Cleaning Terra-Cotta Pots

Grow It! : Episode GRW-511 -- More Projects »
PHOTO

Figure A
Adding fertilizer to potted plants is great for the plants, but it can cause unsightly stains on clay containers. Because the pots are porous, mineral deposits are drawn from the soil and absorbed in the clay. Those deposits are not only ugly (figure A) but can also harbor disease, so it's important to wash the containers before introducing new plants.

Here's what you do:

  1. Soak the pot for at least 24 hours in a large plastic bucket with a solution of 1 part bleach and 9 parts water. (The longer you soak pots, the easier they'll be to clean.) If you're cleaning a large pot, fill a bathtub or a garbage can with cleaning solution, and submerge the dirty pot.
PHOTO

Figure B
  • Scrub the inside of the pot with a wire brush (figure B); you may need a knife to remove especially gummy deposits.
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    Figure C
  • Once the pot is thoroughly cleaned, soak it for 15 minutes in a bucket of clear water to remove traces of bleach that could harm plants. Just look at the difference (figure C)!
    • Guests
    Jennifer Russell
    Former Sales Representative, American Soil Products
    URL: www.americansoil.com
    Also in this Episode
    Grow It! : Episode GRW-511
    •Spotlight Garden
    •Hydroponic Gardening
    •Cleaning Terra-Cotta Pots
    •Q&A: Discourage Burglary
    •Euphorbia