We have all heard and read many times that before sowing seeds for seedlings, the soil needs to be disinfected, and this can be done in several ways. One of them is calcination in .
How to properly calcine 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 infertile.
So, at what temperature and for how long should the earth be heated in the oven: optimal temperature– this is 70-90ºС, time – about half an hour. After this, the soil must be given time to restore the normal balance of beneficial microflora and only then used for planting.
It is also important to know how to heat the soil in the oven for seedlings: to do this, you first need to sift it, moisten it a little, then pour it onto a metal sheet layer about 5 cm and immerse in a preheated oven.
Baking the soil 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 is heated to 90-100ºC and, acting on it, additionally cleans and disinfects.
Is it necessary to calcinate the soil for seedlings?
Soil disinfection is perhaps the key point in growing seedlings. The health of future seedlings and adult plants directly depends on proper soil disinfection. Properly carried out calcination kills pathogenic bacteria, dangerous nematodes, eggs and pupae of insects, and fungal spores. In addition, this is how we fight in advance against the “black leg” - a dangerous enemy of seedlings.
As you can see, you should not neglect this stage, so as not to regretfully treat or throw away lovingly grown seedlings in the future.
Disinfection of soil for seedlings is one of key points in seedling production. Often, not only the future harvest, but also the life of the plants itself depends on how competently 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.
You should not ignore safety measures - proper disinfection kills pathogenic bacteria, fungal spores, dangerous nematodes, insect eggs and pupae. In addition, this good prevention against damage to seedlings by the black leg (every gardener and florist has ever encountered a terrible picture of this disease).
So, advice from amateur gardeners
Seedling soil for disinfection can be:
- freeze,
- steam,
- bake in the oven,
- pour boiling water (in small portions),
- spill with a 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 bag,
- spill the soil with Aktara solution,
- shed with a fungicide, for example, foundationazol,
- add phytosporin to the soil,
- disinfect with boiling water and frost
— repeatedly freeze and thaw the soil.
As you can see, there are no limits to imagination.
Repeated freezing of the soil
The bag of soil is kept on outdoors, then brought into a warm room for 7-10 days. During this time, weed seeds will begin to germinate and pests will awaken. The revived soil is sharply frozen again (it would be good if the temperature outside was 15-20 degrees below zero), after some time the soil is brought indoors again and frozen again.
This is a good simple method, but you should be aware that, unfortunately, it is not able to protect plants from such serious diseases as, for example, late blight or clubroot. To cope with the spores of these diseases, thermal treatment of the soil is necessary.
Steaming the soil
It is convenient to steam the soil in a colander covered with a cloth. It is hung over a pan of boiling water, covered with a lid and after the water boils, 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.
Calcination of soil in the oven
Moist soil is poured onto a metal sheet in a layer of no more than 5 cm and kept for half an hour in an oven preheated to 70-90 degrees.
Important! Higher temperatures are dangerous for the soil: nitrogen is mineralized, beneficial microorganisms die, and the soil becomes infertile.
Baking the soil
Baking the primer in foil or in a baking sleeve ( folk way) has its own rational grain: moisture is retained in the soil. In addition, with this treatment there is additionally the effect of steaming and the effect of treatment with boiling water, since soil water, heating up to a temperature of 90-100 degrees, affects the soil, cleansing it.
When the earth has cooled slightly after heat treatment, it is poured onto paper or film and leveled with a layer of about 10 cm to saturate it with air. You can thoroughly mix the soil directly in the bags. The soil enriched with air will acquire a good structure and become looser.
Disinfecting soil for seedlings loses all meaning if it is then poured into used and unsterile containers for seedlings. They can be sterilized by treating them in a diluted bleach solution. Otherwise, the soil may become secondarily infected with pathogens.
WITH early spring gardeners and summer residents begin their vigorous activity associated with sowing and germinating seedlings. It’s not so easy to get healthy and strong shoots that easily adapt to open ground and will delight you in the future good harvest. The main condition for their growth, and therefore the basis for the future harvest, is properly selected or independently prepared soil.
