Houseplant hacks: is it eco-friendly or risky to reuse nursery pots?
You want to garden sustainably but don’t want to transfer pests to new plants. Here’s how to decide whether to refill or recycle
TL;DR
- Plastic nursery pots accumulate, leading to waste.
- Reusing pots can transfer pests, fungus spores, or disease.
- Clean pots thoroughly with hot, soapy water, scrubbing all surfaces.
- Disinfect pots that housed diseased or infested plants with a 1:9 bleach-to-water solution.
- Dry pots completely and check for cracks or brittleness.
- Recycle pots when they begin to break down or have housed unhealthy plants.
- Many nursery pots are already made from recycled plastic.