Why it’s good practice to thoroughly clean containers
Many plant diseases and pests can overwinter in the small amount of soil that might be stuck to your container. Some can leave survival structures and spores right on the surface. While you would surely notice a vole or shrew hiding in the bottom of your pot, other issues like harmful fungi, bacteria, or eggs aren’t so easy to spot.
The risks of not sanitizing containers before reusing
Soil-borne pests can rise again, coming out of dormancy to infect your new plants and cause trouble. Insects, fungi, and other plant parasites may wait in debris stuck on your pots. Pythium is a common plant pest that causes root rot. Rhizoctonia is a genus of fungi that can cause root rot, damping off, and leaf blights.
Cleaning Solution Recommendations
You won’t need any complex chemicals to get the job done. Household bleach is one of the easiest, least expensive, and most effective ways to sanitize your reused potting containers. Regular liquid dish soap helps to loosen stuck deposits and dissolve salts and residues.
Other household cleaners can also be effective if you have only a few pots to clean. Common household general purpose cleaner sprays like you would use on your counter or bathroom may work fine, but bleach is the standard method.
Alcohol solutions like rubbing alcohol are excellent for sterilizing pruning tools between plant tasks, but the volume needed for sanitizing pots isn’t practical.
Considerations for different materials: terracotta vs. plastic
Plastic pots and glazed pottery containers are non-porous. In contrast, terra cotta and clay containers are porous, meaning they aren’t impervious to soaking up water. Terra cotta pots will benefit from a longer soak time, however, a diluted household bleach solution will work for both.
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