Thanks lynne and Cel....I needed something a little more durable than the Walmart tubs. The sun will dry them out in a few years, and 5 gal buckets are just too small. I bought the 3, 55 gal drums, and have already cut one in half. They are nice and big and will last for years. I plan on filling one in a day or two and will post the results. We went to the mulch place last week and picked up half a yard of double ground pine park.

Hi all. Kind of new to the forum but I've been enjoying and using the tips. Thanks! My cheap containers: scrap plywood [free from a friend] screwed together into a 4'* 2' box to use for a raised bed; flea market galvanized tin containers, various shapes and sizes, drilled holes for drainage, most expensive one was $5 for a good size one; old bureau, recycled into a potting bench, used the leftover drawers to make a flat for bunching onions, added an unused window screen on the bottom so I could use it on the deck; tires from my mechanic [free, he was happy to get rid of them since they charge him to dispose], used to make a composter and planters; freecycled white plastic barrel, cut into 8" slices for raised bed, planted peas in them; flea market wire fencing [$5 for 50'] made a cage for planting potatoes out of 10'[about 3' diameter]. My neighbor never recycles anything so I've managed to get all kinds of pots from her, she finally got sick of me taking stuff out of her trash and now saves them for me!

Seil, I really do hope you're right. This year was so disappointing. James Galway which was a bloom machine for the past few years (literally hundreds of buds at a time; I couldn't even count them all) had an ok blush in June and about 5 blooms since then. I hope it bounces back as it's one of my absolute favorites & would hate for it to breathe its last breath.

3 Gallons should be fine for a while. Eventually the rhizomes will push the edges of the pot. Then either upgrade your pot or divide the rhizomes. A normal pot is fine but if you need to decide on the depth of a pot then shallow is fine (but a regular pot is what I would use). You definitely don't need an extra deep pot. Unless you plan to dig it up each year you shouldn't put it in the ground. Gingers are tropical, New Jersey is not. They will die if left outside during the winter.