I've spent my morning baking two big trays of mouthwatering seed starter mix! My seeds are in for a treat today! Actually, I just wanted to share my recipe for sterilizing soiless starter mix, so you can save it year to year and re-use it for your indoor seed starting.
Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Place used starter mix into a turkey sized baking bag & place on a large cookie sheet, laying the bag sideways and tucking the open end under. Poke several holes in the top, then place a meat thermometer in the center. Set oven from preheat to bake, place cookie sheet with soil into oven. When the internal temp reaches 180 degrees, leave in oven for another 30 minutes. This will bake most organisms that can cause seed germination failure & dampening off, as well as killing any seeds that might be left over in the used starter.
This same principle can be used for baking soil, though nutrients can be lost. The use of baking bags can curtail the unpleasant odor of baking soil. Remember, the seedlings really don't need any nutrients in the soil until they establish true leaves, since nutrients are supplied by the cotyledons (first leaves)until then.
