How to sterilize soil is one of the concerns of many home gardeners, especially if they will be reusing the potting mix soil that they have. There are simple and easy methods using heat sterilization that you can do at home, which will only require existing tools and appliances that you already have in your kitchen.
In this article, we will discuss in details the step-by-step procedure for doing this. Keep reading to learn more.
Contents
How to Sterilize Soil In Different Methods?
You can sterilize soil in different methods, such as using an oven and heating up the soil, or you can try to use a microwave oven for the task. In addition, you can use a steamer, or pressure cooker, use the sun to sterilize the soil, and lastly, use chemicals.
Garden soil and potting soil can be sterilized using one of two main techniques: chemical treatments or heat treatments. Commercial companies often use chemical sterilizations on a larger scale, as they also have higher expenses and pose potential risks.
If you worry about how important the matter of sterilizing soil can be, before planting, this would depend on whether you are recycling garden soil or using new potting soil. If you are doing the former, sterilizing garden soil before planting is typically a good idea to facilitate your plants’ optimum growth and health because dirt can harbor pests, diseases, and weed seeds.
When immature plants, cuttings, or seeds are regularly cultivated in the soil, sterilizing the soil is advantageous. A “clean” growing environment promotes vigorous and healthy development by decreasing damping, as it would help plant growth.
– Using an Oven
If you need to treat a small to medium amount of soil, sterilizing it by using an oven is a good idea. However, bear in mind that you will be baking dirt, which has several drawbacks, including the unpleasant smell of baked soil filling your house. So the ideal place to do it is in a well-ventilated kitchen.
First, you should begin by preparing what you need: gather your soil, a sizable piece of oven-safe aluminum foil, a thermometer, and water, and as you do so, you must preheat the oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Add approximately three inches of soil to a big oven-proof container. Only fill it up to four inches deep; otherwise, the middle layer of soil will not be heated enough.
Pour in enough water to moisten the soil, and for this, you should make sure it is wet enough to remain in a ball when rolled in your hands but not soggy or runny. Remove any pebbles or remaining plant matter, and break up any dirt clumps.
Use aluminum foil to cover the top of the container so that the steam within the pan cannot escape and the soil doesn’t dry up; firmly fasten the foil to the pan’s edges. Make a tiny hole in the aluminum foil, just enough to insert the thermometer. Check the soil’s internal temperature. Make sure the soil doesn’t get much hotter than 180 degrees, as temperatures higher than that will burn the soil and make it hazardous for plants.
Once a temperature of 180 degrees has been reached, bake the soil for 30 minutes. You might need to tweak the temperature gauge but keep an eye on it to make sure it’s at the appropriate temperature. In short, if you want to be on the safe side, you must reach 180 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. This is to ensure that most photosensitive fungi, insects, bacteria, nematodes, and resistant weed seeds are already killed and eliminated.
After 30 minutes, turn off the oven and remove the soil, so allow the soil to cool as it reaches room temperature, or 68 to 74 degrees Fahrenheit, and once cooled, it is now ready to use. When it comes to heat sterilization, home gardeners use the process. There are many ways of sterilizing the soil by heating it. It can be done by steaming or applying direct and dry heat to a point where the dangerous organisms in the soil will not survive.
– Using a Microwave
Using the microwave is a fantastic alternative if you simply need to sterilize a very small amount of soil or if you don’t have much time. Just be sure to carefully check the soil to ascertain that it’s devoid of metals. Since this procedure will produce an unpleasant smell, carry it out in a well-ventilated area. Consider temporarily relocating your microwave outside.
So, for this, you will need a heat-safe thermometer, soil, water, zip-lock bags, or other microwave-safe containers. Place about two pounds of damp soil in the container. Make sure that it is moderately wet and dry. Do not completely seal the container; if using a bag, poke small air holes and leave the top slightly ajar to prevent pressure from building up within.
Heat the bag on high for 90 seconds or until the soil’s center has a temperature of 180 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, you should remove the bag, let out any trapped air, seal it, cover the vent holes with tape, and let it cool. The soil can be used once it has cooled.
– Steaming Using a Soup Pot or the Pressure Cooker
This is the most common method that many people use for sterilizing soil. You can do this by using a soup pot or pressure cooker and boiling water in it. If using a pressure cooker, you must first pour several cups of water into the pressure cooker and place a rack inside.
