Solarization consists of causing strong heat to the soil, taking advantage of solar heat, it serves to sterilize the soil to be cultivated, eliminating insects and parasites, but also possible weed seeds and many fungal spores that carry diseases of the plants.
The soil can be solarized during the hottest months, usually June, July and August, and a sheet of clear plastic should be spread over the irrigated soil and usually sprinkled. The fabric must be buried on all edges so as not to allow air to breathe, normally it is left for two months, so that the heat generated can eliminate the spores and parasites.
In Mediterranean regions where there is a hot climate with this method, it can reach 50-60 degrees under the leaf and solarization can be a good method for clearing the soil to be cultivated.
This technique is effective for sterilization and is perfectly allowed in organic farming, but keep in mind that the heat of solarization kills both negative and positive microorganisms, so it’s not always a good idea and can decrease soil fertility and ruin the biological balance of the garden.
Soil solarization in 5 simple steps:
-
Water the soil to solarize it.
-
Thoroughly wet the ground.
-
Spread the leaf well over all the soil where you want to solarize.
-
Carefully bury the edges of the leaf, covering them with soil.
-
Leave the towel on for 2 months (the summer months when it’s warm and sunny).