For growers
Pumpkin and squash bins for the fall harvest
Pumpkin and squash bins are octabins. Growers on the metro's southern and western edge need them on site before the first pick, so the need-by date is the most important line on the request.
- Bin
- Octabin, 46 x 38 x 36 in
- Build
- 5‑wall or heavy 3‑wall
- Bottom
- Ventilated partial
- Put on the request
- Need-by date
Pumpkin bins, squash bins and watermelon bins are octagonal gaylords. The angled corners hold round, dense fruit without bulging, and a ventilated partial bottom lets air through. Growers in Carver, Scott and Dakota counties use them each fall.
Sizes and builds
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Standard bin | 46 x 38 x 36 in octabin on a 48 x 40 footprint |
| Walls | 5‑wall or heavy 3‑wall |
| Capacity on paper | Uline lists 2,200 lb for its new 46 x 38 x 36 octagon bulk bin |
| Bottom | Partial flap, ventilated, on a pallet |
| Used or new | Used bins are fine for a single season if dry; ask for Grade A or B |
The calendar
- Before the first pick: bins on site, off the ground, under cover.
- During harvest: bins fill and stack; storage is covered outdoors or in a shed.
- After: empties are single trip or one-season boxes; sell the dry ones, recycle the rest.
Covered outdoors is the weakest storage place in Stack Check. AICC says stacking strength often falls to about 50% of its potential once relative humidity passes 85%, which a covered stack outdoors in fall can reach. So we cap stacks hard for it.
| Scenario | Result | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 5‑wall Grade A bin, 900 lb, covered outdoors, 30 days | Do not stack | One more loaded box adds 930 lb on the bottom box, and the bottom box is allowed 765 lb. |
| 5‑wall Grade B bin, 900 lb, shed (heated), 30 days | Two high | 1 loaded box on top add 930 lb; the bottom box is allowed 1,275 lb. |
More: octabins, the harvest guide and produce growers.
Before you order bins for the field
Harvest bins live outdoors, in sun and sometimes rain, then stand in a shed or on a pad until they are loaded. The answer to "how many" depends on the daily pick, not the season total: bins fill, go to the shed, and come back empty only when a truck does the loop. If a truck makes two trips a day, you need the bins that two trips carry, plus a day of margin.
Say on the request how many acres or how many tons a day you expect, how many days the bins will sit full, and whether they stand on the ground or on pallets. A bin on bare ground draws moisture from below and loses strength faster than one on a pallet.
Questions, answered
How many bins do I need?
Divide your expected harvest weight by the load you plan per bin, and leave room: a bin loaded to the rated capacity cannot be stacked.
Request a quote
Or email info@minneapolisgaylords.com.
Sources and last reviewed
Facts on this page were last reviewed 2026-11-11.
- Uline: 46 x 38 x 36 triple wall octagon bulk bin: A maker's listing for the 46 x 38 x 36 octagon, with capacity, outside size and empty weight.
- AICC: strengthening corrugated against cold weather: Industry guidance on cold weather, condensation between temperature zones, and strength lost over 90 days under load.
- Container Exchanger: the gaylord box guide: A reseller's plain-language guide to gaylord sizes, walls, capacity ranges and bottoms.