Put soil in shallow pans that are no deeper than four inches, and make sure the soil is level in the pan, and now, cover it securely with foil. Close the lid, but keep the steam valve slightly open so that the steam can escape. The container can then be heated at 10 pounds of pressure for 15 to 30 minutes. It should be noted that nitrate-rich soil or manure should never be sterilized under pressure since doing so might result in an explosive mixture.
If using a soup pot, you must begin by filling a pot with a few inches of water, and place a rack on top of the water. Then, you should place the soil in containers made of thick glass, like mason jars. The soil should be at most four inches deep. Level them and cover them with foil, and place the containers on the rack above the water.
Leave a small crack in the lid when covering the pot. Bring to a gentle boil for 30 minutes or until the temperature of the soil reaches 180 degrees Fahrenheit. For both steaming methods, whether using a pressure cooker or soup pot, once done, let the soil cool down, and do not remove the foil until you are ready to use it.
– Utilizing the Sun to Sterilize Soil
The most cost-effective method, but one that takes the longest time, is to sterilize by doing the soil solarization method. It takes more time to sterilize using this procedure, usually 2 to 6 weeks. This technique may be used on batches of dirt of any size, from single bags to large gardens.
This approach is applicable to sterilizing large volumes of soil or entire gardens or fields using the sun’s natural heat. It is done by putting several layers of plastic on them and exposing them to the sun for a long period of time. This will raise the temperature of the soil, which will destroy the germs, weeds, or pests that are present in the soil.
It is ideal to wait until the middle of the summer when there are many long, bright days. You don’t need to wait for an exact temperature to begin solarization, but to maximize the effectiveness of the heat treatment, early preparation is crucial, whether dealing with potting soil from containers or mineral soil. Start by removing all plant debris and breaking up any clods.
When sterilizing potting soil, place the bottom layer of plastic down first, then spread the top layer of soil mix out evenly while remaining at least six inches away from the plastic’s edges. You must sprinkle water on the soil to give it a gentle mist. Garden soil has to be wetted down to a 12-inch depth.
Put a layer of plastic over the previously spread-out garden soils and potting mixtures. Pull the plastic firmly across the earth’s surface, then secure the edges with pebbles or dirt. If using plastic bags, put the soil inside, seal them up, and place them in a sunny area of the yard.
The soil should be sterilized after four to six weeks of solarization during the year’s warmest season. About eight to 10 weeks of solarization may be required in regions with colder, windier, or cloudier conditions.
– Use Chemicals
You can dilute hydrogen peroxide with water before spraying it on the soil. Choose the variant with 3 percent concentrate; do not use anything higher than this. This sterilization is effective and kills off fungal spores. It is recommended to do this late in the afternoon or early evening and wait until it has completely evaporated in the morning.
The procedures are quite simple and quick, even if applied to a large quantity of potting soil or mineral soil. However, it has disadvantages, which is why homeowners seldom practice it. The most significant one is that chemical applications can pose risks for both the person doing the chemical sterilization and those nearby.
In addition, when it comes to potting soil, there is no need because both seed-starting and potting mixtures are always created using sterile components. Therefore, there is no need for concern over sterilizing it further; simply fill your containers or germination tray cells, and plant your seedlings.
Conclusion
Let us summarize the different sterilization methods that you can do for your soil:
- There are four methods of sterilization you can choose from using the oven, microwave, steam sterilization by using a soup pot or pressure cooker on a stovetop, and solarization.
- Place the dirt on a metal baking tray, and cover it with foil to sterilize it in an oven. For 30 minutes, heat the soil to 180 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Put the dirt in glass jars with foil on top and place on top of racks over water inside your soup pot on your stovetop. For 30 minutes, boil the jars in a saucepan of water.
- Use your microwave to warm the soil for 90 seconds at maximum power. Using a thermometer, verify that the soil has reached 180 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Till and moisten the soil bed to sterilize garden soil by solarization. Cover the soil with a plastic tarp for four weeks to six weeks, and let the sun heat it.
You can now have added peace of mind knowing that your plants or seedlings have the best possible start when planted on your sterilized soil.
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