Soil sterilizing and seed planting.

[Chuck]

It's getting to be time for a lot of us to start our spring seed planting. Here in South Texas it is time to start our tomatoes. I thought I show how I do it. The first picture is my hi-tech soil sterilizing device and the second showing how high I raise the heat to. The temperature stayed at above 160F for about 45 minutes until it reached about 190F. I then filled the planting containers completely full and then tamped down the soil as shown in picture three. Then I placed 2 seeds into each container shown in pic 4 and then covered the up with no more than 1/4 inch of soil as shown in pic 5. Picture 6 show how I water the plants but at this stage I am saturating the soil before I go inside and place saran wrap tightly over the top.

The reason for the sterilization is because this way there will be no chance of damping off disease. This particular soil mix is 2/3 Lady Bug vortex potting soil and 1/3 of my homemade compost. Even high quality sterilized potting soil can have some of the spores of the damping of fungi. But to make sure that I don't get damping off, as soon as the little plants appear I will sprinkle horticultural cornmeal on the surface of the soil. There is nothing more disheartening than to go to all of the work, time and trouble, watch your seeds sprout and grow to about 3 inches tall and then watch them fall over dead.

I'll show more pictures of these tomato plants as they sprout, grow, get planted, taken care of and harvested if I don't get wiped out by hail or hogs.

 

[MaryMary]

The first picture is my hi-tech soil sterilizing device

First laugh out loud of the day, thank you, Chuck!

I will be watching this thread with interest. It's at least another two months before I can start my tomatoes, it will be nice to watch yours grow.

 

[MoonShadows]

Nothing like blowing the budget and getting one of those high-end soil sterilizers, huh? I'll bet it does a good job.

 

[Greenhorn]

Thank you for posting this it's really nice to be able to actually see the process. Do you turn the soil while it is heated or just let it simmer? Also I would guess the soil dries out, it must hydrate back up fine? None of the organic matter burns or gets crispy does it?

I'm a bit lazy and don't sterilize, but I absolute see the benefit of it, being confident that there will be no damping off issue.

 

[Chuck]

Thank you for posting this it's really nice to be able to actually see the process. Do you turn the soil while it is heated or just let it simmer? Also I would guess the soil dries out, it must hydrate back up fine? None of the organic matter burns or gets crispy does it?

I'm a bit lazy and don't sterilize, but I absolute see the benefit of it, being confident that there will be no damping off issue.

Yes, you should turn the soil. It dries out but if it is semi-wet it steams. After it is finished cooking it is dry but really sucks up the water. If you keep the fire small it doesn't burn or scorch anything, especially if you keep it stirred up.

 

[CanadianLori]

I use my wood pizza oven and an old roaster pan to cook my soil.

The oven gets up to around 450f so after testing with a standard size pan, and filling to a certain line, I figured out that 25 minutes gets the whole lot nicely heated up to the 200f mark - just picked that number because it seemed efficient.

Then I make my soil blocks and I cover the seeds with a thin layer of sand.

 

[Chuck]

I use my wood pizza oven and an old roaster pan to cook my soil.

The oven gets up to around 450f so after testing with a standard size pan, and filling to a certain line, I figured out that 25 minutes gets the whole lot nicely heated up to the 200f mark - just picked that number because it seemed efficient.

Then I make my soil blocks and I cover the seeds with a thin layer of sand.

If I am doing a small batch I use my oven too, but when doing enough for 100 tomato plants that is quite a bit of soil when each little container is 3/4 of a cup. Besides it gets me out of the house.

 

[alp]

I think I will do the same, but with a lid as I don't have a lot of wood. Might do it overnight for several nights. I have about 6 compost bins.

 

[DirtMechanic]

@Chuck I wanted to ask, have you seen any evidence in the first uses of that container that zinc fumes were ever an issue? I am guessing later on after some uses it would not be, but my 7 gallon containers like yours in your pictures are new and very shiny with galvanizing.

 

[Chuck]

@Chuck I wanted to ask, have you seen any evidence in the first uses of that container that zinc fumes were ever an issue? I am guessing later on after some uses it would not be, but my 7 gallon containers like yours in your pictures are new and very shiny with galvanizing.

That old tub is at least 60 years old. It was around when I was a little kid. I have no idea about the zinc. All I know is that for at least 10 years I have used the tub for cooking soil and have never seen nor smelled anything different. Before that I don't know if the tub was ever over a fire or not. I remember my mother using the tub to grow aloe vera in when I was a teenager. They don't make them like that anymore. There still isn't a speck of rust anywhere on it.

 

[MaryMary]

That old tub is at least 60 years old. It was around when I was a little kid...(snip)... I remember my mother using the tub to grow aloe vera in when I was a teenager.

That is so cool!!

Chuck, I was watching the Weather channel this morning, and they were talking about Winter Storm Inga moving through TX. It looked like a pretty wide swath will be hit with cold temps. Are you in the path?

I wanted to ask, have you seen any evidence in the first uses of that container that zinc fumes were ever an issue?

Are the fumes a problem? I was just reading a few days ago recent "opinions" on whether or not zinc will shorten the duration of a cold! They said if you want to add more zinc to your diet, then cook your food in a galvanized pot...?

 

[Chuck]

That is so cool!!

Chuck, I was watching the Weather channel this morning, and they were talking about Winter Storm Inga moving through TX. It looked like a pretty wide swath will be hit with cold temps. Are you in the path?





Are the fumes a problem? I was just reading a few days ago recent "opinions" on whether or not zinc will shorten the duration of a cold! They said if you want to add more zinc to your diet, then cook your food in a galvanized pot...?

Tonight the temperatures will start dropping to the low 20's and start raining and sleeting here. San Antonio is always about 7 degrees warmer than here and they have already started giving out warnings. Me, I couldn't care less. Iv'e got plenty of firewood, propane and beer to last.

I've heard that cooking with zinc pots is poisonous. I don't really know but it's probably true because there is no zinc in cookware. But who knows, pecan trees are routinely sprayed with zinc

 

[MaryMary]

I was worried about your tomatoes!!

Low 20's and plenty of beer to last...? Sounds good!! I am on my way!!


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Galvanized aluminum cookware = Bad.
https://oureverydaylife.com/cooking-galvanized-aluminum-healthy-23914.html

Zinc lozenges to shorten a cold = Harmless in small amounts / Good.
https://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/cold-guide/zinc-lozenges-cold-remedy#1

 

[Chuck]

I was worried about your tomatoes!!

Low 20's and plenty of beer to last...? Sounds good!! I am on my way!!


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Galvanized aluminum cookware = Bad.
https://oureverydaylife.com/cooking-galvanized-aluminum-healthy-23914.html

Zinc lozenges to shorten a cold = Harmless in small amounts / Good.
https://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/cold-guide/zinc-lozenges-cold-remedy#1

Tomatoes are inside close to the heat. They've got the best seats in the house.

 

[alp]

But who knows, pecan trees are routinely sprayed with zinc