Re: Soil sterilization 2" deep- best for seeding?

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

I had wondered about how deep the process of sterilization would go in my soil. My planned asparagus bed will be dug about24-30 inches deep. From the bottom of the hole I will build:
4" of rock for a drainage well;
landscaper's fabric to keep soil from filling in the well;
4-6" of composted mushroom manure;
4-6" of top soil with bonemeal and 7-7-7 fertilizer.
 
I will be using two year-old asparagus root stock and will disturb the soil significantly while planting the rootstock. This leaves me with approximately 10-12 inches of hole left to fill in. My reading tell me to add two inches of soil each time the asparagus spears are beginning to poke out of the soil until the bed is filled in to ground level. This adding soil process two inches at a time could take the better part of a year. (If anyone is interested, I have discovered a way to be eating asparagus for at least a month in the second year from planting, without harming the new plants. normally we are advised not to pick asparagus until the third year.)
 
Soil sterilization sounds like a great idea for ground preparation for seeding beds, be it vegetable or flowers or what have you. I cannot see how I can use it for root stock planting where I must stir the soil to any significant depth. I may try soil sterilization next spring before I plant my tender seed plants. That is where I think it will work. What do you think?
bill missen.
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