Containers and Plant Diseases: Photos

Use new containers for high-risk host plant material to prevent contamination of plants from potting media and plant debris that may contain pathogens.

Store used containers that previously had host material separately from those planned for re-use.

Used containers from host and high risk plants should be recycled if they are not going to be sanitized. Re-using these containers introduces the risk of infection from residual soil and potting media containing disease inoculum.

Used pots can be steam sterilized for re-use. This steam cabinet was constructed from materials available at most hardware stores and can be scaled to any size needed.The length of exposure to steam depends on the number of pots being sterilized.

A hot water bath is used to sanitize small containers. Pots are stacked inside the plastic bin, which is lowered into the hot water bath and held for several minutes. Length of time in the bath depends on the number of pots being sanitized.