Soil for seedlings: prepare it yourself
Some novice vegetable growers do not think about how to properly prepare the soil for growing seedlings, but simply take soil from the garden and sow seeds into it. Imagine their disappointment when the long-awaited shoots do not appear or grow slowly. And by the time of transplantation to open ground they are still fragile and weak. Such plants most likely will not tolerate the stress associated with planting in the beds and will die within a few days.
Before you take active steps, you need to responsibly approach the question of how to prepare the soil for seedlings with your own hands.
At correct use biological preparations, they not only destroy pathogenic flora, but also accelerate the growth of seedlings.
Chemical soil disinfection
Chemical disinfection of soil for seedlings is best used only in exceptional cases. As in the situation with biological drugs, it is important not to violate the instructions. Some of these drugs not only destroy pathogenic flora, pathogenic bacteria and fungi, but also inhibit plant growth.
In the most harmless, but also ineffective way chemical disinfection Potassium permanganate is considered. It eventually turns into potash fertilizer.
When disinfecting soil for seedlings using mechanical or by chemical means, we deprive it not only of pathogenic flora, but also of beneficial bacteria. They can be restored by adding them to the soil (Rizotorfin, Azotobacterin, Phosphorobacterin). Some gardeners use regular yeast for this purpose.
Purchased soil mixture. How to improve the quality of finished land
It is worth noting that all of the above procedures for preparing and disinfecting soil for seedlings are not suitable for “lazy” gardeners. Making your own substrate takes time and effort. Much easier and faster to buy ready-made composition for sowing seedlings. Those who choose this option should be aware of the pitfalls that exist.
Unfortunately, manufacturers do not always conscientiously write truthful information on the packaging. It happens that by choosing a package with the best composition, you get poor soil based on peat. When planting seeds in such a composition, there is a high risk of being disappointed with the result. The seedlings will either not sprout at all, or even if shoots do appear, they are unlikely to meet expectations. Therefore, you should not be too economical in this matter, but choose products from well-known companies.
Even if you have such a low-quality peat-based mixture, try to correct the situation yourself. To do this, you need to mix it with garden soil, previously disinfected. We discussed earlier in our article how to disinfect soil for seedlings. Next, be sure to check the resulting substrate for acidity, and if it is higher than normal, we correct this problem. Reduced by adding chalk or Since such a soil mixture does not have enough of its own nutrients, you need to add additional mineral fertilizers.
It is necessary to approach the issue of preparing land for seedlings very seriously and scrupulously. Experienced gardeners know that the correct soil composition is 80% of success when growing seedlings.
Land disinfection is very important point, this is the only way to grow healthy and strong seedlings. Tilling the soil before planting seedlings allows you to destroy pathogenic bacteria, insect eggs, fungal spores, nematodes, and protects against blackleg (a common disease of young plants).
Why is disinfection carried out?
Every year more and more pathogenic microorganisms accumulate in the soil and its productivity deteriorates. Therefore, it is optimal to conduct every year complete replacement soil. However, new soil, even purchased from a store, may contain various pests. What to do in this case?
If the soil cannot be changed, it must be cleaned of organic residues and thoroughly disinfected. It is worth noting that disinfection is recommended despite the replacement of soil. This approach will help avoid unpleasant surprises in the future.
Traditional methods
Traditional methods of soil disinfection are more environmentally friendly than chemical ones. However, they take quite a lot of time and do not always give positive result. So, there are two ways to disinfect the soil.
Method number 1 - freezing.
Freezing the soil is best done at an air temperature of -15 degrees, you can use freezer. For best result the procedure must be repeated 2-3 times. This treatment method is not recommended for soil with vermicompost. Besides, low temperatures will not get rid of late blight.
Method No. 2 – heat treatment.
Most soil pests do not survive high temperatures. Thermally the soil can be treated in 2 ways.
- Calcination. The soil is poured with boiling water, mixed and placed on a baking sheet in a 5 cm layer. Next, preheat the oven to 90 degrees and calcine the soil for half an hour.
