Topic: Hello again!

[micklynn]

Haven't visited for a while, just too busy but so pleased with the way our lotty is getting on.
Digging and making and planting, great stuff!
Anyways can anyone here help please?
I'm looking for suitable (cheap) alternatives to buying expensive water butts from gardening suppliers.
Does anyone have any suggestions please?
(I have abandoned my overly elaborate rain catching system but need to catch as much as I can from the shed roofs.
Thank you.  :)

[gavin]

Ask around on the site?  One of my neighbours had access to huge blue plastic butts, of "food grade plastic" he assured us (though God alone knows what sort of food went into 4 foot high plastic barrels!  Yeugh!).  You might want to know what's been inside any barrels offered.

Another brought in 10 litre plastic tubs with handles - from a baker; they'd had chocolate icing in them.

All best - Gavin

[Muddy_Boots]

Fish & Chip shops often buy their oil in 10 litre tubs with handles, like the ones Gavin mentioned, might be worth a try.  Don't know whereabouts you are but the big blue plastic jobs are often to be found where there are a lot of fruit growers!

Happy hunting  :D

[john_miller]

  The blue barrels that are available over here, Gavin, are ones that have been used to ship juice concentrate from South America. South America supplies most of the concentrate used globally (much to the chagrin of Florida growers as they believe it is depressing prices). I would imagine that this is the standard shipping container for anywhere in the world, including Northern Europe. I have always thought that these barrels are what people should be using to grow vegetables in pots- they are almost free, recycles and will be free of heavy metals.

[Muddy_Boots]

Thanks for getting my brain in gear again, John!  Yes is the fruit juice in the blue barrels!  Used to use one of mine for making liquid nettle fertiliser.  Mind you, needed giant clothes peg on my nose when I opened the barrel!  ;D

[gavin]

Thank you for those snippets :) :) :) - we'd not managed to find out where the barrels came from or what they're used for, so I'd been a bit uneasy.  

The only similar things I'd seen in Leeds were around a paint and chemical plant (but they were metal) - it is worth knowing what's been in the barrel you're offered!  ???

All best - Gavin

[Doris_Pinks]

I use an old container thingy that goes in your loft to store your water at home, (darn what are they called!!) Might be worth sucking up to a plumber or two?  DP

[eileen]

Water tank Doris!!??  ;D

Nice talking to you last night. Good fun!

Eileen.

[shifty581]

Hi Micklynn.
You can get large blue drums from any dairy farmer; they are glade to give them away.
On my sisters farm they use one or two a week.

[micklynn]

Thanks for the snippets.
I am now off to see if there are any dairy farms in Norfolk (doubtful) or when I am next in docks area of King's Lynn or Gt Yarmouth I'll be sniffing around.  
A water tank my be a good idea also, I'll go talk to our local plumber and check out our Council recycling site.
Brilliant day on the lotty yesterday we both put in 7 hrs and it's great. (Could have been more but had to be back for the rugby)
Loved every minute of it and found that I didn't think of anything other than what I was doing, digging, fencing, setting and painting.
What a de-stressor!
:)