We have all heard and read many times that before sowing seeds for seedlings, the soil must be disinfected, and this can be done in several ways. One of them is calcination in.
How to ignite the earth in the oven?
In this matter, you need to choose the right temperature and processing time, since you can overdo it and, in addition to fungi and pests, destroy all beneficial microorganisms, making the soil dead and barren.
So, at what temperature and how much to ignite the earth in the oven: the optimum temperature is 70-90ºС, the time is about half an hour. After that, the soil should be given time to resume the normal balance of beneficial microflora and only then used for planting.
It is also important to know how to ignite the earth in the seedling oven: for this, you first need to sift it, moisten it a little, then pour it on a metal sheet with a layer of about 5 cm and immerse it in a preheated oven.
Soil baking is a slightly modified version of calcination. In this case, the soil is placed in a baking sleeve and then sent to the oven. At the same time, moisture is retained in the soil and the effect of steaming with boiling water additionally appears, since the moisture in the soil heats up to 90-100ºС and, acting on it, additionally cleans and disinfects.
Do I need to calcine the ground for seedlings?
Soil disinfection is almost a key moment in growing seedlings. The health of future seedlings and adult plants directly depends on competent disinfection of the soil. Properly carried out calcination kills pathogenic bacteria, dangerous nematodes, insect eggs and pupae, fungal spores. In addition, this is how we fight in advance with the “black leg” - a dangerous enemy of seedlings.
As you can see, you should not neglect this stage, so that in the future you will not treat with regret and not throw away the lovingly grown seedlings.
Spring is coming, hooray! Who would have thought that it is already the middle of February, which means that the time is already very close when it will be necessary to plant seedlings. First of all, most gardeners plant peppers, tomatoes and eggplants. (I'm not talking about those who got confused with - it could be sown since mid-January). So, the land for seedlings needs to be prepared so that in the process of being waterlogged for a long time, harmful and dangerous microorganisms do not develop in this land.
Harmful and dangerous microorganisms mean mold, fungi and various viral diseases that seedlings can get sick with when they are in unprepared or poor-quality soil. I think many people buy ready-made substrate in bags in the store for seedlings. Such a pleasure is not very expensive and you can afford it to reduce the loss of brain nerve cells :). But if the crop that you are going to grow is tight, and it will need 30-40 days to germinate in a wet state, even purchased soil will have to take care of the cleanliness and health of the soil.
Well, if you have prepared a bag of land from the seedling site since autumn, it's time to start disinfecting it! To begin with, I’ll say that the ideal place to store this soil is a balcony or garage (unheated). Per winter time frost will kill most harmful organisms in a bag of soil, so the matter will be small.
In general, there are many ways to disinfect the soil. All of them are aimed at removing any living microorganisms in the soil at all, and the soil will be enriched with useful ones rather quickly. There are three main areas of tillage for seedlings:
- chemical (using chemical elements, killing all the living "population" of the soil)
- Biological (soil settlement with beneficial microorganisms that will lead to the extermination of harmful ones)
- Physical (warming up, calcining, etc.)
These methods can be combined to enhance the effect, but purely chemical disinfection is now little used - more and more you will find only biological disinfectants in stores.
Methods of chemical and biological soil treatment under seedlings are simple - you just need to follow the instructions to “spill” the soil or spray it if there are obvious signs of life on the surface. But about the physical methods, you can tell in more detail:
1. Calcining the soil in the oven
This is the most ruthless and most dangerous way :) Its essence is as follows - you need to take an iron pan or a deep baking sheet, pour soil into it, after sifting it from organic components (sticks, twigs, etc.) and put it in the oven with a temperature of 200-300 degrees for 2 hours. Why did I call this method “dangerous”? I'll tell you =)
I poured earth into an enameled saucepan (well, it was the only one we had without plastic handles), put it in an already preheated oven (as if I were baking Easter cakes), I sit and wait. Then I smell something beginning to stink - well, I think now, as usual, new dishes stink a little and stop. Yep, it wasn't there! The stench (the smell of caustic burning) intensified every minute, despite the open windows and the included hood. I decided to take a look at what I have cooked in the pan. I opened the stove, and naturally smoke poured out (which was not visible through the window at first), and in the saucepan, in addition to the strange color of the earth, several coals were smoldering. Probably these coals (which were probably chips before the arrival of the Inquisition), but I didn’t think to sift the earth.
