I live right on a creek which is full of sand

Would you recommend using it though? It's coarse sand.

Do you think it would need treating? If so - I assume 20 - 30 minutes at 200'C in the oven would do it...

It might be my job for this weekend. Anyone wanna come over and help me cart a few buckets of sand from my river to the house? It's only 1km away. There's some great cactus growing there too....

Plus you can take a bucket for yourself.

I already use the stones and some of the sand as a display top in the pots of the cacti now. But I am wondering what diseases, if any could actually live in the sand. If it's weed seeds we're killing, that's not a big deal, they can be plucked out as they emerge.

So I guess really my question is - does the sand from my creek require treatment?

I'd sterilise it , and probably wash it first (not with the creek water by the way)

Also, how fine is it?

It's not that fine.. it's quite coarse - sort of equivallent to the propergation sand from bunnings.

Tell me though, what exactly am I sterilising it from?

bacteria, germs microbes... anything that might attack your seedlings. All you have to do it bake it in the oven to sterilize it. It's not hard to do, but given that it came from the river, I would.

Parasites, diseases, fungal pathogens etc. sounds like good stuff. Let me know how it goes.

Will do...

Why not come over tomorrow and help me cart it through (haha). We can have a bbq later!

umm because you live about 3000 k's from me and even further from calycium lol apart from that I'd love to.

Bloody winter here already San mate, must think about moving somewhere warmer soon.

Slim,
before you ask HOW TO STERILISE...

How to Sterilize

Perhaps mid north QLD would be good

BBQ Tomorrow: Slim's place.3400Kms in 12 hours by Car....
let me think about that........................
nope.
But your more than welcome to come to my place and I'll GIVE you a bag of sterilized soil, and a FREE packet of seeds

I tell ya tho... it's tough living with 9 months of 18 - 30'C every day. I don't know how I do it.

But with the smooth (and natural beauty of this area) comes a fair whack of rough...

I've battled through several cyclones - including Larry... Every tree in the street I lived on was ripped out of the ground... all except one... Luckily it was the one behind my room. Though I was a bit cowardly and set up shelter underneath the breakfast bar.

I've had to live through severe flooding and weeks where no food from south of Townsville could come through...

but you know... we always amuse ourselves



That was after the flood waters subsided Before you couldn't even see the culvert at the end of my driveway!



This is the other side of my road one day after the rains had stopped... This is my creek You know... the one I get the sand from...

Cool photos,
now I know where all the water I've been trying to put on my garden went!!!