STERILISING USED CLAY BALLS

The following is the method I use to sterilise expanded clay balls for reuse. Note: Clay balls I use are smooth coated, they will float in water no matter how long they are in the water.

  1. Firstly they need to be cleaned of any roots or other attachments; I use a sand-paper block or a metal pot scrubber to remove these attachments. I then put them in a plastic slotted crate and give them a good hosing to remove any rubbish.
  2. I use a 60 litre rubbish bin; fill to about 60% with warm water, the warm water will help to dissolve the TRISODIUM PHOSPHATE quicker. Add the Trisodium Phosphate slowly and stir until the powder does not dissolve any-more, it is then a SATURATED SOLUTION. The water is slippery between the fingers.
  3. I then add the clay balls, about one and half buckets. The balls float above the water line, so to keep them down, I put a plastic lid upside down with two to three bricks on it, to keep the balls submerged in the sterilising liquid. I leave them like that for two hours.
  4. On removing the treated clay balls, they are put in a slotted plastic crate, thoroughly hosed and left to dry. When dry, they are then put in another bin for final cleaning and being prepared for their reuse.
  5. The second 60 litre bin, again 60 % full of water, has Alginox, at 5mls to a litre and Calcium Nitrate at one gram to a litre. The balls are left for one hour and then removed into a plastic crate, left to drain and are then ready for reuse.

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