In general, this “smell” was in the kitchen, and throughout the apartment for another two weeks. For the saucepan, which abruptly changed color to black and burnt, my wife also told me what a “well done” I am.
Therefore, for myself, I refrain from this method in the future.
2. Steaming the soil for seedlings
We take a large pot or bucket, put a colander on it. Pour in enough water so that it does not reach the bottom edge of the colander. We cover the inside of the colander with gauze, we fill the soil on top. Got a steamer! ;-) This is how you need to boil the soil for 40-50 minutes.
3. Washing and scalding the soil with boiling water- the least effective method, it is used more for its own reassurance. The disadvantages of this method are that if you pour a lot of boiling water, then you can “wash out” all the trace elements from the soil and you will get something like sand. Of course, seedlings can also be grown in this, but ... And if the soil is just scalded with boiling water, the effect will be small.
After steaming or warming up, as I said, you can “populate” the soil with beneficial microorganisms using some kind of biological stimulant. Since I am not familiar with any of the manufacturers of biological stimulants, I will not mention any companies and names of drugs, ask in stores ;-) In fact, they are all the same.
4. Heating the soil in the microwave
This is the most modern way and the fastest - it takes only 4-5 minutes to warm up. Just do not forget that you can’t put iron dishes in the microwave, and thin plastic melts easily ;-)
Estimate (No ratings yet)
Before planting seedlings, you need to carefully prepare the soil, disinfect and feed the land. What is the best way to do this? Treat with a solution of potassium permanganate, phytosporin? Bake in the oven or in the microwave? Let's discuss all the known methods and find out why this or that method is good.
It's all about the soil
The healthier the soil, the stronger the seedlings that have risen on it, this is an axiom. But not everyone has the opportunity to buy ready-made soil for seedlings every year. So practitioners think how to disinfect last year's or garden soil.
Competent disinfection acts on various bacteria, on nematodes, eggs and insect pupae, on fungal spores. And protects against black leg, a common disease of young seedlings.
Before planting seedlings, the soil must be decontaminated to destroy bacteria and pest eggs.
And it is even better to carry out the processing so that the earth is also protected from pathogenic bacteria and does not harm beneficial microorganisms.
All methods can be divided into two groups. In the first folk methods, in the second - disinfection using various purchased products. Let's start with folk methods.
"Hardening" the soil with frost
The easiest processing method is freezing.
Attention! After any type of disinfection, it is necessary to fill the soil in sterile containers wiped with bleach.
For disinfection, the soil can be frozen - on the street, or, if there is not much of it, in the freezer
This method also has a drawback. Negative temperature negatively affects not only pathogenic, but also beneficial microflora. Therefore, freezing is not recommended for soils containing vermicompost.
Another disadvantage is that low temperatures will not cope with carriers of diseases such as late blight. Only heat treatment will affect them.
Baking in the oven
It turns out that you can fry, steam and stew ... the earth. Various pests do not survive in heat-treated soil.
Attention! Disinfection by fire is carried out at a low temperature. Its increase leads to the mineralization of nitrogen, and to the deterioration of soil quality.
- to calcinate the earth in the oven, you need to pour the soil into a large basin and pour it with a small amount of boiling water;
- when the mixture cools down a little, mix it thoroughly;
- pour the wet mass on a baking sheet with a layer of no more than 5 cm and place in the oven;
- bake for half an hour at a temperature of 70-90 degrees.
Steaming in a water bath in a large container
It is believed that steam treatment is a more gentle method than calcination on fire. But at the same time, quite reliable.
Tip: after any heat treatment, the cooled soil should be scattered over paper or polyethylene with a layer of up to 10 cm and leveled. So it will be filled with air and become more loose.
- it is necessary to prepare a large container, for example, a tank;
- lay bricks or an iron grate at the bottom;
- pour water below the level of the bricks;
- put earth on a grate or bricks in a canvas bag or fabric bag;
- cover the tank with a lid, put on fire and steam the earth in a water bath for about two hours.
Steaming in a water bath in a colander.
- cover the colander with a cloth;
- fill a large pot with water and wait until it boils;
- reduce the heat and hang a colander filled with soil over the pot. Or install it from above so that the water does not touch the ground;
- warm up for half an hour. Steam penetrating the soil sterilizes it.
By the same principle, gardeners advise frying the earth in a pan, calcining it in microwave oven, put out in foil or in a sleeve. When processing the last two methods, the water contained in the ground is heated and additionally cleans the soil. You can also pour the earth in a shallow container with boiling water, and cover with a film.
