How to Sterilise Soil

This is a question we’re asked regularly. It’s usually from gardeners who keep looking at that old discarded compost pile and wondering what to do with it.

Well, let’s leave to one side those issues to do with Green approaches for the moment or feeding the compost again. The chances are, if you have such a pile, you might want to dig it in or use it in your pots but not if the result is going to be lots of inherited weeds strangling your beloved plants or nicely nurtured bugs chomping on them.

So, here are a few ideas - though none of them include Kubota Tractors for once!

1. Bake your compost. Make sure it’s in oven-proof containers and stick them into the oven at about 80-100C for half an hour or so.  HEALTH WARNING – unless you want to find yourself swinging from the rafters, make sure that whoever is normally considered to be ‘in charge’ of the kitchen and appliances (if not you) is either kept fully in the dark or consulted in advance.

2. Place your proto-compost into microwave-proof dishes and simply zap them at full power. The tricky bit here is time because a lot of advice varies on this one. Look this up on the net and form your own view. You’re also unlikely to be able to produce big quantities this way. HEALTH ADVICE – as above!

For more details, please visit - http://www.whitestractors.com.au/blog/337-how-to-sterilise-soil.html