How to Re-Use Your Garden Pots

Don't trash that yogurt cup: Rinse it, bleach it and seed it.

Whether you plant new annuals every year or get your garden supplies at the thrift store, you're probably reusing pots and flats, which is a great idea. It reduces manufacturing and the pollution that results from it. It also eases the burden of our overfilled landfills and it saves you money. Recycling your planters only poses a problem when you don't clean them properly, a simple process that typically takes an hour or less.

Things You'll Need

• Scouring pad, as needed
• Dishwashing gloves
• Large tub
• Water
• Bleach
• Dishtowel
• Sterile potting mix

Instructions

1. Dump all soil out of your pots and scrape any residue off the inside walls of your pots. Use a scouring pad if debris is stuck. Throw the soil away. Set the pots aside.

2. Put your gloves on. Fill a large tub with nine parts water and one part bleach. Use your bathtub if you don't have a plastic tub handy.

3. Put your empty planters in the tub of bleach solution. If they float to the top, weigh them down with large rocks from your garden. Small pebbles could get away and clog the bathtub's drain. Let the pots soak for 30 minutes to give the bleach enough time to kill potential pathogens.

4. Drain the tub and dry your planters with a dishtowel or set them on a counter to air-dry.

5. Fill the planters with sterile potting mix when you are ready to start gardening. If you have clay pots, soak them in plain water for 10 minutes first to prevent their porous walls from sucking up soil moisture.

6. Sow your seeds and plant your seedlings according to the requirements of the species and variety.

Tips & Warnings

• Disinfect and recycle other potential planters: yogurt cups, milk jugs or margarine tubs.

References

• Iowa State University Extension; "Cleaning and Disinfecting Plant Containers"; Sherry Rindels; March 16, 1994
• If Plants Could Talk: Reusing Plastic Pots