Cleaning and/or sterilizing trays etc.

[tam91]

This will be my second year starting from seed. So, last year all my trays, pots, etc. were new.

Now, with *wonderful* planning and time management, I am now outside shivering cleaning up my seed starting trays and stuff.

I didn't have any diseases in the greenhouse last year other than some "crud". What I've done so far is, dump out any dried bits of dirt clinging to trays/pots, and rinsed them off so that they look clean.

I'm wondering - do I need to bleach them? And if I do bleach them, do I need to rinse them off afterwards? (nothing will be planted for several months)

I have seed starting trays and inserts. Also, pots that I will pot up into, and carrier trays to hold puts and styrofoam cups.

[fortyonenorth]

I'd clean with a 10% bleach solution and then rinse thoroughly - that goes for anything with which the seedlings may come in contact. 100% necessary? I don't know, but I figure it's better to be safe than sorry. I've never had any damping off or significant loss at the seedling stage.

[mdvpc]

I use bleach usually. Sometimes I put them in the dishwasher also with a little bleach instead.

[tam91]

OK, I guess bleach it is - I wouldn't want to take any chances.

I just have to be careful, as I have a septic system - ideally do this outside (brrr), as the septic system doesn't like too much bleach. Sigh.

[hillbillyBob]

always bleach when you can

[fortyonenorth]

I usually fill-up a Rubbermaid tub and then dump it in the neighbor's yard when I'm done. (just kidding - about the neighbor, anyway)

[tam91]

Sounds good, I was thinking of the rubbermaid tub idea. Fun fun.

Note to self: Next year, do this in summer!

[tjg911]

i wash all my containers no matter what size with 10% bleach but i do it in late august or early september when i won't be starting any more seedlings. at least it is warm out then. i use the outside faucet and dump the bleach/water under the deck where nothing grows.

tom

[tam91]

Yes, August or September would have been a much better plan. Well, next year...

[Keiththibodeaux]

I pull the stuff out of storage, rinse off the dust with the hose, then spray down thoroughly with a 25 percent bleach solution. Let is sit a few minutes, then rinse down with the garden hose again. In over 10 years, I have yet to have a damping off or other disease issue when using this method.

[Elizabeth]

I am not able to use bleach - I have this itsy bitsy issue with it...my throat closes and breathing gets difficult within moments of exposure. Is there anything else that will work for sterilizing that won't necessitate my using an epi pen and taking a trip to the emergency room?

I need to figure out something, not just for seedlings but for plastic sprout jars too - my last few sprout crops have died an early death - I think the containers are contaminated with something that hot water and dish soap won't cure, and I sure don't want that to happen with my seedlings next year (I was using all new this year as well since my old stuff got thrashed in a move).

[Father'sDaughter]

Originally Posted by Elizabeth

I am not able to use bleach - I have this itsy bitsy issue with it...my throat closes and breathing gets difficult within moments of exposure. Is there anything else that will work for sterilizing that won't necessitate my using an epi pen and taking a trip to the emergency room?

Not sure if it will be as effective as bleach for killing whatever might have contaminated your seed starting containers, but check out some of the products offered at home brew supply places. They have alternative sterilizing agents for prepping brewing equipment and bottles.

[carolyn137]

Fact is that I have never used bleach on my seed pans or even the plastic 4-pak inserts that I use when I transplant from the seed pans to standard nursery trays, and they never were treated with anything either.

I don't see how and diseases would cling to the sides and bottoms of seed trays, pots or whatever. If there is damping off in the seed trays, maybe, but otherwise I just can't envision it. Use a porper mix for seed starting and you aren't going to see damping off and mixes are not contaminated with systemic diseases and foliage diseases are transmitted via air and in raindrops or with irrigation.

And I used to raise about 500-700 plants each season with no problems whatsoever.

I just banged the mix out of the seed trays on some hard object to get rid of any clinging mix and did the same with the inserts but more gently b'c they were more fragile and I did use them for several years before they started to crack.

My commercial friend Charlie used new inserts every year and his seed sowing system was a mechanical one that none of us would have.

So while I don't see the necessity for using bleach as several of you above have said, I made my decision based on the fact that I never had any diseases, so no carryover problems, but perhaps some of you have had that problem.

And Charlie raised ALL of his many thousands of tomato plants in greenhouses and he didn't have any problems either.

So just a different perspective from me.

But I would like to know which specific tomato diseases some of you think you're preventing with bleach treatment of seed starting pans and pots and inserts? Just curious.

[tam91]

I personally have no idea - I've just heard of bleach being recommended.

The only disease I had was the "crud" in the greenhouse. Could that hang around?

That is a very good question - what diseases can remain on crumbs of dried seed starting mix or plastic?

[clkeiper]

Elizabeth, there is a product called PHYSAN 20 formerly known as triple action 20. It gets rid of fungus, mildew, algae, germs and odors.Garden fungus such as black spot, powdery mildew, fire blight or black fungus on your plants. Use to disinfect greenhouses, flower pots, and scissors used to take cuttings. treat plant cuttings to control mildew and diseases. treat soil to control damping off. removes/ prevents algae in bird baths. 1 tsp-1 Tbl spoon/gal of water. THAT SUCH A MIRACLE PRODUCT, HUH? But I THINK it is formaldehyde. I can't get the active ingredient in a trade name to find out...So I am not trying it as I am highly allergic to formaldehyde.
The active ingredient is quaternary ammonium. As I am not a chemist, I Think this is a quaternium product and I KNOW quaternium is a trade name for formaldehyde and the msds classifies the odor as benzaldehyde. So I suppose it is a matter of preference for the chemicals you would want to be exposed to.
I'll have to use bleach, sparingly.