Materials Needed: bleach or hydrogen peroxide, scrub brush, rubber gloves
I have always loved the look of mold and calcium buildup on my terra cotta pots. Unfortunately that wonderful patina can mean unsanitary growing conditions for your potted plants. Give your plants their best chance for growth by sterilizing your clay and terra cotta pots before you plant. This easy process will help eliminate the possibility of fungal or bacterial diseases that may develop.
Soak the pot(s) in a solution of ten parts water to one part bleach or hydrogen peroxide. I like to use my kitchen sink but you can use a plastic bucket or basin. Allow the pots to soak for a minimum of 3 hours or you can leave them in the solution overnight if you prefer. After the pots have soaked, put on your rubber gloves and use a stiff bristled scrub brush to thoroughly scour the pot, inside and out. Rinse the pot and allow it to dry.
Your pots are now ready, and your new plants will have a great growing season!
Good advice, any ideas on how to sterilize my compost dirt? I’m having problems with weeds and bugs.
You’ve inspired my next post! I started to write a response and three paragraphs later, I thought I’d better just do a post instead. Look for it sometime over the weekend. Here’s a preview of what I’ll cover: to get rid of weed and bugs in compost you can pasteurize, sanitize or annihilate. I’ll cover the advantages & disadvantages of each and tell you how to do them. Thanks for the inspiration! 🙂
I barely wash my dishes! ….kidding…. Wonderful advice!
Hahaha, just toss the dishes in with the pottery! 😉
There you go! 🙂