Scrubbing out the propagators

I srcubbed clean my propagators at the weekend, then gave them a final rinse with Citrox, all ready for the new season

Which reminded me, over on Kitchen Garden forum I was surprised to read that lots of people don't even bother to wash plant pots at all. Some washed just pots thet were "imported", i.e., ones that plants were bought in. Now, my dad is the sort who "sterilises" everything - which involved dunking them in Jeyes fluid. I remember as a kid "helping" in the process by stacking them up to dry in great pyramids.

Now, I don't do the Jeyes bit, but still wash plant pots each year with just a little washing up liquid, usually "helped" similarly by C-H junior. Propagators get a rinse with CItrox for good measure.

What does everyone else do ? Sterilise, wash, wash only imported containers, or nothing at all ? I'd hate to think I'm wasting my time, but have nagging doubts...

CW has had some good notes on cleaning pots. In a "What have I done in polytunnel" thread I think? She recommends lavender oil in the wash as a mild antiseptic.

I have no such problems, usually, as many of my pots don't survive one year to the next from all of the "help" I get between garden and shed. That's where the bikes are parked too, you know, lol.

We don't sterilise or wash anything. I dip the ends of bamboo canes in Jeyes fluid to preserve them overwinter but that's about it really.

I occasionally have a purge and wash the pots (just like the way I occasionally have a blitz on the windows, or the dusting...). There just isn't time for me to be as thorough as I'd like to be. What I do to avoid disease is if I've just emptied some seedlings or a plant out of a pot, I make sure I use it for a completely different variety of plant.

I dry brush pots , trays, gravel trays etc then wash pots and seed trays with warn water, which has a bit of wash up liquid in and some Lavender Essential oil.

I also wash the cloches, proagtors etc with this soap/lavender mix.

I then rinse off the soap and leave to dry ( ideally in the sun as it sterilises !)

I wash gravel trays in water or just put them out in the rain and then let the sun sterilise them, as well.

I wash the inside and outside of the polytunnel, usually when it is raining, to save water.

I use a separate set of tools once the growing season has started for inside the polytunnel AND I change my boots/outer clothes etc if I have been in the veg patch so as not to spread blight into the PT from outside.

Once we get into Smith period weather...I even get Cm to do the veg patch and I do the PT and he is banned from entering it.

Hope this helps...