I love having potted flowers on my deck.
 I really love how much easier they are to take care of and how insect pests don't seem to bother them nearly as much as they do the plants in my yard.
 To save money, I reuse my pots each year.
 If you don't clean out your pots properly, you risk losing the time and money that you have invested.
 Diseases, bacteria and fungi can remain in the pot and infect any new plants.
If you didn't remove dead annuals in the fall do it now.
 Remove any perennials that died in the winter.
 Just lift out most plants and if disease free add them and half of the old potting mix to your compost.
 I don't add diseased plants or their soil to my compost.
Some plants may be stubborn because of size or roots.
 Cut or dig these plants out.
 As long as the plants that were growing in the pot were healthy and if the pot itself shows no sign of rust, black spots or mineral deposits then I just replant.
   I leave half the potting soil, add fresh soil and compost, mix it all together.
  For new containers or empty old ones, especially if the last plant was diseased, I'm going to clean and sanitize them.
 Yes, new containers also.
 New plant containers can hold the remains of the manufacturing process or chemicals.
  The first step I take is using a stiff bristled brush to clean out as much solid material as I can.
 I then use a putty knife to scrape out any stubborn deposits.
 To sanitize my containers, I let them soak in a solution of one part bleach to nine parts water.
 It is easy then to clean out any remaining particles with a scrubber sponge.
 Lastly, you will want to rinse your containers very well.
 You don't want any bleach residue remaining in the pot.
Now you're done.
 Fill up your containers and enjoy the flora.