I literally made one of these out of the blue super quickly the other day to show my wife the benefits of soil blocking, lol. Grabbed a 1" coupling from the shop, and a 1" chunk of steel rod (it's what I had on hand!), and pressed out a couple blocks. I then told her I could make them any size she wanted with pvc and caps, and could even put something on the end to make a divot for seeds. Imagine my surprise when I found this video today, and another guy on the site with a true DIY heart along with it lol. Cheers brother!...and thanks for sharing!
This is a great design. I made the 2" blocker as shown, plus a 1-1/4" blocker with 20% of the soil volume of the larger one. In both cases, I find the soil volumes more satisfactory (bigger) than their commercial soil blocker counterparts. Also, I was glad to learn your soil recipe. This saved me a lot of bother because I discovered I can get great results with off-the-shelf Jiffy or Promix with 70% peat moss content, and it's pH-corrected. Altogether, this soil blocker is superior because: you can compress the heck out of the blocks so they won't fall apart easily, the cylinder shape is more durable than cubes, and you're far less likely to get roots crossing over to adjacent blocks. Just great. Thanks Steve!
3 года назад
I am a teacher, from Guatemala, land of migrant caravaners......, well its the starting point before entering Mexico...., I will surely teach this wonderful skill of yours to my students. Best wishes, I have subscribed, and expecting for more tips to go.
It’s surprising. You’d think with the hundreds of millions the U.S. sends to different Latin American countries that it’d help with poverty or help keep there to better their life. It probably ends up in politicians Swiss bank accounts just like Africa.
This is the best DIY soil block maker I've seen yet! I could see myself mqking a smaller one for the tiny seeds then transplanting them into the bigger blocks!
This is exactly how I wish I thought about my father when I was young. I do remember all the times I had my chances to learn just slip away. You are very wise. Keep learning!
Oh my gush thank you so much. I am just starting planting for this season. I have been thinking of ordering a block maker. The $50.00 dollar with shipping is a lot for a person living on SSDI. So you coming up as a suggestion was definitely good luck. The only thing now, I need a mix recipe. Thank s.
So, "as luck would have it", I literally just ordered my soil blocker last night. :( I got Letter E, the Ladbrooke 2" for $19.50 at the Greenhouse Megastore. But, darn it, your invention is ingenious - I love it. :)
Brilliant design. Thank you so much for sharing. I can also see how you can easily adjust the divot size by using different sized round wooden blocks between the end of the cap and the nut. This would allow you to match the divot to different sized mini-soil blocks.
Update: I'm getting excellent germination with these soil blocks. Here are 2 tips: * For growing peas, place 5 peas on the soil in the tube just before plunging/pressing the blocks. The peas are visibly embedded into the top of the pressed soil block. I am getting near-perfect germination rates with this method. * In Canada, Jiffy-Mix Premium Seed Starter has the ideal consistency for making blocks. (Promix HP's vermiculite and other particles are coarser and the blocks don't hold together as well.)
I use plastic disposable drinking cups with holes drilled in the bottom ranging from 9 ounce to 24 ounce cups. I can use them for several years and I don't have to worry about the soil falling apart when I water the plants.
They sit side by side to kind of support themselves and you water them from the bottom, so if they are compacted correctly, they hold together better and better as the roots grow.
If you have the proper soil mix and wet it adequately, it won't fall apart. Only peat and perlite will not supply either enough nutrients or the "hold-together power". My recipe calls for 3 parts peat 3 parts compost 1 part perlite or vermiculite 2T green sand 2T rock phosphate 2T dried blood These last 3 ingredients are preferred but not essential. I picked up mine at our local co-op and perhaps even Home Depot carries them. But, as I said, they are not essential. The compost supplies enough goodies for the emerging seedlings to prosper. I mix all the dry ingredients in a wheelbarrow, then start adding water. It takes quite a large amount of water to make it roughly cottage cheese consistency. When I can make a ball that does not fall apart when I throw it up in the air and catch it, then I know I am where I need to be. Hope this helps. I've been using this mixture for 3 seasons and am very happy and so are my seedlings :)
brkbkrl - one more thing, I always place my blocks in a tray and water them from below and let the blocks soak up as much water as they need. You can spray from above, but that is too time consuming and always a guessing game. Below is the way to go.
My Recipe - Makes about 25 2x2 soil blocks. 6 cups of Peat Moss 4 cubs of compost 2 cups of worm castings 2 cups of perlite 1/4 cup of blood meal 1/4 cup of bone meal 1/4 cup azymite 1/4 cup of green sand 1/4 cup of rock phosphate Mix while it is dry.
I made one of these too and it’s working great. But I’m wondering why you bought a 1” pvc pip got a 1 1/4” cap and how you made it fit the small 1” pipe? I just used a 1 1/4” pipe and cap. Anyway thanks for sharing as it really saved me some money. I’m not into mass production so one soil block at a time is good enough for my needs.
