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Reusing pots

LUCKYDOG

LUCKYDOG

This year in CT the tomato season is horrible alot of blight and extensive rain made the season a wash IMO -- I had 3 plants in large pots that I uprooted them and tossed and will be in tomorrows trash pickup. Coincidently I have 3 Rocottos that are doing supper in smaller pots and I am thinking of washing out the other pots and plant up to these larger pots - My questions are is emptying and rinsing enough to reuse these pots? and these plants have peppers on them will transplanting effect them and the growth... I am really looking forward to these peppers and hopefully I will have some before winter this year --

any suggestions appreciated

Mike
 
You might want to use some soap or bleach to wash your pots with. I usually don't bother but its a good practice to get into.
I never have any problems transplanting plants with peppers on, and I'm potting up continously.
 
The roots didnt look bad but the plants and tomatoes were horrible --

I wasnt sure if washing with bleach or soap would lend to adverse problems when transplanting and the Rocottos could use a new home

Thanks
 
Wash them out with a bleach solution, then rinse the heck out of them.
I do this to my pots all the time, no ill effects.
 
I wash my nursery pots by hand once in the spring, anything that is small enough goes in the dishwasher. All my solo cups are washed and recycled.
 
I always boil my hydro plastic net pots with no harm.

Whether it distorts depends upon type of plastic, but it is a good point.
 
You want to use a ten percent bleach solution. I've read a few articles and studies on it, and any less OR more bleach reduces the efficacy of the solution. This is one of those instances where more is not necessarily better. As for rinsing- liquid bleach is very easily rinsed away with cold water. As MrArboc says, it's easy to tell when you're done rinsing, because it stops smelling. If you grow in a greenhouse, it's a good idea to spray down the entire insides with a 10% solution prior to starting your season- this will destroy EVERYTHING in a greenhouse, including fungus spores, slug and aphid eggs, and, unfortunately, beneficials. But hey, I'd much rather nuke the greenhouse from orbit and then repopulate it with storebought ladybugs than battle everything else all the damn time. It's the only way to be sure. When you get done, just use the garden hose to rinse it all down.

10% bleach solution = 1 part bleach, 9 parts water.
  • For a small amount in a spray bottle, mix 1/4 cup bleach with 2 1/4 cups water
  • For a gallon, mix 1 1/2 cups bleach with 14 1/2 cups water
 
i've never rinsed out a pot. in fact I leave most of the soil in them and top them up with new mixtures and they're the best methods of growth I've ever had.

It probably is smarter to wash them out though to ensure there are no problems.
 
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