Keep Your Houseplants Healthy
Houseplants are an attractive and healthful addition to any home, and
quite often, shortly after purchasing a new houseplant, it becomes
necessary to transplant it into a new pot. Houseplants sold in stores
are sometimes already considerably root bound, and once the roots have
filled the pot it's time to provide a little more legroom. Besides a new
container a couple of inches larger, you'll need potting soil before
beginning the transplanting process.
Potting medium sold in stores
provides the right combination of nutrients and rich organic material to
help your houseplants thrive, but potting soil sometimes comes with
more than plant lovers bargain for. Soil-borne fungi and insects are
sometimes included at no extra charge, but these are freebies you really
don't want to bring home.
Just because potting medium is
labeled as sterilized doesn't mean it won't contain something extra.
Bagged potting soil might still contain harmful fungi, soil-borne
diseases, or destructive insects, and it's a good idea to sterilize
potting soil before using to ensure it's truly sterile. The following
information provides step-by-step instructions on how to sterilize
potting soil. When you sterilize your planting medium, you ensure the
health and well being of your houseplants, and beginning with healthy
soil is the first step in maintaining vigorous abundant houseplants.
Warning
When potting soil is heated, it produces a strong unpleasant odor. Be
sure to provide adequate ventilation by opening a nearby window and
turning on an exhaust fan. Keep children and pets out of the room.
In addition, the temperature of the medium you sterilize should not
exceed 180 degree Fahrenheit during the heating process. Higher
temperatures can produce substances that are toxic to plants. If the
temperature exceeds 180 degrees Fahrenheit, discard the soil
appropriately, and start over.
Easy Oven Method
To sterilize potting medium in the oven you'll need a large oven-safe
roasting bag, a large baking sheet or roasting pan, a meat thermometer, 5
cups of fertile potting soil, and one cup of water. You'll also need a
potholder or oven mitt, and a cooling rack.
Begin to sterilize
the soil by placing approximately 5 cups of loose houseplant medium in a
large oven-safe roasting bag, and thoroughly mix in about 1 cup of
water. Place the bag on a baking sheet or in a roasting pan, and loosely
affix the opening so steam can escape. Stick a meat thermometer through
the bag, and into the dirt. Set the oven to a very low temperature, and
turn it down when the thermometer reaches 170 degrees Fahrenheit so it
doesn't exceed 180 degrees Fahrenheit. Try to keep the temperature
constant for about 30 minutes to ensure safe and adequate sterilization.
After you sterilize the planting medium, carefully open the bag after
30 minutes of continual 170-degree temperatures, and allow it to cool to
room temperature before using.
Important Note
Once you sterilize the soil, you must sterilize the pots and saucers
before using to ensure the soil remains sterile. Soil-borne diseases,
fungi, and insects can live in small amounts of soil and debris
remaining in previously used and inadequately cleaned pots and saucers.
