Sterilizing soil for indoor use

Snarkie · 10-25-2020, 02:51 PM

I just saw a post from someone who was having a bad time with gnats because they used whatever was available at the time. I made about ten gallons of indoor mix by taking all of the outdoor pots with a variety of good soils but the plants had died, and sterilizing it in the microwave. Here's how:

Take two trowelsful of the soil at a time and put in a large microwavable bowl. Nuke for two minutes; no more, no less. It will come out steaming and smelling like beets for some reason. Two minutes is enough to kill all of the plant material that might germinate, but will not kill off the microbes you need in your soil. It's a fast, mistake-free way to do this. Baking in an oven takes a lot longer and can even turn the soil bad if you get it too hot. Store it in a dark place, and you're ready to go when you need a good indoor mix.

all43 · 10-25-2020, 03:38 PM

Yep I do this if they little cuties are in new soil and use hydrogen peroxide if my potted have visitors, works a treat.

cincinnana · 10-25-2020, 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snarkie

I just saw a post from someone who was having a bad time with gnats because they used whatever was available at the time. I made about ten gallons of indoor mix by taking all of the outdoor pots with a variety of good soils but the plants had died, and sterilizing it in the microwave. Here's how:

Take two trowelsful of the soil at a time and put in a large microwavable bowl. Nuke for two minutes; no more, no less. It will come out steaming and smelling like beets for some reason. Two minutes is enough to kill all of the plant material that might germinate, but will not kill off the microbes you need in your soil. It's a fast, mistake-free way to do this. Baking in an oven takes a lot longer and can even turn the soil bad if you get it too hot. Store it in a dark place, and you're ready to go when you need a good indoor mix.

Microwave.

Do it like small batch corn salsa....?

Snarkie · 10-25-2020, 06:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cincinnana

Microwave.

:

Do it like small batch corn salsa....?

Yup. It only takes 45 minutes or so to do a buckets worth.

cincinnana · 10-25-2020, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snarkie

Yup. It only takes 45 minutes or so to do a buckets worth.

yep....

Most folks on the forum will do A quart at a time.....if they knew they could do that.

*Dearly Depotted* · 10-26-2020, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snarkie

I just saw a post from someone who was having a bad time with gnats because they used whatever was available at the time. I made about ten gallons of indoor mix by taking all of the outdoor pots with a variety of good soils but the plants had died, and sterilizing it in the microwave. Here's how:

Take two trowelsful of the soil at a time and put in a large microwavable bowl. Nuke for two minutes; no more, no less. It will come out steaming and smelling like beets for some reason. Two minutes is enough to kill all of the plant material that might germinate, but will not kill off the microbes you need in your soil. It's a fast, mistake-free way to do this. Baking in an oven takes a lot longer and can even turn the soil bad if you get it too hot. Store it in a dark place, and you're ready to go when you need a good indoor mix.

You know that does sound interesting. I mean no disrespect by saying this... However, how can you think about putting soil in your microwave? You heat up food in there!

Snarkie · 10-26-2020, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by *Dearly Depotted*

You know that does sound interesting. I mean no disrespect by saying this... However, how can you think about putting soil in your microwave? You heat up food in there!

It's sterilizing it, LOL.

Then again, I deliberately ate spoiled food as a teenager to boost my immune system. Probably why the Kung Flu only lasted a few hours. Did have a temp of 103.2 for eight hours though. Our bodies need these microbes. Germaphobes like Howie Mandell, would die if they caught Covid because they have sequestered themselves from germs that we all need to survive. Remember the boy in the plastic bubble? What happened at the end of the movie? He ignored his mommy and went out into the real, germ-filled world. If you want a lesson from history as to how this all works, look at the Spaniards infecting the sequestered Amazonians. The Union gave smallpox infected blankets to the Indians. They all lived in a bubble. That's why they died.

So, don't be afraid to put some potting soil in your microwave. It won't hurt you.

cincinnana · 10-28-2020, 06:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cincinnana

yep....

Most folks on the forum will do A quart at a time.....if they knew they could do that.

Folks will run the wood through the microwave as well as collected driftwood .
Microwaving will sanitize everything and kill unwanted biologics.

10-25-2020, 02:51 PM	#1 (permalink)
Snarkie The Cat Whisperer Location: Charlotte, NC Zone: 8b, pushing 9a Name: D.A. Hänks Join Date: Dec 2014 Posts: 2,118 BananaBucks : 144,508 Feedback: 5 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1,223 Times Was Thanked 1,972 Times in 1,146 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 1,053 Times	Sterilizing soil for indoor use I just saw a post from someone who was having a bad time with gnats because they used whatever was available at the time. I made about ten gallons of indoor mix by taking all of the outdoor pots with a variety of good soils but the plants had died, and sterilizing it in the microwave. Here's how: Take two trowelsful of the soil at a time and put in a large microwavable bowl. Nuke for two minutes; no more, no less. It will come out steaming and smelling like beets for some reason. Two minutes is enough to kill all of the plant material that might germinate, but will not kill off the microbes you need in your soil. It's a fast, mistake-free way to do this. Baking in an oven takes a lot longer and can even turn the soil bad if you get it too hot. Store it in a dark place, and you're ready to go when you need a good indoor mix. __________________ Doug (D.A. Hänks) http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2955582/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1 The Only Eastern Redwood Forest in America "Nuke my 'nanners, will you?!"

10-25-2020, 03:38 PM	#2 (permalink)
all43 Location: SE UK Find me on the map! Join Date: Jul 2019 Posts: 264 BananaBucks : 12,754 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 1,817 Times Was Thanked 302 Times in 150 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 313 Times	Re: Sterilizing soil for indoor use Yep I do this if they little cuties are in new soil and use hydrogen peroxide if my potted have visitors, works a treat.

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