Mulch so fresh so clean

Hello, i got this alfalfa straw straight from the field, all dried up but its been sitting outside for a few months in an open bag.
Im doing indoor, so the question is, can i do something to the mulch to make sure i dont bring any type of bug indoors?

Pasteurize it like you are making mushrooms...

You mean boiling it?


I never said im growing mushrooms

Medskunk said:

You mean boiling it?


I never said im growing mushrooms

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Pasteurization is the process of using low heat over a long period to kill off microorganisms. Similar to sterilization, except srerilization is high heat, short time.

Either way, you should do one or the other if you want to be absolutely sure you don't cross contaminate your indoor grow, with the outside world

Take it out of the bag and give each bunch a nice shake to knock critters loose.

Lay it out in the sun, spread really thinly so there are no clumps for bugs to hide in. Let the extreme conditions drive bugs away.

Sprinkle some stinky neem meal over the top to fumigate the bugs off.

Use crab shell or insect frass or other amendments that contain Chitin in your soil. The chitin stimulates microbes in your soil to produce enzymes that "dissolve" chitin and kill bugs.

I guess you could hose it off or something.

Honestly, if its all dried out and it's been sitting out in a bag for months I wouldn't worry too much about bugs. It can be mentally tough to bring outside stuff into your inside grow, but bugs that feed on living plants probably aren't going to hang out in dried up straw for months.

Cool ill just leave it all sparse for a day in the sun. Im really hoping for that last bit you said