PrimeAgra Questions

[Becca]

Hi Everyone...a few questions for the s/h users/experts!

1) How do I sterilize PrimeAgra so I can reuse it?
2) Is it still not good to water in the evenings when using the s/h culture? I wasn't sure since there is water in the resivoir anyways after watering in the day.
3) Is PrimeAgra supposed to have an oder to it when being used in pots? I can't explain the oder, but it isn't pleasant, but not bad enough to make me not use it.

TIA for any help!

[ScottMcC]

I wash it thoroughly with soap and water, plus/minus bleach or physan. afterwards I rinse it until the rinsewater looks pristine, and then I bake it at 500º for 15 min. probably overkill though.

I don't think watering time matters, but I do in the morning because that's when I have time.

no. bad odors are generally a sign of problems.

[quiltergal]

Someone else who frequents this forum boils it, and then lets it air dry.

I think the reason watering in the morning is recommended is so if you get the plant wet it has time to dry off during the day. Helps prevent crown rot etc. With s/h I would think that would be less of an issue since you're filling the container to the rim and letting it drain.

I haven't noticed and odor with PrimeAgra, but I haven't really paid a lot of attention to it.

[Oscarman]

Becca,

Ray's site mentions sterilizing primeagra with 1 cup bleach in 1 gallon of water. If I may quote his method:

1. Spread the used medium in a tray, and set it out to dry.
2. Remove any organic residue by pouring from one container to another, using a fan or the breeze to blow away dried leaves or roots.
3. Soak overnight in disinfectant solution (fill bucket 2/3rds with medium, fill with water, and add 1 cup of household bleach per gallon).
4. Rinse several times with fresh water to remove bleach.
5. Soak in rooting solution and use it again!

Scott - I like your method.......can't be too careful when it comes to disease/virus transmission.

Regardless of media used, watering should be done at a time that allows the plants to dry before dark. Water in the crowns can lead to rot.

I soaked some primeagra for a couple of weeks recently. Upon taking the lid off the pail, I noticed an odor also. After draining it and rinsing it, it still smells odd............kinda musty-sorta? I am using it without problems - some Catt's in it are rooting aggressively!

[Ray]

If you used a rooting hormone in the soak, the order could come from decomposition of that.

[Becca]

Some of the pots smell kinda like sulfur, and only a few of the pots are stinky smelling, almost like decay....and I think that is the problem. The pots I mostly smell it in are a couple of the ones I am trying to do the sphag-n-bag method while using the s/h culture. I am not sure if I should take the plant out of the medium and just use the regular sphag-n-bag method, even though I can see new roots growing, or if I should just leave it. I think even though there are new roots growing, part of the plant is continuing to rot and that is what causing the oder, not sure what I should do

[Ray]

That's almost definitely a result of the old, non-s/h roots dying and rotting.

The ones growing new roots, I'd leave alone. The others I'd unpot, clean up, and return to sphag-n-bag.