Thank you so much for the great tips.👍🏻 This is the first year that I’ve used soil blockers. I LOVE THEM. Its so fun prepping the soil and making the blocks. I’m saving for the 4inch blocker now. 😁
Perhaps I’m too picky but this video could’ve been half as long if he didn’t say “uh” incessantly! Incredibly annoying and a huge turn off. Couldn’t make it through the video. Before uploading videos, people should review them or have someone else critique them for this sort of thing.
6:44 tongue depressors, stacked together the exact width of the soil block you need to pick up, with seed tags on the outside and 2" longer than the tongue depressors, holding all together with rubber bands...brilliant idea for a custom made seed block tweezers to pick up your seed blocks easily!!!
Great bit of history and a great example of how and why soil blocks are the right tool; from small allotments to medium industrial organic farm and garden centers!
I've learned so much! You are definitely a well kept secret! I found you only by searching a subject..soil block recipe. I recently bought a 2 inch 4 block soil block maker and wanted more knowledge before attempting production. Will experiment on a small scale with this one and look for stand up model next year! Thank you!
Thanks so much! I'm considering soil blocking, but needed to learn more before I made my decision. I feel like I have a much better grasp on it now, again thanks!
Have historically had trouble with blocks not holding tight cube and misshapen so sounds like need little more water but not to the point medium falls out of maker. Like the comparison and am motivated to try again and use more dry medium if the mix is too wet and noticed you are aggressive with filling the blocks. Think I’ve been too timid. Thanks
Hi I love your videos 2 questions for you 1) can soil blocks be made and stored for say a month in humid or what sort of condition it can be if possible 2) how do you put small(fine) seeds into say 1/4 inches blocks ie do you put manually or do you have any templates if so where to get them . Thanks
I really appreciate your informative video, I've been thinking about starting an urban farm where I live with organic food. This is certainly a way to start. Thank you dearly!
I'm having a hard time finding a soil mixture that doesn't use peat moss, which is unsustainable and damaging to ecosystems. Can I just use compost with some coco coir?
The main purpose of the peat moss (from what I understand) is to help hold the blocks together. I don't see why you couldn't use the coco coir. I'd say try it yourself and see how it works. Would definitely be a lot more eco friendly and sustainable.
Justin Rhodes Uses CocoLoco from Fox Farm successfully. I have a similar query. If prefer to not have to buy my potting mix at all, but if I have to, Ill be using coconut coir
Because of my where I am I use a locally made compost based blocking mix that contains some peat sourced from well managed bogs. In Europe they have over harvested their bogs, and damaged them with acid rain, but here on the east coast of the North America peat is growing faster than it's being used. Isn't that sustainable? How sustainable is a product that traveled thousands of miles, and was farmed in monoculture?
You will definitely be able to use coco. It is used here for texture. If you are introducing microbes, you will sacrifice CEC(cation exchange capacity)going with coco as it has about half the capacity. Plus if you use sphagnum, you get the mycos that come with it.
Coco coir is the best to keep the block together also very good growing medium grows better then compost. Coco coir needs to be buffer and rinsed to be optimized. You can buy buffered coco peat if you don't want to buffer yourself.
It's still available at Johnny's: www.johnnyseeds.com/tools-supplies/seed-starting-supplies/soilless-growing-mixes/johnnys-512-mix-60-qt.-9228.html#q=512&lang=en_US&start=1
Are you aware of any composition that gets by without peat moss? Considering peat moss is basically crude oil (from a sustainability point of view, absolute cancer) I would very much like to not use any.
