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Post by daylilydude on May 9, 2018 4:58:46 GMT -5
Do you give them a good cleaning before putting them away, or do you just give them a good rinsing before using them in the beginning of seed starting? What do you use to clean them with?
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Post by paulf on May 9, 2018 7:26:53 GMT -5
Clean at seed starting time. A 10%bleach solution in our laundry room sink and soak, rinse and use.
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Post by brownrexx on May 9, 2018 7:27:14 GMT -5
I use a sheet of those cell packs and it only costs $1.29 to buy it new so I get a new one each year. I don't grow hundreds of plants so I only use one per year.
I pot up into 4" plastic pots which are a bit more sturdy so I just give them a rinse from the hose before putting them away for the winter. They are stored outside in a shed so they are exposed to freezing temperatures. I have been using the same ones for years and I have never had a problem. I figure that the soil that they will be planted into in the garden is not sterile so I don't worry about the pots since the plants that used them last year had no diseases.
I DO think that it's important to start seeds in clean, sterile pots and sterile soil though which is one reason that I use brand new cell packs.
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stone
Pro Member
Posts: 170
Zone:: 8
Favorite Vegetable:: Bambi
Joined: December 2011
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Post by stone on May 9, 2018 8:52:15 GMT -5
I start my seeds in gallon size containers or larger... Multiple seeds in a pot... The plants can be separated when large enough to handle, keeping those tiny pots watered correctly is a non-starter. Clean? Knock the soil out of pot... Clean enuf.
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Post by pepperhead212 on May 9, 2018 9:00:55 GMT -5
I just rinse them out, nothing special, let them dry, then stack away. I have never had any problems with damping off, or anything like that (KOW). I try to dispose of as little plastic as possible, so I reuse as much as I can, but there are those occasional ones that tear.
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Post by september on May 9, 2018 9:29:49 GMT -5
Just rinse them out (if I have time) for better stacking for storage. Sometimes I use them as is if I am in a hurry. I've never had damping off on seedlings, either. If I ever had early disease, I might be more careful, but there are always spores and bacteria in the air and soil everywhere as part of the natural environment. All my problems blow in on the wind much later in the season well after plants are in the ground.
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Post by Laura_in_FL on May 9, 2018 9:45:59 GMT -5
Rinse them out, let dry in the sun, then put away.
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Post by paquebot on May 9, 2018 21:11:16 GMT -5
If one doesn't buy diseased plants, no need for any precautions. I only rinse, sometimes, and stack outside on a picnic table just for such things. Rain generally washes them and sun kills any pathogens.
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
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Post by octave1 on May 10, 2018 7:22:40 GMT -5
I rinse starter pots when I am ready to use them. They are never too dirty anyway.
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