Totes for nurseries, farms and growers
For a nursery, a farm or a grove, a used tote is a cheap, movable tank. Rinsed and reconditioned totes cover most irrigation, fertigation and spray work, and the key question is always what the bottle last held, because plants show residue that people never notice.
Last reviewed November 11, 2026
Mixing and feeding fertilizer through the irrigation line.
A tote as the head of a gravity or pumped drip system.
A tote on a trailer or a truck bed for sprays and wash-down.
Holding tanks beside benches, houses and propagation areas.
Young trees, groves and street plantings between rains.
Why growers buy totes
A tote is a 275 or 330 gallon tank on a pallet that a forklift or a pallet jack can move. It costs a fraction of a purpose-built plastic tank, it stacks in a truck, and when it ages out it goes to a recycler. A nursery or a farm can buy a few dozen at a time, place them where the work is, and move them when the work moves.
The trade is history. A used bottle carries whatever it held last, and plants are more sensitive than people to some residues. Herbicides in particular can harm a crop at concentrations nobody would taste. That is why growers should read the label first, then the grade.
Which grade for which job
| Job | Grade | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Fertigation mixing | Reconditioned or triple-rinsed | Pesticide, herbicide history |
| Drip header tank | Rinsed or reconditioned | Unknown history |
| Spray rig | Triple-rinsed or reconditioned | Fuel, solvent history |
| Nursery water | Rinsed or reconditioned | Cracked or dirty |
| Tree watering | Rinsed | Dirty or damaged |
None of these needs a food-grade bottle. All of them need a bottle you know the history of.
The local picture
Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties both have large agricultural sectors, from nurseries and tropical fruit in the south to vegetables and sugarcane in the north. Water use, fertilizer runoff and chemical handling are all regulated, and a tank on a farm is part of the paper trail. Keep a record of what each tote held and what it is used for.
Questions people ask
Can I use a tote that held fertilizer?
Yes, for the same or a compatible fertilizer, after a rinse.
What about herbicide totes?
Avoid. Residues harm plants.
How many totes does a nursery need?
It depends on the area and the schedule; start from the daily water use.
Can I put a tote in a greenhouse?
Yes, with a firm base and a screened cap.
Do I need a food-grade tote?
Not for plants.
Next stops
- Fertigation tanks from totesFertigation.
- Reconditioned IBC totesThe usual grade.
- Nurseries and GreenhousesFor nurseries.
The eight grades
Ask for grower totes
Say the job, the size and how many.
Prefer email? Write to info@miamiusedtotes.com. We do not post a phone number or a yard address.