STERILISE YOUR POTTING SOIL

Evening Star, Issue 22893, 26 February 1938, Page 21

STERILISE YOUR POTTING SOIL

The sterilisation of potting/soil is now! carried out as a routine measure by, market gardeners, who mostly possess steam sterilising plant, and few am auteurs care to go to the expense involved in the purchase of one of .these. Fortunately, however, it is a simple matte? to sterilise soil with chemical agents* of which formalin is probably the cheapest and best. • This can be obtained from a seedsman or chemist, and is normally sold in the form of a 40 per cent, solution. For use, one pin,t of this solution should be added to 6gal of water. To sterilise borders in the greenhousej water with this dilute solution at tha rate of 2gal .per square yard, at least two weeks before planting. To sterilise heaps of soil for tomatoes and pot plants, spread a layer of soil a few; inches deep on the floor of the greenhouse and water it with the dilute solution. Three gallons of solution will treat about a hundredweight of soi!-> Then cover the soil with a sack, for- 48 hours, uncover the heap, fork it oyer, occasionally, and allow it to dry. It * should not he used until two weeks have elapsed. By this time all the formalin fumea will have evaporated. This treatment will kill all disease spores,and pests ini the soil. It is a good plan at the same time to wash down all staging, brickwork, and benches in the greenhouses with the formalin solution.—‘ Popular Gardening/ London.