question on resusing pots

[annastasia76]

I am wanting to reuse the plastic pots, that come with multiple plants in them, that I got last year. Do I need to wash them first and if so how do I go about doing that, since they are a thin plastic and the cells are small it will be hard to get in them to clean them out.

[gumbo2176]

Truth be told, I've never washed out those type starter pots and use them as many times as I can before they fall apart.

Like you mentioned, the plastic is very thin and the cells are small. I feel as long as they've been empty of just about all soil and stored in a place that is not rampant with contamination, there likely is no problem re-using them like they are.

[treehopper]

rinsing with 1:10 bleach/water, let air dry-should be good to go.

[annastasia76]

what about all these pots, do they really have to be cleaned, as it more than likely I will have to reuse the same soil, or at the very least mix it with some clean soil. They were not filled with potting soil, can't afford that, instead what we did was mix it about 1/3 compost and the rest dirt, the plants seemed to do ok though not as good as in the ground. That being said what do you think I should do?

[img]https://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i222/mthb/white7.jpg[/img]

[gumbo2176]

what about all these pots, do they really have to be cleaned, as it more than likely I will have to reuse the same soil, or at the very least mix it with some clean soil. They were not filled with potting soil, can't afford that, instead what we did was mix it about 1/3 compost and the rest dirt, the plants seemed to do ok though not as good as in the ground. That being said what do you think I should do?

[img]https://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i222/mthb/white7.jpg[/img]

Chances are, most of the nutrients in that used yard dirt and compost mix is depleted. If you are adverse to using things like Miracle Gro or some other type plant fertilizer, I'd suggest you dump the soil in the pots, mix it with maybe a 50/50 compost to soil ratio and take it from there. Or you could brew some compost tea and use that to fertilize the plants once they are growing in the pots. Check out the composting portion of this site and there are many recipes for Compost Teas.

[annastasia76]

I bought some Kellogg, it says natural and organic, 4-6-3

[rainbowgardener]

I do rinse out all the little thin cells. Just make a big tub of soapy water and soak them in it, then rinse in a bucket of clean water and air dry.

The big containers I dump all the soil together in a wheel barrow or something, add a similar amount of fresh soil/potting soil/ compost. Mix it all together and repot everything. This recharges the soil, otherwise as noted the nutrients get depleted. Unless the plant that was in it was diseased, I don't really try to clean those pots.

[GardenGnome]

Got people near by with goats,chickens,horses,cows. Or call a place near by with a stable
Try cragslist for manure all it cost me for 2 trailers full of sawdust/wood shavings and horse manure was $25(for gas and the place charged $5 to load a tractor for us) and some starter plants. Just ask them how long its been sitting there. You want it to be lying around for atleast 2 months.

[annastasia76]

actually there is a place where I can get a truckload of compost for $12 but we no longer have the truck so I have no way of getting it here. I would buy the bagged stuff but it's outrageously expensive.