Greenhouse Plant Containers
Cleaning and Disinfecting the Greenhouse Containers
Plant pathogens such as Pythium, Rhizoctonia, and Thielaviopsis can survive in root debris or soil particles on greenhouse surfaces. If a crop had a disease problem, then avoid re-using containers. It is also a good idea to avoid planting crops that are prone to Thielaviopsis problems, such as pansies, in containers that have been previously used. Research has shown that Thielaviopsis spores are capable of surviving on recycled plug trays and infecting new crops. Containers to be reused should be washed thoroughly to remove soil particles and plant debris before being treated with a disinfectant, even if there is no evidence of disease in the crop. Debris and organic matter can protect pathogens from coming in contact with the disinfectant solution.
Disinfectants for Greenhouses
There are several different types of disinfectants that are currently used in the greenhouse for plant pathogen and algae control. They are quaternary ammonium compounds (Green-Shield®, Physan 20®, and KleenGrow™), hydrogen dioxide (ZeroTol® 2.0, Oxidate® 2.0), hydrogen peroxide & peroxyacetic acid (Sanidate®), hydrogen peroxide, peroxyacetic acid, and octanoic acid (X™-3), odium carbonate peroxyhydrate (GreenClean Pro Granular Algicide), and chlorine bleach.
Click on the following topics for more information on containers for growing greenhouse crops.
