will this hurt the seeds??

i read today that if you sterilize like peat moss pellets and moss pellets in 10/1 water(10)- bleach(1) solution to kill off the bugs and bad things.

if i wash it off like they say to do

will the remaining bleach hurt the seeds if it isnt all washed away??

i have already lost a few seeds to fugus gnats and micro worm things. thanks marie

I use bleach to clean the pots I'm going to use, but I don't know if it would do a good job sterilizing soil, peat, etc. Organic material makes bleach decompose, so if you use it on peat or potting mix I'm not sure if enough bleach would stick around long enough to really get the job done, plus when it decomposes you end up with salt and you don't want too much of that in your soil. I would think you could sterilize the peat in the oven or microwave similar to how you would do it with potting soil, hopefully someone else will know for sure.

You don't need to disinfect peat pellets, because they are already sterilized when you get them. Once the seeds get going in them, if you pour a bleach solution on them, they will die. If you get fungus gnats, try using tepid chamomile tea. I have tried using it, and it works. And it won't hurt your plants.

Yes, definitely don't use bleach once seeds are in, even before you put seeds in I don't think it's the right thing to use to sterilize soil, etc but definitely don't try it if the seeds have been planted. If you need something after you've planted the seeds, diluted hydrogen peroxide is another thing that people have had good luck with.

I bought some of the peat pellets from Walmart and I've only had about a 10% success rate with them. I'll never buy them again. I have having a ton more sucess planting in translucent SOLO cups (bathroom size) with potting soil. I punch a hole in the bottom of them for drainage and plant them up. Here's a link to some of the methods I've used for getting my seeds sprouted. Hope that helps . . .

http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/699710/