Spring and early summer are optimal gardening times. Whether you’re starting seeds in a garden, planting seedlings in pots, or just experimenting with a tomato plant in your backyard, many people are beginning to think about their time outside and nurturing a green thumb. If you’re about to reuse an old pot to plant something new this season — you’ll want to do this crucial first step: Get it completely clean.
“Cleaning your garden pots before planting is more important than what most gardeners might think,” says Charley Fisher, owner of Urban Garden Plants in Houston.
Why You Should Always Clean a Planter
Cleaning an old pot or planter before using it again is often overlooked — but it’s a crucial step to ensure healthy growth from your plant. “While it can feel like an unnecessary chore, skipping this step could lead to big problems for your seedlings,” Fisher says. While reusing planters and garden containers is the right step in sustainable gardening practices, dirty and used pots can potentially wreak havoc on the new growth that you plant in the pot.
There are a couple of reasons why cleaning garden pots is essential. First, bacteria or fungus can be hiding in pots. “Used pots often carry hidden threats like bacteria that cause root rot or fungal spores from diseases like damping-off that can wipe out seedlings almost overnight,” Fisher explains. Even if a pot looks clean, pathogens can linger in any leftover soil. For instance, Fisher says that mold and algae are common in damp conditions or humid climates, and they’ll feed on the nutrients in the soil.
The second reason you need to clean out your pot or planter? Pest eggs and larvae can get left behind. “Tiny critters like fungus gnat eggs or spider mite larvae can overwinter in pots and reappear just when you don’t want them to,” she says.
Credit: Photour.1904/Shutterstock Credit: Photour.1904/Shutterstock
How to Clean a Planter
Luckily, cleaning your pots is easy. Below, Fisher shares how to clean a planter before you’re able to reuse it.
Gather all the pots you plan to use. You might also want to clean your garden pruners, head clippers, and any other garden tools during this time, too.
Brush off dirt and debris. Start by brushing off any old dirt, dried roots, or plant debris stuck to the inside and outside of the pot with a stiff-bristle brush,” Fisher says.
Make a cleaning solution. Fisher likes to use a 30-gallon storage container (you can also use a bucket) and a bleach-water solution (one part bleach with nine parts water). “The bleach-water ensures that any microorganisms in the pots are eliminated and the pot is clean and sanitized,” Fisher shares. Alternatively, you can use equal parts vinegar and water if you prefer to not use bleach.
Let your pots soak. Add your pots to the storage container or bucket and let the pots soak. If using the bleach-water solution, let it soak for 10 to 15 minutes. If you’re using vinegar and water, let it soak for 30 minutes.
Rinse the pots. Make sure to rinse your pots thoroughly with clean water.
Dry the pots. Let the pots air-dry out in the sun.
Although there’s no 100% guarantee that your plants, flowers, or vegetables will grow beautifully, this is one way to set it up with the best foundation for success. Cleaning your pots increases the possibility of a healthy sprouting seed, seedling, or plant. And for the brown thumbs out there, don’t forget to water and give the right amount of sunshine, which are bare essentials for plants in containers or pots.
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