landscape companies a call. Often they remove the plants for planting and then either throw the pots away, or store them to take to the dump later. If you give them a call they may be willing to save some for you untill you come pick them up.
Also, many times landscape clients want wood mulch taken off of their landscapes, most landscapers have to pay to dump this gold somewhere, if they are doing a job in your area they may be willing to stop by and dump some off for you, wood much (without coloring) is great for tomatoes and will eventually make a great compostable organic material in your garden.
Another great additive to your tomatoes is porous volcanic rock, after being tilled in a few times it will start to crumble and is full of terrific minerals, sometimes you can even find "pulverized" volcanic rock which is very small and works even better.
-Alan
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toni
gopher
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Post by toni on Feb 28, 2007 14:10:03 GMT -5
Alan, when you talk about porous volcanic rock, are you talking about lava rocks like the kind used in gas grills?
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Post by Alan on Feb 28, 2007 14:15:00 GMT -5
Hmmm, I'm not sure that i've ever seen the ones used in gas grills to tell you the truth. However as long as it is authentic rock from a lava field it will all do the same thing! They are a great source of minerals once you get them broke down. Sorry, I couldn't be of more help, i've never owned a gas grill.
-Alan
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toni
gopher
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Post by toni on Feb 28, 2007 14:20:23 GMT -5
I've never owned a gas grill either but we have a recycle center here that seems to have several each week particularly in the spring. I've often thought there should be another use for those lava rocks. I also posted a sign at recycling a year or so ago and asked for people to bring in any flower pots they didn't want. Since the plastic in flower pots is not a number that the recycle center takes they were happy to find someone who would take them. I not only got plastic pots of all sizes, but terra cotta ones and garden implements, stepping stones and a garden fountain! Amazing what people throw away! Hmmm, maybe I should put up another sign this year, should check on that I guess. I sell perennials on mothers day weekend at our annual garage sale. The past couple of years the plant part of the sale is kind of taking over.
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Post by Alan on Feb 28, 2007 15:00:53 GMT -5
Congrats on the plant sales! I was very suprised myself when we started our business here in my small town and so many people were interested, it seems like more and more people want their work done for them these days, which is good for my business  The wastefullness in our country is epic, I try not to let the landscape company I worked for dispose of any of those pots anymore unless they are unusable, if nothing else I can give them to someone who needs them or even re-sale them! -Alan |
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Post by downinmyback on Feb 28, 2007 18:57:06 GMT -5
Volcanic rocks are used in stonewashing clothes and are turn into sand by one washing. The rocks in gas grills are ceramics and able to withstand alot of heat. If someone lives close to a factory they would be able to get the lava sand for free as most of these factory have to pay for removal.
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Post by Alan on Feb 28, 2007 22:22:43 GMT -5
wow, that's pretty interesting, I honestly did not know that, wish there was a factory around here, i'd be loading it up all week long as planting season is approaching.
-Alan
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Post by downinmyback on Feb 28, 2007 22:28:23 GMT -5
When i was younger i work as a carpenter and took a job in the winter at a wranger plant. They brought the Lava rocks by the semi truck load. I worked in shipping but i was able to visit the laundry at that time they did stone washing ,regular washing and acid washing. The machine they used for washing and drying were monsters.Wrangler has since closed this plant and moved it to Mexico.That is a SHAME too.
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Post by Alan on Feb 28, 2007 22:53:58 GMT -5
Indeed that is a shame and more and more companies are doing the same. Between that and politicians on both sides it really makes you wonder what this country will be like in 15 years. All I can say is hold on to seeds at the end of each year, you never know when you might need them!
-Alan
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The wastefullness in our country is epic, I try not to let the landscape company I worked for dispose of any of those pots anymore unless they are unusable, if nothing else I can give them to someone who needs them or even re-sale them!