Heat. Heating the soil is very effective and the soil can be used immediately after cooling, unlike chemically treated soil. Many plant pathogens are killed by short exposures to high temperatures. Most plant pathogens can be killed by temperatures of 140°F (60°C) for 30 minutes.
Vinegar is an indiscriminate herbicide, pesticide and fungicide. It also has antibacterial properties. It will kill EVERYTHING, including beneficial microorganisms in the soil that plants need to convert nitrogen into a form they can use. In most states professionals must have a license to use it as an herbicide.
The use of solar, dry or steam heat is the most effective non-chemical means to disinfect soil. The time to treat soil is before seeding or transplanting. Soil to be treated must be easily crumbled and be without clods or large pieces of plant debris. Soil must also have proper moisture.
Bacterial predators, including bacteria-feeding nematodes, protists, bacteria (Bdellovibrio and like organisms, Lysobacter, and myxobacteria), and bacteriophages are responsible for bacterial turnover in soils that lead to many ecosystem services.
The best way to sterilize soil at home is by steaming it in the oven or on a grill. Steam sterilization is also popular in commercial farming and greenhouses, but they have a better method for doing it on such a large scale. You'll accomplish this by adding a little water and some heat.
Heat is the only practical means of treating soil physically. Complete treatment, or sterilization, requires heating soil to 2120 F. Partial treatment, or pasteurization, requires heat of 140 to 1600F.
Bacillus species dominate the bacterial population in soil and are numerous. They are followed by Cocci and Spirillum species. Winogradsky (1925) has classified soil microorganisms on the basis of ecological characteristics.
It is important to note that there is no cure for bacterial wilt, and infected plants will need to be removed and destroyed.
There are presently two main strategies for accomplishing soil decontamination: physical decontamination and bioremediation. Physical decontamination is conducted using techniques such as soil washing and soil vapor extraction and can be used on a variety of both organic and inorganic toxins.
Prevent Fungal Disease
MAKE IT: Mix 1 teaspoon of baking soda and 2-3 drops of liquid soap in 1 liter of water. Spray the solution on the infected plants. Baking soda helps the plants become less acidic and prevents fungal growth.
Sterilizing Soil with Steam
Steaming is considered one of the best ways to sterilize potting soil and should be done for at least 30 minutes or until the temperature reaches 180 degrees F.
Even though vinegar is an acid, it breaks down quickly in the soil and, therefore, is not likely to accumulate enough to affect soil pH for more than a few days. Vinegar causes a rapid burn to plant tissue of susceptible species, so unintended injury is quite likely without knowing more information.
Some common farming practices like tillage, excessive fertilizer and pesticide applications and monocropping can kill microbes in the soil.
Heat. Heating the soil is very effective and the soil can be used immediately after cooling, unlike chemically treated soil. Many plant pathogens are killed by short exposures to high temperatures. Most plant pathogens can be killed by temperatures of 140°F (60°C) for 30 minutes.
Options for treating contaminated soil include:
Chemical oxidation converts contaminated soils into non-hazardous soils. Soil stabilisation involves the addition of immobilizing agents to reduce a contaminants' leachability. Physical methods, like soil washing, use water to separate or remove contaminants.
Survival of disease
The wilt bacterium is able to survive for periods up to 2 to 3 years in bare fallow soils, and for longer periods in soils cropped to non-solanaceous crops.
In a single gram of soil, there can be billions of bacteria. There are an estimated 60,000 different bacteria species, most which have yet to be even named, and each has its own particular roles and capabilities. Most live in the top 10cm of soil where organic matter is present.
Soil bacteria are enumerated, and potentially cultured and identified by dilution plating. Here, a soil sample is serially diluted in water, and then dispersed onto agar growth plates. The resulting colonies are then counted.
The method consists in incorporating easily decomposable organic materials into the soil, followed by irrigation to saturation and soil cover with impermeable plastic. Cereal brans, molasses, ethanol, and vegetable wastes are the main sources of carbon used in ASD. The soil remains covered from 3 to 10 weeks.
Can I Just Sprinkle Epsom Salt on Plants? Never apply Epsom salt straight from the package. Always dilute the granules in water first, and either drench your plants' roots or spray it on the foliage. Don't spray on hot or sunny days, however, to avoid scorching the foliage.
Although vinegar is non-selective, species differ in their susceptibility to vinegar. For example, broadleaf plants tend to be more easily controlled with vinegar than grasses. Also, some broadleaf plants are more susceptible than others because of their morphology.
There are almost countless uses for cinnamon in the garden: it can be used as a nature-friendly pesticide, a repellent against annoying insects, or as a catalyst to promote root growth in plant cuttings.