Fall has arrived. Reluctantly, I begin to deconstruct all the containers which have been so prolific this year. But before I can begin planning next year’s compositions, I must property clean and store my terra cotta pots for a long winter’s nap. Here’s how I do it.
The first step is to remove all the plant material from the containers. This is always the saddest part because many of the annuals are in such good condition still.
I’m transferring all the soil to the garden cart so it can be hauled away in bulk. Notice the shard that was in the bottom of the pot for drainage. I’m going to save any good shards and use them again next year.
Extra large containers are too heavy for one person to be moving around. For these, I use a shovel to transfer the soil into a bucket. The bucket is much more manageable as there are several stairs down to the garden cart.
Above: My trusty pot brush. I love all the beautiful foliage in the back yard.
Now for the not-so-fun part… washing the pots. This task always leaves me with wet sleeves and pants. Not fun on a cold day! My tips for cleaning are:
- Watch your weather forecast and plan this activity on a warm sunny day.
- Prepare a mild water/bleach bath for dipping the washed pots. I use a 1:10 ratio of bleach to water in a galvanized tub.
- Have your garden hose with sprayer nozzle at hand.
- Use a sturdy brush to scrub the pots inside and out. Any stiff brush will do. You could even used a dish scrubber or fine steel wool.
- Locate an area for the pots to dry before moving to dry storage.
After a good scrubbing and rinse, I dip in a mild bleach and water solution. This kills off any bacteria, viruses and fungi. They should soak in the solution for about 30 minutes. Bleach can weaken materials over time, so make sure you are working with a very dilute solution.
Some of the pots have developed a white crust on the outside. This can be caused by salts in fertilizers passing through the porous pot’s walls. To clean off, try a baking soda paste. Personally, I love the crusty character and aged look.
Almost done. After the pots are completely dry, I place everything on shelves in the garage over winter. I store the pots upside down and out of the way of heavy traffic to avoid any breakage. It’s best to avoid stacking because the pots can get stuck and break when you try to separate them. However, if you must stack, make sure they are loose. You might even wrap them with bubble wrap or unprinted newsprint to avoid breaking and sticking. Because of the unpredictable winters in Zone 5, I never store outside. If you can’t winterize indoors, I suppose it would be best to keep them massed together, upside down (so they can’t hold water), off the ground, and insulated. Southern exposure would be ideal.
Well, back to work! There’s more clean up to do before I can begin dreaming up container recipes for next year.
What do your end of season chores consist of?