Plastic for S/H tubs

[estación seca]

What is the most durable plastic for S/H pots? I want to get some larger containers for larger plants. I see food containers made from polypropylene and high density polyethylene. There are probably others.

The transparent 1-quart/liter deli containers from my local Smart & Final have lasted 5 years and still look new. Some opaque white 2-quart tubs of a thin and different plastic are shattering after only 3 years of use.

[DirtyCoconuts]

Is there a reason you don’t like glass? For the larger containers especially I find that vases and votive tubes are great. And you can clean up at a thrift store usually

[estación seca]

Faster to buy plastic. I don't want to drill the glass. And these are going to be for large orchids. I'm looking for 2 quart and 1 gallon/4 quart sizes.

[fishmom]

I found some good, clear, heavy-duty plastic storage containers at my local Dollar Store. No idea what kind of plastic, but the largest has lasted for more than 8 years now.

[estación seca]

Thank you... the dollar stores I've gone to don't have many larger containers any longer.

[Subrosa]

I have the same problem, and initially went to glass to solve it. But drilling glass is a tedious process, so I switched to ceramic containers. With the exception of one piece I picked up, they're much faster and easier to drill without breaking than glass. I find a wide selection at local thrift stores. Some of my favorites are popcorn bowls that are about gallon sized. You could pick up a cheap crock pot and use the ceramic liner for an even larger container.I have my eye on a display rack for custom bath tubs we sell at work. There are half a dozen scaled down samples that probably hold 4-5 gal each, and are about an inch thick. Also, if there's an Ollie's Bargain Outlet nearby, they bring in a ton of ceramic pots, some without drain holes each spring in all sizes including HUGE. Many are unglazed, but a couple coats of rubberized spray paint on the inside after drilling solves that problem.

[B727]

But with ceramic containers I see the problem that you can't see how much water is in the reservoir.

[Subrosa]

Originally Posted by B727

But with ceramic containers I see the problem that you can't see how much water is in the reservoir.

The main reason I switched to s/h is because I'm by nature a serial over waterer. That's not an issue for me.

[Ray]

PET (recycle code=1), PP (5), and PE (2) are the most common plastics used for containers, listed in the order of greater UV stability without added pigments or inhibitors.

To B727’s point, you literally cannot overwater a plant established in S/H culture, and more frequent is actually better anyway, so “seeing” the water level is not really important. I use this trick:

Plants in smaller pots dry out faster than those in larger ones, so a few of my smaller ones are in clear pots, while all of the others are in opaque, black or white pots, which are more UV-resistant and easier to come by. If I see the small ones need water, they all get it.

[estación seca]

So just to be clear, polyethylene (PE) is more stable to UV than the others you listed?