I need to sterilize the long spagnum I am going to use. How hot and how long do I need it in the oven. I have heard 275 degrees.
Sterilizing spagnum
Make sure the spagnum is wetted, of course, and I usually put mine in a turkey bag.
The internal temp is supposed to reach 160 for 20 minutes. That usually takes a while, unless you turn your heat up.
275 sounds fine,...there is no absolute temp...just don't turn too high...
It is the internal temp and how long it stays there that matters. Make sure you wear gloves when you handle it at first. I've seen horrible pictures of stuff you can "catch" from handling this stuff raw.
Most bags have a warning on them but I'm sure you aleady know that :0)
HUM, I have heard about things you can get, fungus? Kind of freaks me out. I did handle it before for my Cleopatra Epecia. I was going to let other epescia's have the spagnum too, but I am now a bit scared to mess with it again.
Is there a problem with reg. violet soiless mix? I know any soil outside is a problem too in gardening. Fungus is everywhere really. I want to know more now.
Sally-
don't be afraid of it, just use gloves. I keep a box of latex gloves handy for this, paiting, and all sorts of stuff. They can be bought at Harbor freight, your pharmacy, walmart, etc.
you aren't likely to get it, so don't be scared of it, but you should use precaution(gloves) just in case.
Once you bake it, no worries!
I'm in a habit of baking all my soil, especailly when rooting or starting seeds to avoid damping off fungus. I make different mixes all the time(one for succulents, one for roses, one for rooting, etc), and try to reuse soil when possible to save money on rebuying things like coir and the more expensive ammendments, so I'm in a habit of baking my soil.
here is a link about the moss:
http://www.ext.vt.edu/departments/envirohort/articles/misc/sphagnum.html
HUM, still freaky. I have my two Cleopatra's in that moss. I don't remember if I used gloves, I always to outside, sometimes inside. There are glass tops on the moss. The bubble bowls are inside. That is ok?
I had forgotten about this problem and didn't know much really. I cannot take medicines most of the time, I react to most things and there are many I cannot take at all. SO, I don't want to have a problem.
I had asked my hubby to put the moss in a pan for me. THEN I told him to please just throw it away. He thinks I am nuts as usual, but he is so sweet.
I am glad I asked since I am sensitive. Guess I will just repot the epescias and put them in the reg. "soil." The Cleopatras really do love it though. Thanks. Nutty Sally
why don't you just ask your sweet hubby to fetch it back, and then bake it for you? lol
Sally--if your immune system is compromised, it is probably best you stay away from it. :-(
Ha, Seedpicker! It is in the bottom of the big trashcan.
Pheobe, you may be right. I already used it so maybe I will stop there to be safe.
I suppose it is safe to have in the house? Under the glass tops?
Sally-
I feel bad for mentioning it at all now. I certainly wouldn't want you to catch anything, but if you read that article I posted, it says that basically, on the rare occasion the moss is contaminated, the workers will catch it first, and then the contaminated stuff will be disposed of.
The chances of you getting contaminated, post the workers handling it, is slim. Plus, it is not like it is incurable. Just antibiotics.
If you wear gloves when handling it, I don't even think it is an issue, and sterilizing it, you can play with it all day, and also not worry that the fungus is growing in your glass containers.
Would you like for me to sterilize some for you, and mail you some?
Seedpicker, DON'T feel bad! I knew about this, but sort of in the back of my mind. I really do have to be careful and I am thankful to know about things, SO much better than not knowing. Antibiotics are very hard for me to take. I can't take any but two kinds and even one of THOSE is bad now. If there is something I really don't need to do, there is no reason to do it.
I learn all I can and need to know, then I can be careful or stay away. I know 99% of people are just fine with it and I have been so far! I seem TOO careful, but I have been through a lot with illnesses and I have learned to be that way. I don't live in a bubble of course, but I am careful about chemicals etc.
If I do use it in the future, I will just be careful and use gloves. I do appreciate your info and don't feel bad, you should feel the opposite! :)
Well, I also don't want you to think I'm passing over your health sensitivity. I have a compromised immunity for some reason, and so I can identify with all that you said.
I was serious about sterilizing some for you. I know it would ease your mind, and then you wouldn't have to worry, and also you could use what you think your plants like.
I've rooted avs in it, and also used it to do air-layering, and for that it is wonderful stuff!
I know, it IS wonderful! I will let you know if I need you to do that. I sure appreciate the offer!!!
Sally, you really should take precautions since you have health issues, better to be safe!
I think I've probably built up immunities from breathing it and playing with it without gloves for so long. I guess I've been pretty lucky in my 61 years of life. I've been using LFS for a long time and never wear gloves. I put gloves on when I start out playing with plants and then take them off to answer the phone or do something else and forget to put them back on! Occasionally I notice the warning on the bag and then quickly forget about it. I don't know about cooking it though! Does it give off any harmful fumes? I used to sterilize my potting soil years ago by baking it in the oven but am too lazy to even do that anymore.