- Steaming. This is a more gentle disinfection method. A bucket of water is placed on the fire, and a grate with soil is placed on top, which is first wrapped in a fabric bag. Steam the soil for at least 90 minutes.
Heat treatment must be carried out exactly according to the instructions, exceeding temperature regime or the duration of the procedure will lead to a deterioration in soil quality. In addition, the land treated in this way should be populated with beneficial microflora immediately before planting seedlings.
The disadvantage of this method is that it makes the soil completely sterile and unsuitable for growing. Requires additional bacterial fertilizer.
To make the soil looser, after processing, scatter it on a paper surface and let it fill with air.
Disinfection with special means
You can also disinfect the soil using chemicals: fungicides, insecticides or regular manganese.
- Fungicide treatment
This group of drugs consists of beneficial bacterial cultures that suppress diseases and increase plant immunity. Fitosporin is most often used; for treatment, 15 ml of the product is diluted in 10 liters of water. You can also use other drugs - “Planriz”, “Barrier”, “Extrasol”, “Glyokladin”, etc. Before use, you should carefully study the instructions.
- Disinfection with insecticides
Popular drugs are “Aktara”, “Inta-Vir”, “Grom”, “Iskra”. Insecticides have been successfully used to control soil pests. Before disinfection, the soil is loosened and moistened, and the dry preparation is mixed with the soil before watering.
Soil treatment before planting seedlings is carried out in advance, no later than a month before the proposed work.
It is important to remember that any chemical treatment requires strict adherence to the instructions; the recommended concentration and consumption must be observed.
- Disinfection with potassium permanganate
Manganese does an excellent job of disinfecting small amounts of soil. To treat 3–5 g of crystals, dilute 10 liters of water, and then water the soil at the rate of 30–50 ml per 1 square meter.
The soil should be disinfected with potassium permanganate 2 weeks before planting seedlings.
Potassium permanganate is a strong oxidizing agent, so sod-podzolic acidic soils It is not recommended to process them. This method is best suited for disinfecting chernozem and soddy-carbonate soil.
Important point: reducing soil acidity
Simultaneously with soil disinfection, it is very important to equalize its acid-base balance. If the soil is acidic, then, even if sterile, it is susceptible to diseases such as clubroot and gray leg. To normalize the soil acidity level to 6.5–7, the following means are used:
- dolomite flour;
- slaked lime;
- ash;
- hydrogel;
- perlite, vermiculite;
- humus tablets.
Do not forget to deoxidize the soil before planting seedlings, otherwise diseases can develop very quickly even in sterile soil.
Common mistakes
Despite the disinfection of the soil, plants may become sick, grow poorly and die. What's the matter? Let's look at the 10 most common mistakes made when growing seedlings.
- Poor quality seed material. It is important to choose only high-quality seeds, otherwise they may simply not germinate or the plants will grow weak.
- Wrong choice of container. The container may not be suitable for seedlings if it is too crowded, large, poorly drained or loose.
- No seed treatment. A significant part of diseases is transmitted not only from soil, but also from plant seeds.
- Failure to meet growing deadlines. If you neglect the recommended time for growing seedlings, the plants will grow weak and simply will not take root when transplanted.
- Planting seeds too deep. If the soil is too deep, only a few seeds will germinate. The optimal depth should not exceed 2 seed diameters.
- Thickened seeding. The seeds must be located at a sufficient distance from each other, otherwise the seedlings will not have enough space for normal development.
- Watering after sowing. It is necessary to water the soil before sowing. If you do this later, the seeds will go deeper into the ground and will germinate less easily.
- Violation of temperature, lighting, watering and other growing conditions. It is important to remember that young seedlings are especially sensitive to temperature changes, excessive dry soil or excessive watering. It is also important to provide sufficient lighting, otherwise the seedlings will quickly stretch out.
- Late pick. To aboveground part developed evenly, the plant must be pruned as soon as the second true leaf appears.
- Overgrown seedlings. Such seedlings are more difficult to take root and may break during transplantation.
