I have been reading where people are cleaning up their EBs/HEBs whenever the crop they planted in them is done. I have some HEBS that are done and want to store them away until later on, I do want to reuse the potting mix again also. I read where you use bleach to clean out the EBs/HEBs and peroxide to clean the mix after removing all the roots from the previous plants. Can anyone tell me exactly how this is done?
joy
Cleaning up EBs and HEBS and the potting mixes
to every 2-3 gallons of hot water you use to wash your containers, add:
2 capfuls (or some nice big squeezes) of LEMON Ajax Detergent (regular, not antibacterial),
2 capfuls of Mouthwash (Listerine -$$$), or a big bottle from the $1 store - NOT $$$!)
1/2 cup Bleach
I just dump my mix into the wheelbarrow or the 40 gallon sterilites with lids. Wash out the containers and let air dry bottom side up.
Lately, I've been VERY happy with sterilizine my coco coir in the microwave. I fill a large glass or heavy duty plastic bowl (only large enough so the bowl still turns) with my coir/mix. Then I thoroughly dampen the mix and add additional water to fill about 1/3 of the bowI. I nuke it for 20 minutes on high. The vapor from the water rises up through the coir/mix and keeps it moist.
Please note that, DRY COIR/MIX IN A MICROWAVE FOR 20 MINUTES WILL BURN!
Once it's nuked, unless you run cold water through, it will be entirely TOO HOT to handle. I usually just let it sit somewhere till it cools down. At least I know it's sterile and there's nothing crawling around in it after 20 minutes on high!
No odors whatsoever (well, just a very mild earthy scent). Not at all like nuking dirt!
I've only done small batches, duh...enough to fill my seedling trays and fill a pot here or there. Haven't done as much as would fill an EB. That would take awhile. Although now that I'm talking out loud, since it doesn't smell in the microwave, I'm thinking coir wouldn't smell in a large roasting pan in the oven either....
Joy, let me know what you find out about prepping large batches with peroxide. I haven't run across that one before...
Linda
I'm interested in finding out about sterilizing large quantities of coir, too... I'm nowhere near being done yet this season (I hope!) but since I did get a fair amount of it this year I'd like to reuse it if possible and I know that it will need to be sterilized somehow first.
Liannenc, I have poured boiling water thru my 5-gallon eBuckets when they had some ants. I used my large gumbo pots. This might work for a wheelbarrow full. Since coir drains so easily it's a fast job. Also coir holds Heat, so after you pour boiling water thru, the pile stays Hot for awhile. I saw NO thing move after it cooled down. Not sure how much microscopic stuff it'll kill. Hope this helps. Linda
Sherri: Thanks, I forgot completely about the monster 1200 I bought earlier on, haven't even broke it out yet. Will it work on the potting mix I wonder? Just in case any of the buggers laid eggs in it?
joy
I think it will Joy. The lit on mine says it will. I guess it'll be just as good as the microwave and a whole lot quicker. Won't know until we try :) I've used it on mildew outside on the deck and it worked great.
Do you use compost? I have great looking compost but I dumped everything in there. I know it got hot enough. My question is does the heat break down components from poisonous plants like Brugs?
Sherri
Sherri: I use weed killer on my weeds, so was told not to put my weeds in a composter when I get one, I'm thinking about buying a tumbler one, those corn stalks sure would have done nicely though, hey? I'm getting flowers on my melon vines now, 3 have wilted from the sun, the others though, look good. I'm just hoping the bad bugs didn't eat my good bees I saw around here this Spring that I'm not seeing so much of now. (sniffles)
joy
HI Joy,
I have a compost tumbler. It's the double one. While one side is cooking you can fill up the other. I had a single before this one but once you get it filled up you're not supposed to add to it. So I was waiting for it to cook and piling up the waste. Might as well had a regular pile. The double eliminated that problem and now it's working like I wanted. I put everything in there though. Looks great but wasn't sure if I should use it on veggies. I added a worm factory this year and that's a cool thing. This was my first "harvest" of castings and I got 15.5 lbs. That mixed with coir in my EBs should make some good "eats". :) Check for squash borers on those melons. Even if they wilt they should come back when you water. I'm not seeing very many bees either. :(
Even when I used Jungle Growth container mix I never sterilized it? I just cleaned out the old roots and fertilizer added more mix if needed and covered my EBs until the next planting and have never had problems! I would change the mix every three or four years and wash out the EB with a bleach solution. I intend to use the same system with my coir just keep them covered during storage to prevent weeds. I buy my covers at a minium of twenty at a time as it is much cheaper that way.
TPlant: Thanks; but with the cucumber beetles, I was concerned about them laying their eggs in the potting medium and lo and behold next season, I got bugs before Summer time, yikes. LOL
I just brought in some huge tomatoes yesterday they were still green, and some eggplant, was going to cut them up and bread them and fry them today and lo and behold I get up and the green tomatoes are no where to be found. I asked my daughter if she beat me to the punch on them and she said no mom here they are and they were red.
Getting all the noise of a thunderstorm, hope some wet stuff comes with it. LOL
joy