Pot Recycle Poll

same as majority here: scrub, bleach, dry, reuse.....

Didn't get to vote, but I clean and reuse them. I never reuse them for other orchids however. I clean and sanitize them so as I can put other plants in them. ^^

It depends on what was in it to an extent, but mainly on the material. Plastic I just rinse in hot water; I don't think I've ever reused clay pots except to put a division of the same plant into--I'm not a huge fan of clay, since I'm a horrendous underwaterer.

Rob

If you are very paranoid clay pots can be reused for other plants... I put some succulents in old clay pots today, looking realy cute compared to in the shop pots.

I just use neat bleach and a stiff brush, , rinse under the hose, dry in the sun then stack in the garage away from dirt and bugs... it will probably be weeks to months before reuse, so I think it is quite safe... half my plants are sick anyway, and the other half probably just hideing it.

well, there is not a one answer for me.
Most plastic pots I throw out, unless I am dividing the plant and the piece I am keeping goes back into the same pot. I don't use it for a different plant.

Clay I dish wash and then bake in the oven. I also will reuse without any thing if I am putting the same plant back into the pot.

I put plastic pots in a bleach solution (10%ish) for a few hours and dry and reuse. I soak clay pots in the same bleach solution to clean them up and kill any algae/fungus and I then scrub them and bake in the oven at 500F for at least an hour.

I haven't reused any pot at all, but this go in the oven idea is fantastic. 400 for 30 minutes and voila, buggies dead. Good stuff!
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An alternative method that is use to ensure that I do not cause problems for the plant roots with residue from solutions such as bleach and other cleaning products, particularly when used on porous clay materials, is to clean and sanitize then set them aside in a recycling regime that leaves at least six months in between re-use. I think that can also help with the transmission of most plant ailments as well since most of them would not survive that long in the unused pot.

i bleach everything. tools, bench, pots, walls, hands. I clean my plant nutrient bottles with Calcium Hypochlorite though.

Back when I had 3 orchids, I was looking for clay pots. I put an ad in Craig's list, and got a call from a guy who said he had "about 50".I drove over, and bought the pile for $20. I took them home , and hosed them down. There were 187 orchid pots plus 4 or 5 decorator pots, and one snake in the pile. I soaked all in a Physon 20 solution,except the snake.I set him loose.(I did break the pot he was in, as I dropped it).