The forest earth in a raw state is not suitable for flower cultivation. It needs to be sifted from garbage, roots, worms and other living creatures. Besides, it is desirable to carry out the procedure of disinfecting of the earth. In this case it will not be nursery for bacteria.
Calcinating of the soil
The forest earth is very risky substrate, especially for window plants. If you plant plants to it without pretreatment, it can become the reason of their death. In the beginning touch the earth: in it there should not be worms, garbage, roots and various vegetation.
If the volume of the earth small, calcinate it in the wind furnace at temperature of 50-60 °C within two hours. It is possible to warm the soil in oven of 45 minutes, but at temperature of 120-125 °C, at the same time soil layer thickness on baking sheet has to be no more than 1.5 cm. It is not recommended to warm up it at more high temperature. As at very hot air organic matters in the soil char. It causes emergence of toxic connections for plants.
0.5% potassium permanganate solution will be suitable for disinfecting of the earth. Just accurately spill it the earth. Boiled water will be suitable for the same purpose. Such processing is carried out elementary: it is abundant water the earth with boiled water, and then dry. If at the soil there are living creatures, it to hurry to get out on surface. Some worms will die in the earth. For drying of the earth it is possible to place it in hermetic package. If you have steam sterilizer, can use it for soil cultivation. The saturated water vapor has antibacterial properties and well humidifies the soil. Influencing the ferry, it is possible to kill in the soil any viruses and causative agents of various diseases. Steam temperature in sterilizer can be established from from 110 to 130 °C. In the absence of special sterilizer make so: put linen tank on plate, on bottom put two bricks and fill in with water so that bricks acted on 3 cm. Put bucket on bricks. At the bottom of bucket several openings have to be drilled. The bucket has to be such size that the tank could be covered freely. Lay bottom of bucket dense gauze and fill the earth to the brim. Cover tank and sterilize the soil 2-3 hours after water boiling. When water evaporates, add it in tank. According to flower growers, too intensive steaming of the soil breaks structure of the earth therefore it becomes of little use for flowers.
Freezing of the forest earth
Freezing is considered one of the best ways of processing of the forest earth. For this purpose place the soil in bag and carry it on balcony. You hold it before hard frosts there (till December). Then for 10 days bring to the apartment and put bag to the warm place. The seeds of weeds which are present at the soil and also wreckers and other microorganisms will waken to life. At this time water the soil with melt water from snow. In week you will expose soil on balcony again. It is desirable to do in time time so that on the street there were below -20 °C. The soil will very strongly be frozen. Perform the procedure of freezing and defrosting of the soil 2-3 times. As a result the soil considerably will get healthier. In it all wintering microflora and seeds of weeds will die. Consider that freezing of the earth does not save it from dispute of phytophthora and kil.