sterilising soil

[rary]

What temperature is required to sterilize soil, as I want to start adding soil to my compost when sowing seeds

[Penellype]

There is an article here about sterilizing soil for use in potting mixtures Start Seed and Transplants in Sterilized Soil

[planetologist]

In my experience, animals are much more of a problem than microorganisms, and to kill animals simple pasturising to <100 C by any method suffices. If you also want to get rid of all microorganisms, in particular fungi, then you will need to sterilise at 120 C, and either need a pressure cooker, or theoretically in an oven, but in an oven you will only get >100 C once all the water is gone, so that will be hugely energy inefficient.

[brownfingers]

I've used an old microwave in the past just to do small amounts.

[rary]

In my experience, animals are much more of a problem than microorganisms, and to kill animals simple pasturising to <100 C by any method suffices.

All I want to get rid of is vegetable growth ie. roots and seeds
But thanks for the comments

[alldigging]

Why do you want to add soil to compost? (Assuming you are buying in compost for sowing seeds in - that's just right for sowing seeds in and shouldn't have any vegetable growth in)

[rary]

Why do you want to add soil to compost?

What I have found in the past is that when transplanting young plants they seem to establish quicker when using a higher content of soil in my mix, so with that in mind I want to see how the seeds do, plus I think with soil in the seed mix I will have less problems with compost drying out

[spamvindaloo]

What I have found in the past is that when transplanting young plants they seem to establish quicker when using a higher content of soil in my mix, so with that in mind I want to see how the seeds do, plus I think with soil in the seed mix I will have less problems with compost drying out

Perhaps you could use a soil based compost (John Innes)?

[rary]

Perhaps you could use a soil based compost (John Innes)?

No one stocks J.I. in the town, I can purchase peat free or reduced peat compost but no soil based.
and I have plenty of soil and a way to heat it up at no cost(I like that bit) hence the question what temperature do I require?