johnsonjrbm,
No offence taken...
by using "Lab-grade" Hydrogen Peroxide is where I learned about it myself, from a college chemistry class.
B
Fire in the hole! Caution about sterilizing potting soil
critterologist,
Had a similiar situation that is still good for a story at family gatherings...I have a grow room in basement dh built to start my seedlings in. I had heard that some germinated better with heat so I bought heating cables (WHY I didn't buy mats I'll never know but I think it was a cost issue because the cheapy heating cables had a self enclosed, thermostat, so I didn't need to buy a thermostat). When I set up my seeds that year I saw that the plastic coating on one cable was nicked but it didn't look like it went all the way through so I put them under the flats and turned them on. This is even worse because I'm a really educated person with a husband who was an electrical engineer...All I had to do was ask him and he could have tested/fixed it. The next day dh and I are out at Sam's and our exchange student calls in a panick saying she smells smoke. I didn't panick because we have a special fire alarm system that goes directly to the fire dept but I told her to go methodically through the house and check for area of maximum smell and had her put my 8 year old son on the phone, where I promptly grilled him. Sorry guys but this kid has been a magnet for trouble and a LONG history LOL I hear her yell, "I found it" and she comes back to the phone all excited telling me the DIRT in my growroom is on fire (the best she could manage in english in her panick LOL) Immediately, I want to just DIE because I realize the "nick" was actually a short and I almost burned down our home! Can't tell you HOW glad I am that the Fire Dept didn't actually come...in our small town it would be a story I'd never live down! BTW at home when I looked the cables had actually melted a 6 inch hole in one of the really heavy duty flats and the smoke was real! Needless to say, on top of feeling REALLY stupid for almost burning the house down, I felt just terrible for grilling the poor kid LOL My husband still laughs so hard he can't even breathe when the story comes up!
I'll bet your son was relieved that it was mommy's fault (for a change)! That's quite a story... I'm glad your student found the source before things got bad. I know what you mean about feeling even worse when you realize you did something dumb and really, truly should've known better... I mean, if I'd thought it through, I'd have realized that putting bone dry potting mix in the microwave was *not* a bright idea!
That kind of thing is why I'm always posting warnings about not using household heating pads, electric blankets, etc. under seedling flats... they aren't designed to be used in a potentially wet environment, and they aren't designed to be used with something sitting on them, and all those manufacturer's warnings are there for a reason.... you don't want to fool around with potential electrical hazards.
Thanks for bringing this old thread up, I had a good laugh re-reading and finding the new posts too. It gives me some comfort to know that I'm not alone in this plant obsession and the measures we go to. I was baking dirt just the other day and it gives the house a strange aroma. Doesn't really smell bad, just not like something good to eat.
I feel right at home with you bunch of nuts.