Cleaning flower pots regularly not only increases the durability of the pots. Thorough cleaning also eliminates germs.
Clay flower pots can easily get unsightly stains. These are usually caused by too little or too much water, but also by very hard water. But that's not the only reason why you should clean your flower pots. Because diseases such as mildew, bacteria and mold can also settle in the flower pot. If you then use the pot for a new plant, it can happen that it is attacked and dies.
In general it is not a problem to use a flower pot again after a flower disease, but it is always better to prepare it for the new plant so that it is not only clean but also germ-free. We would like to tell you exactly how to do this correctly below.
How to properly clean flower pots
Mostly clay pots are used in the garden. But you should also always thoroughly clean and disinfect plastic pots and pots made of all other materials. You can do this as follows:
❍ Wire Brush and Potato:
The wire brush is an important tool for cleaning clay flower pots. This is the best way to prepare the pot for cleaning. Scrub the outside and inside of the pot first to loosen old soil and limescale stains.
Alternatively rub the pot with half a potato and then scrub again. Because the potato starch helps the dirt dissolve better.
❍ Oven:
You can use the oven as an aid for clay pots (but not for glass or plastic pots). Just make sure you put a completely dry pot in the oven because if it's still wet it may crack.
Simply place the pot in the oven heated to 90 degrees for 15 minutes. The lime dissolves so much better. You also have the bonus of removing germs and fungus.
❍ Bleach:
Another way to disinfect a flower pot is to soak it in a 10% solution of bleach and water for an hourlay. To do this, put on gloves and rub the solution into the pot with a sponge. After that, however, the pot has to dry properly before it can be used again.
❍ Vinegar:
You can also clean the pots with vinegar. This not only dissolves limescale, but also makes the pots germ-free. To do this, simply put a bucket of water with vinegar essence in a ratio of 1:4 and rub the pots thoroughly with it.
After each cleaning, the pot should be rinsed thoroughly with clear water so that no residues of the cleaning agent remain in it. Because this can be critical for plants, because the acidity of vinegar, for example, is unfavorable for some plants and can even damage them.
Prepare flower pots properly for winter
When you plant your garden plants, remember to winterize the planters. If possible, remove the plants and place them in a plastic pot with new soil. After that, the clay and terracotta pots are cleaned, scrubbed and placed in the shed or basement. Because clay in particular can crack in winter when the damp material freezes. If you have beautiful and expensive pots, that would really be a pity.
Alternatively, if the plants are too big, simply wrap the pot in protective materials before winter. Suitable for this are:
- Jute Bags
- Coconut Mats
- Straw
- pine branches
- bubble wrap
The more layers you wrap around the pot, the better it is, but also protects the roots of the plant from the cold.