I grew up in the south, barefoot all the time, playing in the dirt. My mama always told us kids "a little dirt ain't gonna hurt you." When my mom was under hospice care, one of my sisters said something to one of the nurses about mom not wanting to take a shower that particular day, and the "older" nurse (in her heavy Jamaican accent) replied "She hasn't been anywhere or done anything to get dirty, missing a shower or bath for one day isn't harmful, and anyway ... a little dirt ain't going to hurt, unless it's a mountain falling on her!" My sisters and I all cracked up laughing so hard because we had heard that similar expression so many times when we were young!
I still to this day go barefoot all the time. My husband is always telling me I should put shoes on when I'm outside. He doesn't even walk inside without shoes or slippers on. My feet get so dirty I really have to scrub, scrub, scrub to get them clean! Just yesterday I stepped on a little thorny branch in the backyard and boy did it hurt ... I've been jabbed and stabbed with thorns so many times over the years ... I swear I think I have thorns embedded in me! I keep hydrogen peroxide on hand all the time too, and have to use it quite often! I also have a large stash of neosporin and band aids, part of my planting supplies, LOL.
It's a cloudy, dreary, rainy day here today, so I can't play outside. I think I will go get a pedicure! Perfect day for it!
I loved your story,Lin!
I love your story, too, Lin.........I lived in the country and only wore shoes when my mother made me. I have used SMoss all my life and never even knew there was a downside to it........until this thread......I have never baked soil or SMoss.............
I, like you, always keep a stash of neosporin and band aids............fixes everything in my life (LOL)
Send us some of your rain, Lin.........we have already lost the crop for good..............but our yards would look nice if we had some rain..............
Gail,
I have a friend in Bastrop.It's been very dry there for a long time,too.
I think a person builds an immunity by not being too cautious. I grew up on a farm, fed cows in blizzards AND north winds, stepped on nails, got scratched by cats and kicked by cows. I never went to the doctor much as he was in town about 15 miles away. I never have had many colds. Once about every 5 years I get the flu. A couple of years ago, I just couldn't get to feeling better and I chalked it up to fibromyalgia, but went to the doctor. Turns out I had pheumonia. Go figure. But I did go get a pneumonia shot. Haven't had any problems with bronchitis or colds. And they are saying now that if you stay colder you can lose weight. I think cold helps keep us healthy. If we've had a warm winter I notice more people are getting sick. [Sorry, I didn't mean to write a letter.!]
I don't know which is better,but these new Bandaids with antibiotics on them and little tubes of Neosporin they are saying to put on every scratch or cut may be going a little far! A little exposure to dirt and germs is good for you,so you can build up some resistance.
Mortswife: I've always heard that folks down south are sick a lot because we don't have the cold to kill off all the germs ... I do believe there might be some merit to that thinking but also think illnesses have to do with lifestyle and genes as well. I count my blessings because I don't get sick very often at all, have never had any major health issues, yet I've seen some of my family members with lots of health problems.
Lynn: I totally agree. I don't have an advanced education, but I think there are so many germs and bacteria out there today that are resistant to antibiotics because they (antibiotics) have been over-used. I've always felt a little dirt and germs are good for us ... as well as plain soap and water for cleaning out minor scratches/wounds!
Oh, and Mortswife ... I am a talker, can you tell? ^_^ Talk about writing a book ... sometimes I don't know when to shut up! So, please write away! I love chatting with y'all! ^_^
Ha, I am queen of barefoot, play in the dirt as a child and now also. I was not careful until I had many problems, rare ones. This story is YEARS long... but I had to have surgery in Houston in my head to cut my vestibular nerve. Only one balance nerve left. Very scary, serious last option type surgery that could have had terrible consequences. Took some hearing so I was lucky it was not worse. Horrible learning to have some balance back again, being around noise and traveling, etc. Things are still hard for me, NO boating which is sad where we live, travel is hard, I have to nap and sleep a lot.
I cannot have Mycin drugs since some can destroy the inner ear.
Years later I came down with a serious case of CFS and dangerously low amount of B12 in my blood. Another VERY long story. I see a good doctor that actually understands and is knowledgable. Now dealing with Lithotripsy's, kidney stones, infections....All hard since meds are bad for me. I can't have any pain medicine.
So, there are many people that really do have to be careful.
We take shoes off in the house. Good for the floors and my little dog. Also, I sure don't want dirt and everything else that is in the streets etc. in my home.
When working outside you do have to do things to keep from having bad infection. Cleaning wounds is key. (I was a nursing student and love keeping up on information) Also, getting the tetanus shot is important. There are sad stories of tiny cuts and getting it, horrible and not necessary. I stay current since I garden a lot.
It is just a balancing act, I have learned what to do to stay well and everyone does what works for them.