Steaming the soil can also be done in a double boiler, in a special container
There is one caveat, during heat treatment, both pests and beneficial microflora die. This means that the above procedures must be done in advance in order to have time to restore the soil before planting.
Steaming purchased soil
Attention! Immediately after treatment, the soil is sterile. But after a couple of weeks, the microflora in it will be restored. Where is the guarantee that only useful? Experts recommend that after disinfection, pack the soil in tight sterile bags. Open just before planting and add Biohumus (one-liter jar per bucket of soil) or Supercompost (1-2 cups per bucket). So you finally secure the plants.
Some practitioners advise cultivating not only garden, but also purchased soil. To do this, a closed bag with a ready-made soil mixture must be placed in a bucket. Pour boiling water down the side of the bucket and close the lid tightly. Remove the bag only after it has completely cooled down.
Soil disinfection with special means
You can also disinfect the soil chemically:
Reducing soil acidity
Simultaneously with disinfection, it is necessary to equalize the acid-base balance of the soil. After all, even in disinfected soil, which has an acidic reaction, the sulfur leg and keel develop perfectly.
Peat soil and garden soil have an acidic reaction. For alkalization, slaked lime or dolomite flour is added to the soil. Moreover, different cultures have their own proportions.
To reduce the acidity of the soil, slaked lime or dolomite flour is used.
Soil disinfection for seedlings is one of the key points in the production of seedlings. Often, not only the future harvest, but also the life of plants itself depends on how well the disinfection of seedling soil is carried out. You can disinfect the soil in any way convenient for you. Amateur gardeners have invented a great variety of them.
Do not ignore safety measures - proper disinfection kills pathogenic bacteria, fungal spores, dangerous nematodes, insect eggs and pupae. In addition, it is a good prevention against the defeat of seedlings with a black leg (every gardener and flower grower has ever encountered a terrible picture of this disease).
So, amateur gardening tips
Seedling soil for disinfection can be:
- freeze
- steam,
- bake in the oven
- pour boiling water (in small portions),
- shed 1% solution of potassium permanganate (etching in potassium permanganate),
- warm up in the microwave
- fry in a frying pan
- bake in foil
- bake in a baking sleeve,
- spill the earth with Aktara's solution,
- shed with a fungicide, for example, foundationazole,
- add phytosporin to the soil,
- disinfect with boiling water and frost
- repeatedly freeze and thaw the soil.
As you can see, there is no limit to fantasy.
Repeated freezing of the soil
A bag of soil is kept outdoors in winter, then it is brought into the soil for 7-10 days. warm room. During this time, weed seeds will begin to germinate, pests will awaken. The revived soil is sharply frozen again (it would be nice if the temperature outside was 15-20 degrees below zero), after a while the soil is again brought into the room and frozen again.
This is a good simple method, but you should be aware that, unfortunately, it is not able to protect plants from serious diseases such as late blight or clubroot. To cope with the spores of these diseases, heat treatment of the soil is needed.
Soil steaming
It is convenient to steam the soil in a colander lined with a cloth. It is hung over a pot of boiling water, covered with a lid, and after boiling the water is heated over low heat for 20-30 minutes. Steam passing through the soil sterilizes it. Soil pests and their eggs, spores of pathogenic fungi and bacteria die. True and useful too.
Calcining the soil in the oven
Wet earth is poured onto a metal sheet with a layer of no more than 5 cm and kept in an oven preheated to 70-90 degrees for half an hour.
Important! More heat it is dangerous for the soil: nitrogen is mineralized, useful microorganisms die, the soil becomes barren.
Soil baking
Baking the primer in foil or in a baking sleeve ( folk way) has its rational grain: moisture is stored in the soil. In addition, with this treatment, the effect of steaming and the effect of treatment with boiling water are additionally present, since the soil water, warming up to a temperature of 90-100 degrees, acts on the soil, cleaning it.
When the earth cools down a little after heat treatment, it is poured onto paper or film and leveled with a layer of about 10 cm to saturate with air. You can thoroughly mix the soil directly in the bags. The earth enriched with air will acquire a good structure, become looser.
Disinfection of soil for seedlings loses all meaning if it is then poured into used and non-sterile containers for seedlings. They can be sterilized by treatment in a dilute bleach solution. Otherwise, the soil can be re-infected with pathogens.
