How much bleach to use for sterilizing pruners?
 

I'm getting ready to prune some unruly IND. plants, and I want to sterilize the pruners (scissors, actually). How much bleach to use in say a pint of water? And is it necessary to rinse after the bleach dip (or just wipe with a rag)?

Thanks,
GG

I use isopropyl alcohol. Dip my pruners in after each plant. I dont wipe it off or anything.

Looks like 10% bleach by volume will work.

(from [url]https://hortnews.extension.iastate.edu/1994/3-16-1994/clean.html[/url])

Thanks, and the IPA does sound a little easier.

I use IPAlcohol as well. A clean soaked rag in a zip-lock. I have a flat bottomed tool bag
open top style, not too big, that i keep in the barn and add to the already stocked tools
per garden visit. Holds just a little bit of everything...pre-cut string trimmer line, velcro
ties, markers, scissors, pruners, etc.
Not many good flat surfaces for a jar but i did set a cup in a 2 gallon bucket of sand for
stability this past weekend. Big pruning of the fruit trees and starting on the grapes....

Handy to keep in the shed. I buy the Costco three pack.
I have a few lidded jars around for dropping in ticks and tortoise beetles, (the bugs of
the moment). Slugs are making an appearance...but soapy water works for most.

I confess I've used household bleach undiluted, no rinse just dip and clip. I poured it in a tub with a tight fitting lid, just enough to dip the pruner blades. The tomatoes have not complained at all about being exposed to plain bleach on their cuts. Those cuts didn't get infected either, which encouraged me to keep doing this when it comes time to deal with mold infesty plants. Cut away a bad stem and they live on.

But I guess it's overkill I could have used 10% as well. :) I guess it makes the 'no need to rinse' point though.

This link here is about sterilizing pruners between cuts, and they did recommend 1:10 bleach as the most effective.
[url]http://blog-yard-garden-news.extension.umn.edu/2015/04/back-to-bleach-to-keep-pruning-tools.html[/url]

I use a relish jar that is 25% alcohol - 75% water. and use a scour pad. It works well for scissors and knives.

I am new to gardening but I have just been using IPA as well on a wash cloth. I will soak it now and use a baggie as oakley said, I like that.

I use Lysol Wipes, they don't dry out as fast as alcohol dipped wipes. Kills 99.9%, per the label.

Good ideas/info! The IPA gave me an idea for a slight alternative. I don't have many ind. plants that need pruning, so I decided to use alcohol wipes. About 1 cent per plant using a fresh wipe for each plant. I like the Lysol wipes idea, too.
-GG

X2 on the Lysol wipes.

I either use my fingers to pinch things off or my Mora knife to cut things off. No sterilizing ever and I have not had any problems. Of course I am not growing for market so if I were to lose a couple of plants it doesn't matter.

Cloz