Avoid using any temperatures higher than 200 °F (93 °C) since it could break down the soil and make it toxic for plants.

Instead of a metal baking pan, you could also use any heat-safe container, such as clay pots or ceramic cookware.

If the pan has a lid, you can use it instead of foil.

Leave the aluminum foil over the soil until you use it. Run the vent fan on your oven while you bake the soil to get rid of any bad odors.

If the soil feels dried out, spritz it with some water from a spray bottle before putting it in the jars. If you don’t have glass jars, you can instead use small metal trays or clay pots.

Avoid stacking containers on top of one another since it could take longer to sterilize the soil. If too much pressure builds up inside the pot, it could cause the glass jars to break.

Put lids on the glass jars once they’re cool so you can store the soil until you need to use it. You don’t need to use a thermometer to check the temperature since the steam is hot enough to sterilize the soil.

Avoid using any metal containers or aluminum foil in your microwave since it could create sparks.

If you have a smaller microwave that uses less than 1,000 watts, then heat the soil for 2 ½ minutes instead. [14] X Research source

If the soil is under temperature, put it back in your microwave for another minute. Then, check it with your thermometer again. Seal the container with the soil or transfer it to an air-tight container until you’re ready to use it.

If you don’t have any glass jars, it’s okay to use any heat-safe container, such as a metal tray or clay pot.

Keeping the valve closed right away causes too much pressure to build up before it’s warm enough to sterilize the soil.

Keep the aluminum foil over the jars until you’re ready to use the soil as potting mix.

Solarization works best to prepare soil in a large outdoor garden since there’s a lot of soil to treat.

Check with local hardware stores to see if you can rent a tiller. If you don’t have a tiller, you can manually break apart the soil with a shovel.

You can increase the temperature of the soil by double-layering the tarp. Just put plastic bottles or PVC pipes between the layers. Avoid using black tarps since they absorb and deflect the heat away from the soil.

In cooler coastal climates, it may take up to 8 weeks to completely sanitize your soil