Re-use of smart pots

[PankFlamingoMon]

For the past year I have been only using Smart Pots. I wanted to get some feedback on how everyone washes there pots and drys them? Please break down the products and methods you use it will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Pank

 

[Darth Fader]

empty them a day or two after chop
let them dry completely
take them outside, knock off any big chunks, pull off all dry roots
hand wash, scrub w/ soap in 5 gal bucket
refill bucket w/ water& give them a good rinse
let dry

Yes, this is a PITA but I don't want a washing machine full of coco bits. It probably won't help if you use large smartpots, but I've found that 9x9 square netpots are fairly equivalent to the 2 gal smartpots and will air-prune just as well and grow plants just as big. They're also far to clean & reuse and cheaper too. All netpots for me next run.

 

[xX Kid Twist Xx]

i do the same as darth fader. take the root ball out let them dry turn them inside out and hit and pull all the stuff out of them. i never bothered to rewash them but i only will use them 2x's as they start to lose thier firmness a bit and the top flaps over and water runs all over the place when i water. i also thread string thru them to tie branches so i just couldn't keep using them

 

[cocoJoe]

but I don't want a washing machine full of coco bits.

uh huh! :)

 

[homebrew420]

had a friend that washed his at the laundry mat. After doing the same procedure listed above. I thought that was a bit funny considering other folk use these too. But it saved them a ton of time considering they were doing about 10 at a time.

Hey Pank hit me up with a call when you get a chance.

Peace

 

[Fred]

Turn it inside out and brush off the inside with a hand broom and thats it...

Should I really do more?

washing machine is out of question for me.

fred

 

[mrdizzle]

you dont need to do shit but refill them, its not like your doing open heart surgery in them they are just gonna be more plants

 

[Buddy Hemphill]

I took mine and put them all in a big trash can with pesticides.

Then threw them in another trash can full of clean water to rinse.


I just got rid of root aphids. I figure the worse thing in the pots is a straggling bug of some sorts...so I nuked them.

I dont care about a little dirt...just more going right back in. I just wanted to sterilize mine against any bugs.

 

[Darth Fader]

Yeah, pretty much what most are saying ... doesn't have to be "laundry fresh" clean, just wanna get off & kill off any nasty - the outsides of mine are white from salt-buildup, myco fungus, and/or whatever. And that's why I'm pretty much finished with them - PITA. Then again, messy coco is getting to be a PITA to me sometimes too (thinking of trying hugos) so could just be lazy grower syndrome kicking in.

 

[Smokey503ski]

I get a great discount from the laundry mat down the street. At first they were like what the fuck? After having a few friends bring theres to them also, I get 20 20gal pots dry cleaned for $25 they even stitch them back up for me if they tare or if I put holes in them.
They come back brand new like, Folded and neatly put away. I likey

 

[baba G]

Dump em out and replant! Use some zym of some sort or something else if your worried about pathogens...myco and compost tea and zyms will do the trick. Washing machines and scrubbing em is way too much work for a plant that sat inside for 2months and was babied...lol

 

[Buddy Hemphill]

Dump em out and replant! Use some zym of some sort or something else if your worried about pathogens...myco and compost tea and zyms will do the trick. Washing machines and scrubbing em is way too much work for a plant that sat inside for 2months and was babied...lol

...unless you had pests....then not cleaning them well would be a fuggup...

 

[baba G]

True, luckily I've been pest free for several years now...key is not taking cuts from clubs nor sloppy gardners...and preventative treatments occasionally. But out of curiousity lets say you had pests, what would you do to take care of that? Dunk your smartpots in azamax/azatrol solution? I mean we are here to help solve the question on how to go about re-using smartpots, not picking about people's post that are just sharing their experiences.

 

[baba G]

LOL, i re-read part of the thread and you did contribute...sorry for being a nitpicker...lol
I'm gonna blame it on that kief i'm puffing, take care Buddy Hemphill

 

[PankFlamingoMon]

The Zymes work like a charm on my pots that I had organic soil mix's in. Pots look damn near new:). As for the pots that I fed salt based nutes to it's a whole other story. Anyone have a recommendation on a product that disolves salts? Thanks everyone for your input and time. Be Ez Pank Mon