Disinfecting land is not for the lazy. But if you leave the cultivation of seedlings to chance and do not take basic measures, you can ruin all your work. To prevent this from happening, summer season needs to be opened in advance, and it should begin with cultivating the soil for seedlings.
There are many ways to disinfect soil; you can steam it, harden it, freeze it, or treat it. chemical agent. However, they all have their own nuances and disadvantages. Therefore, in order to grow strong and healthy seedlings, you need to carefully study all the information and correctly apply it in practice.
Spring is coming, hooray! Who would have thought that it is already mid-February, which means the time is already very close when it will be necessary to plant seedlings. Most gardeners plant peppers, tomatoes and eggplants first. (I'm not even talking about those who got confused - it could have been sown already in mid-January). So, the soil for seedlings needs to be prepared so that harmful and dangerous microorganisms do not develop in this soil during a long period of being waterlogged.
By harmful and dangerous microorganisms we mean mold, fungi and various viral diseases that can affect seedlings when they are in unprepared or poor-quality soil. I think many people buy ready-made substrate for seedlings in bags in the store. Such pleasure is not very expensive and you can afford it to reduce the loss nerve cells brain :). But if the crop you are going to grow is difficult to germinate, and it will take 30-40 days to germinate in a wet state, you will have to take care of the cleanliness and health of the soil, even if purchased.
Well, if you have prepared a bag of soil from a plot for seedlings since the fall, it’s time to start disinfecting it! To begin with I will say that perfect place storage of this soil - a balcony or garage (unheated). Behind winter time frost will kill most of them pests in a bag of soil, so it will be a small matter.
In general, there are many ways to disinfect soil. All of them are aimed at removing any living microorganisms in the soil, and the soil will be enriched with useful ones quite quickly. There are three main areas of tillage for seedlings:
- Chemical (using chemical elements, killing all living “population” of the soil)
- Biological (colonization of the soil with beneficial microorganisms, which will lead to the destruction of harmful ones)
- Physical (warming up, calcination, etc.)
These methods can be combined for greater 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 for seedlings are simple - you just need to follow the instructions to “shed” the soil or spray if obvious signs life on the surface. But you can tell us more about physical methods:
1. Calcination of 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 at a temperature of 200-300 degrees for 2 hours. Why did I call this method “dangerous”? I'll tell you =)
I poured the soil into an enamel saucepan (well, it was the only one we had without plastic handles), put it in the already preheated oven (as if I were baking Easter cakes), and sat and waited. Then I smell something starting to stink - well, I think now, as usual, the new dishes will stink a little and will stop. Yeah, that was not the case! The stench (the smell of acrid burning) intensified every minute, despite open windows and the hood turned on. I decided to take a look at what I had cooking in the pan. I opened the stove, smoke naturally poured out of it (which was not visible through the window at first), and in my saucepan, in addition to the strange color of the earth, several coals were smoldering. Probably these coals (which were probably wood chips before the arrival of the Inquisition), but I didn’t even think of sifting the earth.
In general, this “smell” lingered in the kitchen and throughout the apartment for another two weeks. For the saucepan, which abruptly changed color to black and charred, my wife also told me what a “well done” I was.
Therefore, for myself, I will refrain from this method in the future.
2. Steaming soil for seedlings
Take a large saucepan or bucket and place a colander on it. Pour enough water so that it does not reach the bottom edge of the colander. Cover the inside of the colander with gauze and fill the top with soil. It turned out to be a steamer! ;-) This is how you need to boil the soil for 40-50 minutes.
3. Washing and scalding the soil with boiling water– least effective method, is used more for one’s own peace of mind. The disadvantages of this method are that if you pour a lot of boiling water, you can “wash out” all the microelements from the soil and you will end up with something like sand. Of course, you can also grow seedlings in this, but... And if you just scald the soil with boiling water, the effect will be small.
After steaming or warming up, as I already 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 or names of drugs, ask in stores;-) In essence, they are all the same.
4. Warming up the soil in the microwave
This is the most modern way and the fastest - it only takes 4-5 minutes to warm up. Just remember that iron utensils cannot be placed in the microwave, and thin plastic melts easily ;-)
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