This message was edited Apr 14, 2009 1:43 PM
You guys are driving this nurse crazy! LOL--I agree we need to build immunities--but we live in a different world today. The advent and subsequent abuse of antibiotics has created a whole new set of problems which need to be addressed in a different way. Also consider that none of us are getting any younger, and our older bodies are not as efficient at fighting off those nasty superbugs. Why take unnecessary chances--wear shoes , flip flops, whatever, outdoors Lin! We're still gonna get kicked by cows, scratched by cats--unavoidable, but when one CAN protect one's self, I think we owe it to ourselves and our families to do so!
phoebs-did you ever wear flip flops in a cow pasture? not fun!
LOL! You won't find me going barefoot in a cow pasture either! ROTFLMAO!
Boots would work. Flip flops in the yard.
Uh oh ... a nurse in the house! Phoebe, you are sooo right, we should protect ourselves. I think I'm just old and set in my ways .... really I know it's just laziness! I've been so bad about NOT doing the right thing (shoes, gloves) for so many years, that it's hard to get into the good habit of doing it! I have probably ten pairs of gardening gloves, most new, still with the label's on them and I have one box of disposable latex? gloves out in the shed and one box under my kitchen sink. I began using them years ago when my dear MIL was in Assisted Living and I was tending to her because the aides were otherwise occupied. We always had boxes of the disposable gloves at my Mom's too. She was fighting cancer with chemotherapy, as well as fighting a diabetic foot infection ... all at the same time. I know about those super antibiotics, as Mom was on IV antibiotics daily for eighteen months! trying to conquer the foot infection that would mutate from one type to another! It was a contradiction of sorts ... chemo for the cancer versus very strong antibiotics for the infection in her foot. She ended up having to have partial amputation surgery on her foot which, along with additional post surgical antibiotics, did get rid of the infection.
I start out sometimes putting on either gardening gloves or the disposable ones, but then remove them for some reason or other and don't bother putting them on again! Maybe I need to tie a ribbon around my wrist or something to make me remember to Just Do It! And, shoes too!
Phoebe: Thanks for the reminder to us all that we really do have to show a little responsibility for keeping ourselves safe from all the "stuff" out there! I just need a good smack once in awhile to remind me! ^_^
I do too Phoebe!! I do try to protect myself more than I ever used too.I now wear gloves when cleaning the bathroom,potting plants (not the same ones LOL) etc.,but I admit to taking them off sometimes because I can't "feel" the plant good enough.
I do know older people,for instance my father in law when he was in his 70's,can get horrible consequences from scrapes and scratches.He scraped his arm and got Toxic Shock Syndrome.He was the oldest person to ever survive it. I will try to be more careful ^_^.
Lynn
Well students, that's much better--LOL! Seriously, we all get careless or forgetful at times, but I think we should at least make an effort. OK--CLASS DISMISSED! Haaaaaa!
ROFLOLPIP
Woo Hoo ... Recess! Time to play! I promise to put my gloves and shoes on! ^_^
It's fun to joke and kid around but I know this discussion is really serious and not a laughing matter. I got to thinking ... I ALWAYS wear sunscreen and my baseball cap when I'm out in the yard or when we go out on the boat, or walk on the beach ... so I need to make a conscious effort to remember gloves and shoes when gardening! So, Thanks again Phoebe for acting as teacher and keeping us students in line! We all need reminders sometimes, at least I know I do!
Eh...me too--about lots of things!
I don't own a pair of gloves either for spraying , working inside, working outside, etc but I need to. I call it old lady's thin skin where everything that rubs or is abrasive on my skin tears it (LOL) . Hate to admit that.............
Skin absorbs everything so it is important.
Awww...Gail, be careful! I hate to see skin tears! Remember the old fashioned cotton gloves we used to wear back in the 50's(I was a mere child--LOL)--those would work.
The reason I use so many band aids and neosporin is because of the new staph infection going around that can throw people into septic shock within hours................any time I break skin, I wash thoroughly and use an antibiotic cream. Also, I wash my hands all day long.
I want to call it MERSA or something like that...........my physician children tell me to be very careful as they see this infection all the time.........a deadly staph........because it doesn't respond to penicillin.
It is called MRSA (pronounced mersa) Gail, and your description is accurate...so keep up the good work with the hand hygiene! It's the best defense^_^
Shoes Schmoes! I only wear them when I'm going out in public (and thankfully I don't go out in public TOOOOO much ROFL)
My feet are so tough from being barefoot this many years I can actually step barefoot on my cigs and put them out.
Once, I thought about getting a nice pedicure so my feet would look cute in sandals... But I didn't wanna have my protective callouses scrubbed off, so I just did my nails up all jazzy instead:
I think you need to get a hobby girl! Your toes are very pretty(for toes), but at 30 yo, your body has way more resources to defend itself from the deadly organisms discussed above. You are too funny!
WOW, they have to be tough for a cigarette I guess. I don't smoke but I doubt I could do that. :0
I guess my feet are the opposite. I keep them super soft and I like to paint nails too. I just wear flip flops and sandles in summer.
I wear White work boots year round. I have bad feet.