If you don’t pay close attention to this when buying plants, you will quickly bring home pests that are hiding in the potting soil. But even soil bought from specialist retailers can already be infested with various plant pests and reduce the lifespan of your plants.
It is therefore advisable to sterilize the soil beforehand. You don’t need any expensive special products for this, you can simply put the soil in the oven.
Sterilize potting soil – this is how it works
- First moisten the soil.
- Spread them out on a parchment-lined baking sheet or other heat-resistant dish.
- Now heat the soil for 30 minutes at 120 to 150 degrees Celsius and stir once halfway through so that the entire soil is heated evenly.
- Allow to cool completely before use.
If you don’t have an oven, you can alternatively sterilize potting soil in the microwave. Set the highest level for this and also make sure to stir the earth. However, since a large part of the nutrients are destroyed in this way, it is advisable to use the oven method.
notice: After sterilizing, small white dots may be visible on the ground. Don’t worry, these are insect larvae or worms that have been killed by the heat.