Greetings, thank you so much for video and saving us money - really appreciate it! Very creative! Can you make a quick video showing us how you prepare your soil. Thank you
That’s a great idea. The only downside I see is that with the round shape there’s airspace between each one so they’ll need more watering to keep from drying out
One thing I don't understand about soil blocks in general, when you water your seedlings..how does the "pot" stay together. Do they not get soggy and fall apart? You just use peat and perlite as your mix?
Please keep in mind that this video was produced a while back but yes I still use both Peet and perlite in my my seedlings mixtures. I like to use perlite in all my other plant mixtures also because it keeps terific drainage. As for the fall apart issues, you are correct in saying normal watering(not a spray bottle) does tend to make some blocks apart. I fold two things that prevent this issue. First, let your Soil blocks dry before placing them in trays. Second, when thoroughly dry stack them tightly in the drip tray you are using. Like seedlings tend to grow at the same pace so when you are ready to transplant, transplant all the pods at the same time. I almost forgot about this video. Thanks for watching and best of luck whatever planting method you use. Just never give up. Gardening is a very good skill to know and share. Share your success. Peace
First let me say I'm glad you took something from my interests. This was a while ago so I'm not sure how long it took but I don't remember it being overburdening. When you do things you love, time seems to fly. Thanks and enjoy your gardening experience. Best of luck!
Not a bad idea at all, but the commercial 2x2 inch version will make 12 times as many blocks in the time it takes to make one via this method. Its not a bad idea, just slower. Besides, the important fact here is to use soil blocks for all of the seedlings you can. It works far better than any other method I have tried. Far higher germination rate. If I were to make a recommendation, I would be to use less water. When you squeeze the water out of the soil block, nutrients are going with it. The mix I make, which is probably similar to yours in its base elements, will be just wet enough to squeeze a drop or two out if I squeeze a handful. My Recipe - Makes about 25 2x2 soil blocks. 6 cups of Peat Moss 4 cubs of compost 2 cups of worm castings 2 cups of perlite 1/4 cup of blood meal 1/4 cup of bone meal 1/4 cup azymite 1/4 cup of green sand 1/4 cup of rock phosphate Mix while it is dry. Couple of pluses with soil blocks. 1. Space them about 1/4 inch or more from each other. The roots will air prune and not get all balled up and root bound like they would in a pot or seedling container if you dont transplant soon enough. 2. They have a ton of nutrients, and can support the seedling/start for many weeks...You just need to add water. 3. When you water a soil block, even if you over water from the top, the water will drain out and not waterlog and kill the seed. 4. The nutrients in a soil block are great amendments when you transplant the block to the soil.
The peat moss holds them together. This was one of my worries when I first used them....if you have made them correctly the peat moss and compost make them pretty tough. You can water from above or the bottom. The roots will go down the sides and come out the bottom to the water. If you water from above and its too much then the water drains right how and is in the same spot where it would be if you watered from the bottom.
Nice hack but the soil blocks are a life time product that's been perfected in weight, fuction and longevity. Soil block is not a waste of money. Soil block is a shining example of work smarter not harder. This is a great cheap hack to get you threw in the meanwhile for sure.
it's about sharing the thought and the love for gardening at any pay rate. We need more self sufficient people in this world. This idea isn't for sale. it's there to help others. I'm sure you get helping others with shared knowledge. Thanks for watching. Enjoy the journey.
Great method. So i made some blocks and have started germinating. Looks like some while fungus is appearing around the edges if the blocks. Im a worried. Should i be ?
I can't give you a specific answer but vaguely would assume the problem may indicate too much water. If this is the case fungus or mold probably won't hurt your seedlings and may be less noticeable with letting the blocks dry out a little more between watering. Try experimenting watering schedule with a few samples. Once you plant your seedlings the problem should go away. I hope that helps. Good luck and don't give up!
lol, I grew up on Staten Island but have spent the last 24 years in Arizona. It's a totally different way to grow things and took a long time to understand the growing seasons. Spring gets hot fast so you need an early start and lots of later season watering. Thanks Art and as always go Jets!
When making pot's like these I would tend to use lighter soils, more Peet and other nutrients because I believe it would put less strain on a younger rooting system. That being said, use whatever you have available and experiment. Some of us don't have the money for store bought materials. So work on your skills with what's available and see what works best for you. Be prepared and be happy.
My Recipe - Makes about 25 2x2 soil blocks. 6 cups of Peat Moss 4 cubs of compost 2 cups of worm castings 2 cups of perlite 1/4 cup of blood meal 1/4 cup of bone meal 1/4 cup azymite 1/4 cup of green sand 1/4 cup of rock phosphate Mix while it is dry.
