Pots - to wash or not to wash?

[alan refail]

Before I say any more, let me make it clear that nothing of what follows is intended as advice. Rather I would be interested in other people's practice and experience.

All the plastic pots and modules I use for raising plants for planting out I "rescued"* from Leeds City Council's skips about fifteen years ago, when the parks staff disposed of them to landfill after a single use with bedding flowers.
At first I used to wash them each year in Armillatox solution, because I assumed that this was the "best practice". After 3 or four years laziness got the better hand and I have never sterilised or even washed them since. I have never noticed any ill effects.

Am I lazy, lucky or what?

* with the permission of Joe Maiden

[oldherbaceous]

My pots don't get washed either anymore, i used to religiously wash all of them in the depths of Winter, every year.
But one year i was laid up for a good while and failed to get them cleaned in time for the potting season, i too have experiened no ill effects, and this was six years ago.

If i did get a problem with any plants, i would make sure these pots are thoroughly cleaned for their next use.

[richard p]

dont think ive ever washed a plant pot, got better things to do,

[Johnboy]

Hi Alan,
If a pot is used and then laid up for the following season anybody would be extremely unlucky to have any difficulty with them. The difficulty is when you use a pot that housed a bought-in plant. The vast majority of my pots are second hand secured years ago from a company that specialised in tub work. (making flower arrangements for patio displays and the like)
When I initially bought them they were not exactly washed simply put into a solution of Jeyes Fluid for a day and hoicked out the following day.
Thereafter, unless there has been any problems with the plants growing, they have never been 'washed' again.
I have been severely criticised by several people and, I hasten to add, those who use about a couple of dozen pots a year. At the height of production here I had upwards of 150,000 pots in use and even to just dip these would be two weeks work and I would have to pay somebody because I could not afford the time.
To my knowledge I have never ever had any difficulty when reusing unwashed pots.
JB.

[alan refail]

Thanks the three of you

I was expecting criticism for re-using pots without washing them.

Despite my disclaimer in my first post, it looks as if I have been following "Best Practice" after all

[Tigger]

I'm a member of the non washing brigade too.

[macmac]

I'm now converted.My better half will take great delight in "I told you so!"
We spend many a happy time me putting pots outside the back door him putting them back in the shed unwashed...how will we fill our days??

[Primrose]

I don't wash my pots either. I must confess that it would be nice at the beginning of each growing season to put compost in immaculately clean pots instead of finding grubby bits of earth and dead spiders but life is just too short. I reckon gardeners have enough essential maintenance chores to cope with. However, if I'm bringing the pots indoors for some seeds to germinate on indoor window sills, I do wipe the outsides with a damp cloth, mainly to stop all the loose dirt falling off onto the trays on which they rest, in case it gets scattered onto the carpet.

[sally wright]

Dear All,
the only pots I wash are my seed trays and half pots used for cuttings and seed sowing. I have roughly 3-5000 pots on the go in any given year and have not had any problems. I don't bother to wash the cell trays I use either. I do however sort them and stack them so I know exactly how many new ones I need to nag my boss for!
Regards Sally Wright.

[Monika]

I do wash my pots and seed trays but only to the extent of hosing them down very thoroughly and then drying them in the sun. I did have a problem earlier this year with damping off, though - not sure whether that was "pot born" or "compost born" and had to treat with permanaganate of potash (oops, is that still allowed?) .

[oldherbaceous]

Well i'm not having Sally out doing me, i too sort out my pots into the varying sizes ready for each season.

[richard p]

i generally sort my pots into different shapes and sizes, they then stack better.
it also makes life easier when potting up similar seedlings, eg the tigerella tomatoes are in brown round pots, the yellow ones are in black round pots, the big tomatoes (cant remember the variety at the moment) are in square black pots... etc makes it more difficult to get plants mixed up.

[Elaine]

I don't wash pots either but I do sort them to size. I used to wash them and then thought, what's the point? I haven't the time or inclination these days to faff about like that and So far I haven't had any problems either. >touch wood<

[poppingjay]

...and to think I've just washed and disinfected about 1500 second-hand pots!

If only this thread had been started a week earlier

[Johnboy]

Hi Popinjay,
You were right to wash and disinfect the pots coming onto your plot because you have not got the foggiest idea what was grown in them prior to coming into your ownership. Next time you use them, if you have had no difficulties, then you will not need to wash and disinfect them. When I bought-in second hand pots they were not actually washed but immersed in a Jeyes Fluid solution for 24 hours. This immersion should kill off any nasties. The only actual washing was the act of immersion itself.
JB.