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Re: Zones

Square Foot Gardening List - http://myweb.flinet.com/~gallus/sqft.html

Bill wrote:

Kevin-  I read your post on planting asparagus with great interest. I
hope
to dig a big hole later this season and begin the process of readying a
spot
for asparagus for next year. I too am concerned about weeds and would
prefer
not to create more maintenance than necessary. Would you care to further
explain "solar sterilize" means to you as I have never heard of it
before.
Thanks and have a great day,

My reply:

Solar soil sterilization is actually a simple process.   You work the
soil(i.e. double dig it and  amend the soil or whatever method of
preparation you use), wet the soil and then cover the soil with a plastic
sheet.   It is important to seal the edges of the plastic by sealing them
with soil.   You are attempting to make a super hothouse and literally
roast the weed seeds tot he point they cannot germinate.   This process
takes several weeks and I prefer to do it for the entire summer letting
august really do a lot of heat induced damage.   Basically beside killing
off the weed seeds you are killing off the microbes in the soil.  That is
good and bad, as there are good microbes and bad.   Like  pesticide
sprays you take out the good and the bad.  The good news is you now have
a clean slate to start with, and the beneficials will come back.  The
simplest way I know to introduce them is with a few shovelfuls of good
compost that was made from sterilized material also, of clean earthworms.
   You clean the earth worms by putting them on peat moss diet for a few
weeks(the acidity in the peat moss tends to kill off most the baddies)and
toss them in the solar sterilized soil.

Obviously you don't want to heap the soil up high as you want a high
temperature.   The system works well.  All it takes is a bit of patience.
  To me an ounce of prevention, and loss of a growing season or two is a
small price to pay for a planting that will last a decade or more.

Wishing you all the best, Kevin(the fluffy bunny)Mathews
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