Fellow traveler, Field of Tansy, shares a review and pictorial of her first soil blocks – looking good! Thanks for the nod – happy soil blocking!
Each year on the urban homestead we make thousands of soil blocks using this nifty block maker (which is about 10 years old from my recollections!) Soil blocks are easy and fun to use, even kids can help!
SOIL BLOCKS
Cucumbers seedlings in soil blocks
In Europe, free-standing blocks of soil, rather than peat pots or seed flats, are almost universally used for starting vegetable and flower seeds. No containers are needed. To make the soil blocks, just fill a soil blocker with thoroughly moistened potting mix, set the blocker in a seed flat and release. With one stroke you’ll create multiple soil blocks, each with a small depression in the top, for the seed. When the seedlings are ready, you can plant them in the ground or bring them along further by dropping the soil blocks into openings in the tops of larger soil blocks, as described below. It is important to keep the soil blocks well watered with a fine mist
Making Blocks – The Easy Way
Blocking compost is readily available from any garden center or you can make your own mixture (as long as you ensure it is free of weed seeds / disease). It is best to wet your mix some hours before you make the blocks. You will find that the penetration of water into the planting medium is much better if you do.
1. Wet the mix thoroughly into a slurry-like consistency
2. Press the soil blocker into the compost 2 or 3 times to fill the block chambers
3. Scrape the blocker across the side of your mixing tub to remove any excess compost from the bottom of the blocks
4. Depress the plunger to eject the blocks
Each block has a small indentation for accepting the seed. The seed will sprout on the surface of the moist block. No water is needed for the first 3 days but after that use a fine spray from a hose or a hand pumped mister. After a few days, also add a small amount of nutritional support.
- Soil Block Instructions Courtesy Ladbrooke UK
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my pleasure, i love to promote things like this that help the environment and work well.
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The Dervaes are doin’ it in the city! Hooray! The Potting Block Guru is doin’ it in the country, where his 5 acre soil block research farm is bringing soil blocks down to earth for Americans to get a hold on the concept. This is the absolute resource for soil blocking. Live consultations 24/7, lowest prices, fastest shipping, “in stock now” guarantee or your blocker’s free! Also, free books, free video, loads of facts and questions answered, the Potting Block Guru leads the world in the quest for soil block education. Buy from the source, get a two year warranty on a real English garden tool, not a look-alike Chinese import.
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is it possible to make our own soil block maker?
I am also trying to find out how to grow my own garlic organically ??
Thanks for inspiration!
sheryl miller
canberra
australia
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