Under the seedlings, the composition of the soil is needed, which is significantly different from the soil for adult plants. Specially prepared soil for seedlings is sold in flower and other specialized stores.. Many amateur gardeners prepare mixtures on their own, but they make a number of mistakes that are already detected upon germination. Lost time cannot be returned. Therefore, for proper preparation soil mixtures, it is necessary to complete the technological chain of work.
Soil options for seedlings
What should be the mixture for seedlings
Soil mixtures for seedlings are children food for a newborn. The soil should be light, air and water permeable, at the same time moisture-intensive. This property is imparted to soils by organic matter. Therefore, loosening materials are necessarily included in the composition of the land for seedlings - ripened humus or biohumus. In regions rich in peat, you can use it to increase the porosity of the mixture, but only horseback. Lowland peat has hyperacidity, and for seedlings, the indicator is optimal within the range of pH 6.5-7.0. An artificially created substrate must contain a sufficient amount of nutrient salts and trace elements.
Components are harvested from autumn in sunny weather, placing them in separate containers - boxes, bags, small plastic containers. Usually prepared:
- soddy soil from the top 5-15 cm layer (light earth, heavy below). Crushed into small pieces and cleaned of undecomposed debris. It is better to use the land from the clover field.
- In the absence of sod, it is possible to prepare leaf ground from the upper 5-8 cm forest layer under the fallen leaves. Do not use soil from under oaks and willows.
- Garden land is collected from their site, clean from chemicals and herbicides,
- Sifted wood ash.
- Humus soil from completely decomposed horse or cow manure. Ripe manure or biohumus is sifted through large sieves and placed in prepared boxes.
- Peat land is harvested from elevated places of peat islands or dried-up swamps from the top 12-15 cm layer. This peat has a neutral acidity, which is very important for the land for planting.
- Of the baking powder, you always need perlite, expanded clay, hydrogel, straw cutting. Loosening agents make up to 30% in the mixture to provide optimal conditions for the root system of the growing embryo and seedling.
- Homes must be mineral fertilizers in an easily accessible (water-soluble) form, trace elements, as well as preparations for protecting seedlings from diseases and pests.
Composition of soil mixtures
Harvested ingredients serve as the basis for the preparation of soil mixtures. The number of incoming ingredients, their ratio can be very different for each type of seedlings. But most often, gardeners prepare a universal mixture of 2-4 constituent parts, which consists of:
- 2 parts of ripe humus or biohumus. Semi-rotted manure is not recommended. A high concentration of active organic substances can adversely affect the young roots of the embryo. The process of overheating immature manure raises the temperature of the soil, sometimes up to + 30 ° C, which will also lead to the death of the embryonic roots.
- parts of sod land, which can be replaced with leafy, prepared independently from fallen healthy leaves of horticultural crops.
- one part baking powder, for example, river fine sand. You can use high-moor peat as a soil cultivator.
The ingredients of the soil mixture are thoroughly mixed, cleaned by sifting through large sieves from large inclusions.
Soil mixtures in original form
Disinfection
The main purpose of disinfection is to clean the soil mixture from weed seeds, pests, and fungal diseases. Disinfection can be cold and hot methods. Cold disinfection includes freezing, dressing the soil mixture. To hot methods - steaming and calcining.
cold way it is more expedient to carry out disinfection where there are severe winters. In the southern regions, it is more reasonable to use steaming or calcining the soil mixture. Soil disinfection with preparations (soil dressing) does not depend on the climate and can be carried out in any climatic zone. When pickling the mixture, it is better to use biological products. They are safe for humans and animals.
Steaming
How to steam the soil for seedlings? During hot disinfection by steaming, a water bath is usually used. If a little soil mixture is required, then you can use a colander. So that the soil does not wake up, the colander is covered with gauze, a layer of earth is poured, covered with a lid and placed over boiling water. The duration of steaming is from 15-20 to 40-45 minutes.
Simple steaming and disinfection
If a large amount of soil is required, then use large containers. Water is poured into the bottom of the tank, a high stand is placed in the middle, a finely perforated bag with soil mixture is placed. Steam from boiling water steams the mixture well in 1.0-1.5 hours. Moistened with steam, it is distributed over the litter, dried to flowability.
freezing
In cold regions, with the onset of cold weather, the prepared earth is taken out in boxes to the street, where it can be from 3-5 days to several weeks. At frosts of -15 ... -25-35 ° C, most seeds, eggs and larvae of pests, microflora die. A month before filling containers for sowing seedlings, the soil mixture is brought into a heated room with a temperature of +18..+25°C. Soil pests, preserved weed seeds begin to active life. The procedure is repeated several times. Before stuffing containers for sowing seeds, you can spill the mixture with a 2% solution of potassium permanganate, followed by drying to a loose mass.
