Reusing plastic pots....

PunkRoquefort

I have never washed out used plastic pots before using them again.

Should I wash them to reduce the risk of spreading diseases?

fatbelly

I generally do but it's more for appearance. A light scrub with warm soapy water and they're as good as new.

PunkRoquefort

Thank you.

As far as I am aware, none of my plants or seeds have suffered disease.

I read recently that pots should be washed.

LessImpecunious

You probably don't need to - see http://www.nodiggardener.co.uk/2014/04/garden-myths-discussed-do-you-need-to.html

-taff

I am a dirty pot !!!!!!. I've never washed a pot in twenty odd years. You[ve got to be very unlucky to infect something at pot stage, but then, I reuse the littler ones, the big ones tend to be occupied for a while..

Dustyevsky

I don't wash pots, but I probably choose cleaner-looking ones for seed sowing. I don't expect the medium I'm sowing into to be sterile, so why would a pot with minute amounts of dirt adhering to it be a problem? Some seeds actually need their protective coating broken-down by physical and/or biological action in order to germinate.

When a plant dies in a pot and appears to have rotted-away at the root, it's usually because the pot's been over-watered.

Farway

I don't wash pots either, just a knock to remove any dry stuff sticking to the sides, and it's good to go

My grandfather was a gardener at the Big House [actually it was Carpenders Park] and reckoned washing plant pots was a winter job dreamt up because the toffs hated the thought of paying plebs to sit on their bums when weather, like snow, frozen ground etc made gardening impossible

twopenny

I don't wash but do put them in sunlight and  use a brush to sweep out any soil left.

ArbitraryRandom

Assuming, of course, you don't mean yogurt pots that you're giving a second life  

Murphybear

I don’t wash pots, I reuse them.  I stopped buying ceramic pots because they are heavy and expensive.  Some friends bought me a beautiful rose in a ceramic pot for my 65th birthday.  Sadly I got up one morning to find the pot broken.  The rose was ok so I replanted it in a big plastic pot.  It’s doing fine.  We live in a mild part of the country, snow is rare.  

I also do something which may be frowned upon in many circles.  I reuse my pot compost.  I take out any stones and suspicious looking plants then dig it over and put in fertiliser in pellets.  I’ve not had a problem yet, my flowers, strawberries and tomatoes are coming along a treat.  

Dustyevsky

Murphybear said:

I also do something which may be frowned upon in many circles.  I reuse my pot compost.  I take out any stones and suspicious looking plants then dig it over and put in fertiliser in pellets.  I’ve not had a problem yet, my flowers, strawberries and tomatoes are coming along a treat.  

Why would this be frowned-upon? Nature does it all the time!  Adding a chemical fertiliser is a departure from nature's way of restoring fertility, but re-using the medium, preferably for a different plant, is good for the planet.