How Do I Sterilize Last Seasons Potting Mix To Help Prevent Whitefly Infestation?

Quickstrike · March 31, 2011

It seems like every season my mothers tomatoes are absolutely infested with whiteflies. She has been using several of the same half whiskey barrels for many years now - rarely changing/amending the soil between seasons.

It is my understanding that whiteflies lay eggs in the soil and emerge when it is warm again outside?

I plan on emptying the old mix into her flower garden bed.. scrubbing the whiskey barrels with a bleach solution and using all new homemade 'Als 5-1-1 Mix'.
Are there any other chemicals I should be using, or will bleach work?

Now.. here is my main concern. My Earthtainers were placed several feet away from her barrels. Although my plants were never decimated by the whiteflies, I did see a few on some of the leaves - by the end of the growing season.
Since my Earthtainers were brand-new last year.. with fresh bales of Pro-Mix BX, I would like to use it again for this season (with some additional perlite + bark fines ammended into the mix - as recommended by rnewste.)
What should I do to 'treat' this mix so that the [possible] whitefly eggs are destroyed?

Thanks for your help.

March 31, 2011	#1
Quickstrike Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada! Posts: 37	How Do I Sterilize Last Seasons Potting Mix To Help Prevent Whitefly Infestation? It seems like every season my mothers tomatoes are absolutely infested with whiteflies. She has been using several of the same half whiskey barrels for many years now - rarely changing/amending the soil between seasons. It is my understanding that whiteflies lay eggs in the soil and emerge when it is warm again outside? I plan on emptying the old mix into her flower garden bed.. scrubbing the whiskey barrels with a bleach solution and using all new homemade 'Als 5-1-1 Mix'. Are there any other chemicals I should be using, or will bleach work? Now.. here is my main concern. My Earthtainers were placed several feet away from her barrels. Although my plants were never decimated by the whiteflies, I did see a few on some of the leaves - by the end of the growing season. Since my Earthtainers were brand-new last year.. with fresh bales of Pro-Mix BX, I would like to use it again for this season (with some additional perlite + bark fines ammended into the mix - as recommended by rnewste.) What should I do to 'treat' this mix so that the [possible] whitefly eggs are destroyed? Thanks for your help.