Disinfecting soil

My father has had an allotment for over 50 years and uses Jeyes fluid regularly to disinfect soil .Esp. against carrot root fly and fruit infestations feels it always works for him.

I'm from N.A. and never heard of Jeye's fluid...but whenever starting a new bed or changing from one crop to another I was taught that covering the soil with plastic will raise the temp in the soil and kill pathogens and weedseeds... much like a giant composter. let it cook!

The technique you describe Lori would certainly work for weed control but would not control fungal infections in fact would actively encourage it under damp moist plastic.many infections also air borne which carried by pests Jeyes fluid kills eggs and larvae as they try to develop on new growth.obviously this not an organic solution so if concerned may have to accept reduced crops.

I never intended to suggest that solarization was the magic bullet... I tried to find out the formulation of Jeye's Fluid...without success...the action you described makes me think that perhaps it is performic acid...which is the combination of Hydrogen peroxide and formic acid...the final product of which is water and co2... Also --disinfection removes biological pathogens...it would be intesting to know how it works on mycorhizza? it is true that the soil moisture condenses on the plastic but in the presence of sunlight it raises the temp of the soil moisture as well.the plastic can be raised or removed overnight. ..the plastic will warm the soil to a depth of several inches if the soil is tilled beforehand...none of the old responsible solutions are easy or quick and most are forgotten. It is also true too, is it not, that the spores of fungi are air and waterborne...? raising the soil temp will affect soil mycology.