Post date: Apr 28, 2020 1:40:44 AM
Solarisation Notes
Uma Sashikanth
April 27,2020
Soil is alive. There are billions of micro organisms in every teaspoon of soil. Yes, billions. Soil microbes live on air, water and food, like all living beings.
When soil is packed in plastic bags, there is no air to breathe. The good microbes die. Pathogens and disease causing organisms can live without air. They multiply. Pest eggs that would have been decimated by good microbes live.
When you get store bought soil that has been lying sealed in plastic, you bring these harmful elements into your garden. Pests hatch and diseases happen and you worry.
Since making your own soil might be too tedious, and since it is easy and cheap to buy these plastic bags, wht could be done?
Solarising the soil is an efficient way to kill all pathogens and harmful elements in store bought soil.
Here are the steps:
1. Spread the soil on the ground or a garden bed. Make a layer not over 6 inches deep. Ensure lumps are broken. If the soil is smelly (Gawd) air it for a couple of days first.
2. Cover with a plastic sheet. Painter’s plastic is fine. You can also use a black polythene sheet for best results.
3. Secure all ends with earth pins. Or tuck the plastic below the soil. So the soil is sealed in.
4. Leave in full sun for 4 weeks.
The heat of the sun will be maximized by the plastic and kill
all the pathogens. Since the good microbes are dead anyway, this kill-all treatment won’t harm the soil any further.
5. Collect the soil after four weeks, make a mound in shade, and inoculate it with compost or Vermicompost and add LAB solution to bring back good microbes. Your soil will be ready to use in 2 weeks.
Look up solarisation on YouTube for videos and demos.
Ps: if you think letting those bags lie in a pile at the corner of the garden is Solarising them already, I have ton of my head in disapproval. No sir, that isn’t how it is done.
As someone completely enthralled by the miracles of the soil and life, I still don’t understand why you would choose dead soil over live soil, and why you would kill everything, and start from dust.
My notes are purely from a teaching objective. Not a recommendation.
Build your soil. Your own. Filled with microbes and life. I will teach you how to do it. Begin with compost. Dont pay money to get disease and pests home.