hey guys well the title pretty much explains it all. how do you clean your used pots? steam? dish soap? some type of organic soap? i was thinking about using green sheild disinfectant on my pots, but it contains an algecide and im not sure if that would effect microbes at all. the stuff works great but im afraid to use it with containers im going to grow organic in. i mean ide rinse the pots out thoroughly, but i am unsure of using it in organic circumstances. http://betterplants.basf.us/product...shield-disinfectant-&-algicide-sell-sheet.pdf i know i listed some chemical soaps above, and this is the organic section, but im just curious as to what you guys use. or if you even clean them at all. are there any organic alternatives? dont worry i am not going to use anything to clean my pots for a few weeks until i need them; i am planning ahead. thanks
I use hot water and a no additives (no perfumes, etc) laundry detergent. It sits by my sink so is in easy reach. Very concentrated so I don't use a lot. Been doing it for years now.
dont mean to get off topic; i cant help but think of billy mays when i hear someone say "oxyclean" [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOmvdeNa67E]Billy Mays kaboom! dub - YouTube[/ame] lumperdawgz, do you think the greensheild product would have a negative impact on soil microbial life? i know any "icide" is bad, but i am curious to what your thoughts would be.
OSU The GreenShield is certainly harmless as far as ingredients, i.e. Organic Acetic Acid, Organic Soybean Oil, Peppermint, Organic Glycerin, Water Acetic acid - Vinegar Organic Soybean Oil - self explanatory Peppermint Extract - easily sourced Glycerin - Head over to Walgreens Water - go to kitchen sink It almost sounds like a salad dressing recipe but if it works there's absolutely nothing that would negatively impact the viability of the pots. HTH LD
Could I be the only one that does not wash pots? I empty the pots, let them dry. Then just refill next cycle. LD look at sun oxygen cleaner, it's oxi clean but cheaper. I use it in alcohol making......MiW
WeeDroid Actually the SmartPots are the easiest to clean and you want to do that between cycles to the extent possible. Keep in mind that the actual material used is made from post-consumer plastic which is why they don't and can't breakdown when they're used for long-term horticulture production - 3 - 5 years in some cases. With the SmartPots you simply take them down to a laundromat and toss them into the machine with some Oxyclean (or something similar) and let it run the full wash, rinse and spin cycle. When this is done they'll be dry and just like new. I've got some that are 6+ years old. HTH MI W Cool! I'll pick some up. Costco sells Oxyclean in a 10 lb. box for around $15.00 so it's definitely better than Safeway or Albertsons' prices but still. Thanks! LD
Me too!!! I used to soak my clay's in Physan-20 back when I had an orchid nursery, but not the plastic. Wet
I tend to go over board on certain things. In this case, when I started growing indoors, I really barely knew what I was doing. I cleaned my pots so that I could have a blank slate every grow cycle, thus ruling out one more potential variable affecting the outcome of that cycle. LD, thanks for the tips. I'm going to enjoy cleaning these pots.
You folks that are running organic soils and such don't have much to be concerned about on cleaning your pots. Where the problems arise is with chemical-based nutes (salts) have a definite reaction with the plastic pots used at nurseries - the standard black ones that we've all seen and maybe even used. That is why when and if a plant is transplanted into another pot, the original pot is added to the collection and when you get enough of them you either have them picked-up by people in the nursery pot recycling business or you can deliver them to the 2 nursery pot manufacturers in the valley. At the commercial level, re-using nursery pots just isn't worth the risk involved. The margins on nursery stock are small enough as it is without courting complete disaster. LD
All I have ever used to clean my pots is water. Never had any trouble here. Guess if I was going to use something else it would either be rubbing alcohol or h2o2.
I use dawn/bleach and rinse VERY well just to make sure I get everything bad that may be lurking then I wash again with H202 and once again rinse WELL. I actually let my stuff soak and rinse in water for about 10 minutes and then rinse again lol
Vinegar is an amazing natural cleaner, which can be used around the house replacing virtually every commercial product. 1:10 water ratio is a great mix. Lemon juice is also used in the same fashion. Clean pots? The only pots around here that cleaned are the ones in the kitchen. Way too lazy to wash garden pots. Has anyone ever directly experienced something negative from not washing them?
I'm trying to see where i can make my own pottery. I have years of experience with it since I was a kid so i figure make some containers with a lotta slits around them... it's just a matter of finding the art share place and having a few hundred $$$ in supply to burn through... else Im thinking about building an indoor garden bed.. possum style ... probably cheaper too but i figure in then i'll have to do 'one strain' per cycle...
hm... yeah I can see how there could be an issue. still perhaps there is a way. can ya help enlyten me on that one weedroid?
It's mostly a connivence issue for the grower. Plastic is a bit more neutral and no-reactive as well. However terra cotta (unglazed) does breath. Why not grow citrus trees in ceramic pots? - Citrus Forum - GardenWeb