Solarization: A Safe Process To Sterilize Your Soil

Solarization: A Safe Process To Sterilize Your Soil

Florida soil is just simply full of critters & microbes lurking and laying in wait to cheerfully destroy your endeavors to raise herbs, vegetables and flowers. Summertime is the perfect time to literally "cook" these critters prior planting in the fall for your late season garden.

Nematodes, are nasty but tiny microscopic worms that inhabit in all Florida soils. This is especially true sandy soils and loams. Nematodes actually rampage any vegetable root systems that they get to most especially tomatoes, eggplant, peppers and other eadilble crops. Nematodes, can and often do, literally destroy vegetable garden plants actually within mere weeks. Other dangers to your garden include harmful bacteria and viruses that overwinter
and then stay around to lurk in your soil just waiting for their chance to attack and destroy your vegetables, fruits and flower plants. While not completely 100% effective solarization is one of the best ways to rid the soil of nematodes and other destructive critters and microbes inhabiting your soil.

We are lucky that the summer sun in Florida is so close to the earth and thus is so intense. It is this reason that is primary to effective solar sterilization a.k.a. 'solarization' and why it works so rapidly and effectively here here. In a mere 3 months period, either may, June & July or June, July and August you can safely and effectively kill harmful worms, grubs, microbes and other bio-organisms in your garden. It really makes sense to do this simple thing to assist you in producing a bountiful crop.

Prepping Your Garden Area
Contrary to popular belief it is not necessary to remove grass and weeds from your garden spot in order to solarize your soil simply because the heat will also cook them along with your weed seeds. The soil does have to be turned to a depth of 12 inches. After the soil is turned, water it well and allow the water time to soak in. The best way to do this is by using either a sprinkler or a soaker hose left running for 1-3 hours. It is then that your soil turning may be done after and it may also be done a  nice, long rain shower that really soaks the ground.

Covering Your Garden Area
This is the best way to cover your garden area. Begin by digging a 12" wide trench around the outer perimeter of your garden at a depth of at 6"-8 ". Next cover your garden area with heavy, clear plastic such as construction grade visqueen. Make very sure that your plastic is wide enough to cover your entire garden area including the trenches.

DO NOT cover your soil with black plastic! Black plastic will absorb most of the heat that you need to use in this process and thus your much needed heat will only transfer to the very top of the soil that is touching your plastic. Using clear plastic insures that the sunlight travels through the plastic and directly into your soil and is thus trapped and therby heats up your soil in a thorough and more effective manner.

Once your garden area is covered you need to fill in your trenches with the soil you removed from them. be sure to cover the edges of your plastic sheeting. This is important as it is how you seal your garden area thus keep your heat and moisture contained within. Stretch your plastic as tightly as you are able over the garden area. The tighter your plastic is stretched, the more effective as well as better your solarization process will work.

In order to keep your plastic from bulging and ballooning from the steam and gasses that are released during your solarization's organic decomposition process you may use boards, landscape timbers or or concrete blocks strategically placed or laid across your plastic in a nummber of spots.

You will need to leave your plastic sheeting is place on your garden area until your are ready to plant thus insuring no re-infestation or contamination. When your plastic is removed you will then need to allow your soil to cool for at least 6-24 hours before preparing it for your fall planting.

Post-Solarization Restoration Of Bacterial Balance
There is a downside to soil solarization. It is that your beneficial bacteria are killed as well as the harmful microbes. Simply add some well composted soil along with some manure to your soil. This simple process will return those much needed beneficial micorbes to your soil and assist in making a much healthier garden. If composted materials are not available,  you may want to use any one of the various brands of powdered beneficial bacteria that may be found at any good garden shop or department. These may then simply be added to your soil.

So now you can see that solarization is a safe as well as highly effective organic gardening method for helping you insure the best growth conditions possible for your own Florida herb, vegetable and/or flower garden.

Copyright © 2009 Donald R Houston, PhD. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the author's consent.