Soil solarization, how long and any tips?

[hardland]

I am considering doing a soil solarization on a veg garden area. I'm not sure how long I need to leave the plastic over the soil, any tips? I'm in Sth FL, it's still quite hot here. Plan on getting my toms and squash, etc, in the ground in late October. Seedlings are coming along nicely.

[garden5]

Here's a good resource on [url=https://www.waynesthisandthat.com/solarization.htm]soil solarization[/url].

Since it can kill a lot of the beneficial microbes in your soil, it'd probably be a good idea to amend with some compost afterwords.

[hardland]

Thanks for that link. It seems the process kills of a lot of bugs, plus weed seeds. My only question is if your going to add compost and other soil suplements, do you do this after you have solarized or before?

[soil]

no no do not amend with compost after!! that will disturb and bring up dormant weed seeds, which makes the solarization pointless.

apply a nice compost tea after because all the organic matter is still in the soil, it just needs workers.

[hardland]

no no do not amend with compost after!! that will disturb and bring up dormant weed seeds, which makes the solarization pointless.

apply a nice compost tea after because all the organic matter is still in the soil, it just needs workers.

So, I should fully prepare the soil before the solarization process. I plan on adding compost and some other organic matter. I guess I just plant my veg plants are after the process is over, then maybe add some compost tea.

[soil]

whats growing where you want to solarize now? usually I just cut down whatever is there, lay it down, cover it and solarize. then take it off, apply compost tea and let it sit for a week or two. then plop a hole and plant. if there is a lot of plants and debris where you solarize, you end up with a lot of organic matter in the soil.

otherwise amend, heat, then re apply microbes.

at least thats what I do and it works for me.

[hardland]

The area was St augustine grass, with lots of weeds. I scalped up the sod, have turned over the soil and removed any roots and weeds. I am a little confused about what to do from here out ? I'm going to turn the soil again and remove any more rocks and weeds, then rake. I read somewhere to add some organic garden soil and compost to the natural soil ( in sth Fl its very sandy soil) It sounds like I should do all of this before I solarize?

[hardland]

I'm a little confused on this one, or maybe it doesn't matter, but could someone please clarify: Do I fully prepare the soil before or after solarization?

"it'd probably be a good idea to amend with some compost afterwords."

"no no do not amend with compost after!!"

[DoubleDogFarm]

Isn't it fun being part of a gardening forum. Being told this and that.

Here is a link to a small scale soil solarizing.

Comparing 10 different soil solarization techniques to see which is the most effective.

https://www.waynesthisandthat.com/solarization.htm

Did not read the whole study, but it maybe useful.

Test Results:

I used the above system to sterilize a bed heavily infested with both nematodes and fusarium wilt. I then grew both tomatoes and melons in the bed. Both showed no signs of either problem, which confirms that this form of solarization works. However, one year later I repeated the test and both nematodes and fusarium wilt were back. Either they were reintroduced with soil ammendments, on seeds or worked their way back into the bed from the surrounding unsolarized soil. I conclude that for small beds surrounded by untreated land, solarization is at best a short-term solution. It also has the negative effect of killing all the earthworms in the bed. Even if it had worked I doubt I'd ever use this system again. The process of burying then digging up the heating cables each and every week for months got to be too tedious and time consuming.


Eric

[rainbowgardener]

It's the same article that garden5 linked above. This guy was looking for how to get his soil super hot to do quick solarization, which is why the heating cables. You could do the same thing with out the heating cables by leaving the plastic on longer.

However, I take his point that it is not a long term solution and even though you sterilize your soil, after a season or two everything will come back. He did it to get rid of wilt and nematodes. Most people think of solarizing when they have a really bad weed problem. If you kill all the weed seeds, the weeds won't have a chance to come back the same way, if you keep the soil well mulched after that.

Hardland, why is it you wanted to solarize anyway?

[hardland]

Hardland, why is it you wanted to solarize anyway?[/quote]

Because I have a bad weed problem in my back yard, mixed in the St augustine grass, I also have a grub or cutworm problem as well. I thought it made sence to soalrize, being as I am 3+ weeks away from planting anyway. The main question I have, is: Do I amend the soil before or after solarizing? I think amend means add some compost and other organic matter, I also will add some organic garden soil as well, very sandy in sth FL. Maybe it doesn't matter if I do it before or after..

[soil]

I'm a little confused on this one, or maybe it doesn't matter, but could someone please clarify: Do I fully prepare the soil before or after solarization?

"it'd probably be a good idea to amend with some compost afterwords."

"no no do not amend with compost after!!"

well because he is trying to get rid of a weed problem, if he solarizes the topsoil, then mixes in compost. hes going to bring dormant weed seeds to the surface(and fertilizing them with compost), which makes the whole solarization process pointless.

[hardland]

OK: So I'm leaning towards fully preparing the soil, weed/rock removal, turn the soil, add extra organic garden soil and some compost, then solarizing. I assume this wont harm any of the good from the compost etc.

[soil]

you don't need to remove the weeds, they die and become organic matter for the soil. and yes save some compost for making some compost tea, the top few inches of soil will be sterilized and you will need to replace the micro organisms.