In article
,
"Dan L." wrote:
In article
,
Billy wrote:
In article
,
"Dan L." wrote:
In article
,
Billy wrote:
snip[...}
One other topic: How do you sterilize your soil?
I use an equal amount of water to soil and pour the boiling water
over
the soil. I have heard from others that sterilizing soil in an indoor
oven stinks to high heaven! Do you use an outdoor grill or open pit?
Small electric toaster oven, inside. Usually use something like Gardner
& Bloome Potting Soil, but the stuff from Home Despot should work too.
Gives off a little earthy smell, which dissipates quickly. Making stock
from soup bones smells worse. If I stunk up the place, the little woman
would hang me by my, uh, . . . toes.
Hmmm...
I have no space for a toaster oven 
The big oven for soil, no way.
Counter space limited: Coffee pot, Blender, Stand Mixer, Food Processor,
Food Saver, Butcher knife Block and Compost Crock. Under cabinet:
Microwave over Oven, Small DVD player and an XM/Sirius radio.
For now, boiling water method seems to work.
Good luck with that. Let me know how it works out.
I use the boiling water method during the changing of house plant soils.
Works good enough for me, no problems so far.
For seed starting kits, I do not have mold problems with tops off and my
ceiling fans running. However, I purchase my seed starting soils from
the local nursery and I presume already sterilized.
If that presmption was true, I wouldn't need to sterilize my germination
soils. The peat starter would be sterilized, because they only have one
function. Except for germination, potting soil needn't be sterilized, it
would just be an added cost to the producer.
My home soil is not
the best mostly clay. So I have no problem with buying good soil and
compost that goes into my garden. Someday I will make my own seedling
soil and use your method of sterilizing the soil.
--
- Billy
"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the
merger of state and corporate power." - Benito Mussolini.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Arn3lF5XSUg
http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Zinn/HZinn_page.html