Reuse Perlite after blight ???

[49tandc]

I had my tomatoes in 5-gal dutch buckets of perlite last year, growing inside a greenhouse. I lost all the plants due to blight in late July - because of the amount of rain we got (North Florida) and heat.

My question to the smart folks here is" Can I reuse the perlite (wash/bleach/???) or should I just pitch what was in the buckets and start over. Twenty five 5-gal buckets of perlite is a fair amount of the media. I'd rather do what I can & reuse it if possible.

Whatcha think?

Thanks,
49T&C

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by 49tandc

I had my tomatoes in 5-gal dutch buckets of perlite last year, growing inside a greenhouse. I lost all the plants due to blight in late July - because of the amount of rain we got (North Florida) and heat.

My question to the smart folks here is" Can I reuse the perlite (wash/bleach/???) or should I just pitch what was in the buckets and start over. Twenty five 5-gal buckets of perlite is a fair amount of the media. I'd rather do what I can & reuse it if possible.

Whatcha think?

Thanks,
49T&C

Blight isa generic word,so not knowing what the symptoms were it's hard to answer your question.

It could be early blight, I doubt late blight,it could be Fusarium or RKN's, root knot nematodes.

And then you say your plants were grown in a greenhouse and then say that it was probably due to all the rain you got and high heat.

If grown in a greenhouse I can understand high heat, but not all the rain you got.

If I've misinterpreted what you posted, please let me know b/c right now I admit that I'm confused.

Carolyn

[49tandc]

The greenhouse is covered in shade cloth only. It is porous. The plants are fed nutrients 3 times a day, but they still receive rainfall.

Thanks,
49T&C

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by 49tandc

The greenhouse is covered in shade cloth only. It is porous. The plants are fed nutrients 3 times a day, but they still receive rainfall.

Thanks,
49T&C

Thanks for clarifying the situation.

Since you don't know what specific disease or diseases are affecting your plants I would not reuse your perlites since bleach or other disinfectants may not kill spores,etc.

Why not consider using a mix of new perlite with an artificial mix that's sterile, such as Pro-Mix or similar,or adding bagged sterile cow manure.

That would save on buying all new perlite and it's what I've used when growing in containers.

Carolyn

[dustdevil]

I would try a bleach treatment. I would use a large sieve to rinse well with cold running water. You could use an old window screen for a sieve. If you didn't get the perlite rinsed well, bleach residue would probably kill your plants. A basement washtub with a window screen over it would make a good wash station.

I bought the jumbo bags of perlite for $16 each this year. Twenty five 5 gallon buckets worth represent a sizeable investment not to try something first!

[sjamesNorway]

If you can find a way to dry heat it up to 340 degrees F for 1 hour, it will be sterilized (all forms of microbial life). The perlite needs to be dry before you begin. Perlite itself is stable up to 1600 degrees F.

Steve

[Worth1]

Bleach doe not kill mold on porous surfaces regardless of what people think.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...l_CyD-NYJ-gLUQ

Worth

[dustdevil]

Originally Posted by Worth1

Bleach doe not kill mold on porous surfaces regardless of what people think.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...l_CyD-NYJ-gLUQ

Worth

Maybe an OxyClean rinse?

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by dustdevil

Maybe an OxyClean rinse?

I have no idea I was shocked when I read it some time ago.
They suggest an anti microbial it think.

Worth

[Worth1]

Looks like oxiclean would work as it is hydrogen peroxide.

Worth

[Gardeneer]

Rinse, air dry and bake at 250F, for 30 minutes or so.
I don't think any bacteria can survive.

[sjamesNorway]

Originally Posted by Gardeneer

Rinse, air dry and bake at 250F, for 30 minutes or so.
I don't think any bacteria can survive.

From what I've read, the standard temp. for killing all microbial life, including mold spores, is 340F for 1 hour.

[Worth1]

Thats 100 gallons of perlite to bake in the oven better get started now.

This is interesting.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...mfQHa-CwLp6J7A

[carolyn137]

Oxyclean,Comet and bleach are all oxidative methods thatsome folks use to rid the exterior of saved seeds of certain pathogens.

And many have looked to prove that they do by testing using adequate controls, for tomato seeds at least,and found no confirmation.

Actually it just occured to me that there was a study done,it was posted here and there was lots of discussion about it,but sadly I can't remember who,what,or where it came from.

To me it's a different issue if pathogens are adsorbed to perlite, and I know of no one,without Googling who has ever tried the oxidative methods when pathogens are adsorbed to a solid surface.

Carolyn

[Gardeneer]

Originally Posted by Worth1

Thats 100 gallons of perlite to bake in the oven better get started now.

This is interesting.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...mfQHa-CwLp6J7A

Probably in sunny/hot Florida you can bake/solarize them in the sun, by making a small shallow solar box covered with plastic or something.
I use FloorDry as alternative to perlite. Last time I checked at Advance Auto, it costs $8 something per 40 lbs., about 22 cents per pound. Forget saving old perlite. FD (DE) is superior to perlite, while it absorbs moister but won't compromise drainage. I add it to my potting mix in place of perlite.
JMO