Calcination
Steaming can be replaced by calcination. How to ignite the ground for seedlings? Primingscatter on trays with a layer of 5-6 cm, slightly moisten through a spray bottle or sprinkle, heat at + 40 ... + 60 * C for about 40-45 minutes. The heated soil is cooled to room temperature.
Etching
The most accessible etching is carried out with potassium permanganate. Prepare a solution at the rate of 3-4 g / bucket of water, spill the soil, mix thoroughly. Wet substrate is scattered, dried.
How to restore the soil after disinfection
When soil is disinfected, part of the beneficial microflora dies. Therefore, after the disinfection procedure, the so-called preparations of effective microflora or EM preparations are introduced into the moistened earth:
- antifungal biofungicides (trichodermin, phytosporin, gamair, etc.),
Biofungicide “Fitosporin-M”
- bioinsecticides that destroy soil pests (fitoverm, actofit, boverin, etc.). Reproducing rapidly, they activate soil processes, at the same time destroy the remnants of surviving pests. Together with biofungicides, you can add the biological product "Emmochka-Bokashi". Some gardeners moisten the biosoil with a working solution of the Baikal EM-1 concentrate. In a warm, humid environment, effective microflora will quickly restore biochemical processes.
What fertilizers are needed for soil for seedlings
Seedlings of vegetable crops need a good supply of nutrients, so mineral fertilizers are added to the prepared soil mixture. To reduce the time spent on preparing different mixtures for each type vegetable crop seasoned gardeners soil mixtures are prepared by adding the amount of fertilizer taking into account the requirements of the crop, and sometimes they add an average rate of mineral fertilizers.
Fertilizer complex organomineral
200 g of wood ash, no more than 50 g of slaked lime, a teaspoon without top of ammonium nitrate and potassium sulfate, a dessert spoon of superphosphate (preferably water-soluble) are added to a bucket of a disinfected mixture. The resulting seedling soil is thoroughly mixed. From individual soil mixtures, it can be offered as a guide for beginner gardeners.
- Under cucumbers: 1 part of turf, biohumus or humus. Add about 200 ml of ash, 15 g of basic mineral fertilizers.
- Under eggplant, sweet pepper: 2 parts of humus and garden soil, peat. Add to the mixture 1.0-1.5 cups of ash, 20-25 g of urea, 60 g of superphosphate, 20 g of potassium sulfate. Mix everything thoroughly.
- For tomatoes: the same mixture as in the previous paragraph or 8-10 g of ammonia, 80 g of superphosphate, 20-30 g of potassium sulfate.
- For cabbage: for 20 parts of soddy or leafy soil, add 5 parts of ash, part of sand, lime. In such a mixture of fertilizer, you can not add or add 20-25 g of urea and superphosphate, 10 g of potassium fertilizers and 25-30 g of dolomite flour (lime).
The mixtures given are indicative. Experienced gardeners usually have their own well-established seedling soils.
Preparation of soil mixture for seedlings
How to improve the purchased soil mixture
Some gardeners, not wanting to spend time on independent production, buy ready-made soil mixture. The purchase must be carried out in advance (2-3 weeks in advance), be sure to check the quality of the products. Sometimes, instead of high-quality soil, you can purchase a mixture that is acidified due to low-lying peat, not disinfected, with the presence of pathogenic microflora.
Ready seedling soil is necessary:
- check for acidity (you can use a litmus tape),
- with a large amount of peat, pour 250 ml of ash into a bucket of the mixture, 30-40 grams of slaked lime,
- disinfect the soil in one of the above ways,
- add 20-30 g of nitrophoska, azophoska or nitroammophoska to a bucket of purchased land (after disinfection),
- If almost one peat was purchased instead of soil, you need to mix the purchased low-quality soil with garden soil from the site in a ratio of 3: 1, add slaked lime, be sure to disinfect,
- to increase the moisture capacity of poor-quality soil, you can add hydrogel or humus. Note that the hydrogel in a humid environment increases in volume by 250 times.
The procedure for improving the acquired soil will always pay off with high-quality seedlings.
Video: preparing land for seedlings
