Life span of free flower buckets?

[Nicos]

Now that so many of us are getting on hands on these, I was wondering about their durability?

looking at them, they are clearly very thin compared to a bought plastic plant pot....but I wondered how long would you expect them to last?
I'm thinking they may biodegrade in strong sunlight ( are they biodegradable?) or shatter in the cold.

What are your experiences please?

[Florence Fennel]

I've had some of mine for 5 years Nicos - can't quite believe it myself. This year some of the lips at the top are prone to snapping, but only on a few. I use them over the Spring/Summer and they go either in the shed Autumn/Winter, or under the potting bench outside. Mine are from A***A BTW.

[Yasai]

My mum is still using some that she got from Covent Garden flower market over twenty years ago...

[Bren In Pots]

I've had mine since I started on the vine and some of the top lips have split i could have caused that when I'm pulling them apart though. but for freebies they're great.

[Nicos]

Oh gosh...sounds like they are better value for no money than I had hoped!

My thoughts were to keep them out of direct sunlight ( plastic disintigrates quickly here in the intense sunlight)
And not leave them out in the winter cold or they may shatter?

So...perhaps only seasonal use?

If they only lasted 1 year, then at least that's one year of use rather than being chucked in the bin .
Looks like from what peeps are saying , they last even longer than that.

I was thinking of putting one inside another for rigidity/ protecting from UV... Is that overkill girl all round year use?

I'm asking because we're collecting roses, buddlia,shrubs,saplings , plants from vide Greniers ( car boots) and friends's gardens for when we're ready to create new beds in our field, and as far as wAtering is concerned, it's easier to keep them all in these pots in a large cluster for watering purposes until the beds are created!

I'm really collecting the pots for our local seed and plant exchange in November but I seem to be getting quite a collection- so I'm snaffling a few in exchange fir all my hard work
Fair swap eh?

Oh and the boss at Lid! Now calls me Mme Bucket!

[Potstubsdustbins]

Had some of mine for years. No special treatment except I make sure they are empty before the frosts strike.

Some have cracked at the lip as others have said, but me being a tight wad I cut them down and use for stuff like radishes.

[Florence Fennel]

Don't you mean Mme Bouquet Nicos?

[Nicos]

^^^^^ oh the irony!

[bearded bloke]

^^^^^ oh the irony!

Nicos, don't you mean ........... ^^^^^ oh the ironing .........

[Nicos]

Did anyone ever tell you two you're both bonkers?

[bearded bloke]

For tomatoes I cut the bottom out of a bucket, stand that inside another bucket & when the plant is ready to go into a growbag separate them & simply put the bottomless one on the hole in the growbag, this give the advantage of no disturbance of the roots so no shock to the plant

[Bohobumble]

Oh and the boss at Lid! Now calls me Mme Bucket!

Perhaps Hyacinth is better non..?

[starloc]

The Morrisons flower buckets last fine over here, we have -35C in the winter and over 40C for long periods in the summer, I had them in the UK in all the ice about 2010...and then brought them here to all the heat and ice.

I have some I bought in 2008, still fine now, only problem when used with soil they are so heavy that in cold weather I have snapped a couple of the top edges off picking them up

They are also quite thin so tend to be destroyed if the strimmer gets near them

No problems with aging though, seem just as good now as 5 years ago

[Nicos]

Oh wow...that's great to hear about the weather extremes .
Makes the shops chucking them out even more of a waste!

Yeh, it was their flimsiness which made me think they would shatter easily.

[dogsbody]

Just be careful putting the drainage holes in as they can split then. Best to use a very sharp drill bit at relatively high speed and more smaller (about 5 - 7mm?) holes rather than few big ones.

At least that has been my experience and yes they do last for years in all weathers.