In a pinch, almost any type of plastic vontainer will do, from old margarine tubs to cheap containers in the housewares section at WalMart. Empty milk jugs will wotk for some plants, cut around the top, leaving the handle in place. Old, plastic buckets of various sizes and kinds will also work, with a few holes in them... Cut, poke or drill a few holes in the bottom/sides of the makeshift potting containers and and you're good to go. Call family, friends, etc and see if they have any of that sort of thing laying around.

Homemade potting soil? Someone else will have to address that one, I'm afraid.

How close to OKC are you? Are the plants in the ground and you need to dig them up? Or do you need to pot up some plants?

We could probably find some large pots if you were close. Five gallon buckets and cat litter buckets are a possibility too.

Most of the plants were in their fallen greenhouses. So I will be potting them up. I am in the Harrah/Choctaw region. There is a group going to help out over the weekend, so I suspect dug up plants will be coming in over the weekend

I'm available in the evenings if you need help digging up plants - if you're allowed in the area of where these plants might be? Give us a teensy bit more information as to what you're needing to accomodate - are we talking veggies, perennials, shrubs...what? I have some 1gal, 2gal, etc., pots if you need them, and maybe we could round some up from the garden centers (if they know why we need them).

Sharon

I have some pots and a little bit of potting soil. I can probably get my hands on some more potting soil.

I also have some pots. If you are able, give us a rough idea of how many pots of what size.

Do you need dog or cat food?

Luvabasil-

send me an email via gardenweb. I am off Friday and may be able to bring collected pots and soil to you Friday afternoon or Sat morning.

Send me an email too. I can help somehow. I'm in the middle of helping a friend pack up her deceased father's apartment by the end of the month, but I can squeeze some time in to deliver what I have!

You can use pine bark mulch from Lowes mixed with purchased potting soil to extend it a bit. Don't get the nuggets or splintered hardwood. Sometimes I buy it and the checker gets the wrong product. You could also make a pile of pine bark mulch and heel stuff in temporarily. Will these plants be in your house or outside? A kids plastic pool small one is good for setting pots in so you can water them easily. If it rains and you get several inches, you can siphon it out with a hose. You don't want plants sitting in water.

I think if you ask your neighbors door to door and spread the word you will be inundated with containers. After the Joplin tornado people not affected were feeling bad and shaken and wanting to help somehow. Also after a bit the area will be overrun with helpers. If someone is home to direct them you can get a lot done. We had waves of church kids from miles away picking up trash and men with chain saws coming through.

The people who have to go to work and are not at their torn up homes are not there to give permission for some of the help. Also lost cats are probably near their houses hiding from all the people and noisy trucks.

Oh my Gosh! Thank you everyone so very much.
We are not overcome, yet. I am just getting prepared. (The pool was an excellent idea). I have many containers, and am in a position to purchase additonals, I just don't know where. Same with potting soil. Eventually it will be cheaper to mix it myself. (I hadn't thought of the shredded pine - excellent)
I think they will be in my yard/house for awhile and I want them to be able to go back home with tomatoes and peppers on the vines. (That might be wishing)
This started as vegetable plants, but others are bringing their houseplants, too. We look at anything that survives as a true living thing to be taken care of, don't we?
Additional plants should arrive by Monday/Tuesday. But for the next few days, we are good.
BTW, The Pres is visiting Sunday. So those in the area, traffic may be worse than usual.

What a sweetheart you are to take on the additional responsibility for the plants, pets and frozen food! I am glad all your family and friends are fine.

You got lots of great advice about containers. You can use literally anything on this earth that will hold soil and will allow water to drain. With a drill, you can drill drainage holes in almost anything. You also can use a screwdriver or knife to poke holes in containers so they will drain.

With the soil-less mix, I like Helen's suggestion to mix pine bark fines with regular soil-less mix to extend it so that you can save a little money. Just remember that the more pine bark fines you use, the better it likely will drain so you will have to water more often. Some growers like to add a half-bag or bag of composted cow manure to a soil-less mix like Miracle Grow to give the plants the benefit of both mixes.

I believe you are 100% correct in your belief that saving the plants they could save is very important to them---perhaps one tiny little thing that gives them hope and something to look forward to is that the plants survived. At this point the plants are more than just plants---they are symbols of resilience and survival.

You also could use Al's 5-1-1 mix recipe to make your own soil-less mix. It is simply 5 parts pine bark fines, 1 part sphagnum peat moss and 1 to 2 parts perlite. You also toss in a handful of garden lime to keep the soil-less mix from being too acidic, and can add a controlled release fertilizer like Osmocote if you want, a purchased fertilizer that contains micronutrients, etc. (Or, for micronutrients just feed the plants with liquid seaweed.)

Or, you can plant their plants directly into bags of Black Kow 100% cow manure. See the link below. What could be easier?

Let us know if you have more questions or think of ways we could help you.

Dawn

Here is a link that might be useful: How To Grow Plants in Bags of Manure

The rose forum people call all their pots a "ghetto". You will have a veggie ghetto when you get done :)

I've attached a link to "how to count roses." It'll give you a laugh :)

Here is a link that might be useful: How to count roses

I have access to hundreds of plant pots in all sizes. Let me know what you need and where/ when to bring it and ill be there!

* if there are other supplies needed, do not hesitate I can bring anything!*

I can't get Black Kow here but if they sell it there I think your tomatoes would like that. It would be easy to plant in the bags.

Thank you, all!
Don't forget the pet shelters. They need food and crates and kitty littler very very badly
(I have lottsa Black Cow. Thanks for that suggestion!)

You're welcome. I love Black Kow because it is 100% composted manure. Many other brands only contain the bare minimum required by law, which I believe is 10%, and the rest is junky filler--often black clay. Believe me, I do not need any black clay!

Sending hugs and well wishes to you and your friends. I hope y'all's effort to save their plants and keep them going is a successful one.