Planting summer-blooming annual flowers in containers is an excellent way to enhance your porch, patio, or garden with vibrant colors throughout the season. Many annuals will continue to bloom all summer if they’re regularly watered and deadheaded. Some gardeners begin potting annuals in spring with pansies and other early bloomers, but this can be done anytime in summer. In the fall, you can introduce late bloomers like mums and asters. However, before planting annuals for any season in containers, it’s crucial to thoroughly clean your containers first.
Always ensure that you wash your containers thoroughly, whether they’re used or new. This applies to containers of any material, such as ceramic, terracotta, wood, metal, or plastic. The purpose is to eliminate any potentially harmful bacteria, fungi, or pathogens that might affect the health of the soil and your plants. Even brand-new containers might have chemical residues accumulated during shipment, while in storage, or from packaging.
Used containers should always be cleaned before reusing them. They may retain old soil fragments from previous seasons, which could cause diseases in both the new soil and your annual flowers. Used planters might also harbor pests, which could infect your new annuals if not properly removed. To be cautious, cleaning and lightly sanitizing planters thoroughly before adding new soil and plants should be part of your essential gardening tasks. This task is straightforward, but there are a few tips to make it easier.
How to clean planters
Cleaning your planters is relatively simple, but depending on how many you have, you’ll need to set aside some time to allow them to dry before adding soil and planting. This task is best performed outdoors, but for smaller pots, you might use your kitchen sink. You’ll need mild soap or bleach and a water source: a garden hose with a multi-setting spray nozzle is useful for this, as is a bucket for soaking.
First, gather all your planters, working in batches if necessary. Smaller pots can be placed in a bucket, pail, or washtub. Fill this with water and add a bit of mild soap, like Dawn Liquid Dish Soap. Let the pots soak briefly, then use a sponge to gently wash them inside and out. Some pots may require extra scrubbing, but remember that old terracotta pots look good with a bit of their aged patina left intact.
Rinse them off with a hose, and to fully disinfect, let them sit in a bleach solution (one part household bleach to nine parts water) for ten minutes. Be sure to thoroughly rinse afterwards to remove all traces of bleach. After washing and sanitizing, let pots dry thoroughly before adding soil. Planters made of terracotta or wood (like wooden whiskey barrels) will dry more slowly than metal or ceramic, so leaving them in a sunny spot will speed up the process. That’s it! You’re ready for planting annuals.
