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Post by rogerhardcastle on Apr 5, 2022 12:29:22 GMT
I have grown plants from seed for a long time. I have used the conventional peat and perlite blend. I have read that people have experimented with either boiling or microwaving peat to sterilise it. Has anyone got any personal experience of doing this ?
I would like to try to prevent carpet moss from overtaking small seedlings.
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Post by fredg on Apr 6, 2022 10:51:52 GMT
I've never done it Roger. I've always used the sphagnum moss peat straight from the bag.
People do seem to try to over complicate things.
I've always found if the correct mixture of peat/sand/grit is used then the seedlings cope perfectly well.
( People have also been known to wash peat before use too)
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Post by dvg on Apr 6, 2022 16:05:04 GMT
For rinsing of peat, i've rinsed a batch of peat three times before as recommended for removal of spores and other assorted slimy green nasties. I think it helped, but it was so labour and water intensive that the practice wasn't continued. Boiling of peat is not recommended as it leads to the peat's degradation and a quicker breaking down of the peat's expected potted life. Microwaving the wet peat media is an effective way of buying time from inhouse competitors that can rise up in the peat. The seedling's cooled pot is then placed inside a sealed baggy to help prevent more airborne spores landing on the pot's surface and in effect sabotaging the microwaving's effort. You can also steam your peat, as that will help to sterilze the peat to some degree, but as i haven't done it myself, i can't comment on its efficacy, but it sounds like it might be a smelly process best performed outdoors.  You can also sift fine sand around your seedlings in order to cover up mosses and green slimes, again to buy the seedlings more time to establish their roots and grow larger. dvg |
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not here it isn't