Reusing of garden containers - necessary to disinfect?

[Geila]

Do you guys actually do the washing and disinfecting of pots before reusing them? I read that I'm supposed to scrub them out, wash with soap and then bleach them before I reuse them for new plants. That seems like a lot of unnecessary work. I mean, they're full of dirt, and they will be full of new dirt (or potting soil), so why go through all that trouble? :confused: Will my plants really suffer if I don't?

[iris lilies]

Do you guys actually do the washing and disinfecting of pots before reusing them? I read that I'm supposed to scrub them out, wash with soap and then bleach them before I reuse them for new plants. That seems like a lot of unnecessary work. I mean, they're full of dirt, and they will be full of new dirt (or potting soil), so why go through all that trouble? :confused: Will my plants really suffer if I don't?
Nope. I dont clean them.

[herbgeek]

No here. I ain't got time for that.

[jp1]

No, but now that we're currently getting enough rain for the first time in years I've currently got some of the trough ones that are spontaneously growing a random assortment of various flowers, veggies, herbs that we had grown in the past.

[rosarugosa]

Never, not even once in my entire life. :)

[Birdie]

I do, when I am starting seedlings. If I am transplanting a full sized plant I don't.

Fungus in the leftover soil can kill your plants, so if you are concerned about that, wash and bleach your pots.

[CathyA]

It all depends on what you used them for last, and if the previous plant had diseases (like Birdie said).
If you're just talking about flowers, I probably wouldn't worry, unless the previous flowers had something funky going on.

[Gardenarian]

I never have. I just scrub them out and put them in the sun to dry, no bleach or anything.