Friday, December 16, 2011

Soil Block Mixture

Recently "The Italian" got me a soil block maker for my Birthday. Since I have never made soil blocks before, I started doing a little research on making a good mixture to make the blocks. Jody over at Spring Garden Acre also has a soil block maker that he has never used.

We would both appreciate a little expert advise on what any of you use or any tips on making the blocks.

Thanks a bunch!

24 comments:

  1. I did some research after seeing yours and also found instructions on how to make your own which I want to try after the holidays. However here is a good video I found if you haven't already seen it on using the tool.

    http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to-use-soil-block-makers-start-seeds-288342/

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  2. I've been using soil blocks for a few years now with great results. In the beginning, I was worried about having the correct mix, but I have found that the plants are very forgiving. This is a post from Jan 2010: I Played with the soil block maker

    Seed starting mix is a good base in a pinch, but can be expensive if you are starting a lot of plants. I try to stick to the Eliot Coleman’s soil block recipe, but my measurements are not always precise. I mix it up in a large storage tote in the basement, then scoop out what I need into a dish pan, add warm water, and allow the mix to soak for a while. Then I give it a squeeze and add more water or more mix to get the consistency of wet cement. I add more soil as I go along to keep the mix dry enough to hold a block.

    Try to sift out large chunks of compost and garden soil. Don't be afraid to really pack the soil into the soil block maker. Then scrape the bottom with a metal edge so the block is flat on the bottom. Experiment with the mix, make some soil blocks and see how long they take to dry out, move them around and see if they stay together. I use a turkey baster to water the blocks early on, then soak the blocks when the plants are larger. I also use diluted fish emulsion if the plants are showing that they need a boost.

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  3. Thanks Wilderness, Yes I have seen that video.

    Rachel, The problem that I have with Eliot Coleman's soil mixture, is that I don't have 2 year old compost to use. I just finished using up the last of this year's compost in the beds. I guess that I could buy some organic compost to use.

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  4. I have a soil block thingy but have not tried to make blocks with it, I'm waiting for you, Laura, and other experience users to talk me into making the blocks.

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  5. Thanks for putting the question out there. The responses are going to be very helpful!

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  6. Robin, organic potting soil also works. You will just need to sift out any large chunks and sticks. I suggest experiment with the soil block maker and don't worry too much about the "right mix." You just want the blocks to hold together.

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  7. Robin if you and Jody have too much trouble with those soil blockers,, I know someone in NC you can get rid of them to :o)

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  8. Fun with Soil Block Makers, eh? Try replacing eliot coleman's compost AND soil ingredients with 100% worm castings or vermicompost for your soil blocks. You will be amazed. Soil blockers are easy to use and the best potting soil or blocking mix is made by yourself. You can buy bagged potting mix, but just don't get any with wood chips or wood by-products because it will rob the seedlings of nitrogen and yellow the leaves with ammonia off-gasing. Try more helpful soil block maker help at Making Soil Blocks

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  9. I just buy Ace Potting Mix from the hardware store and sift out the large chunks. It does have some slow release fertilizer in it, but I find it works fine for the blocks. Sometimes I add a bit of vermiculite and peat moss to it. I just kind of use whatever I have, and mix it all together until it looks right ;-) I do wet down my mixture with warm water and squeeze a handful to make sure it holds together well.

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  10. Mac, We are all going to use the soil blocks this year....including you!

    Jody, you are very welcome. Check out Mr. Soil Block Maker's site. It's great!

    Rachel, I'm going to play around with this as soon as I have a little free time. Most likely after Christmas.

    Ginny, I think we will do just fine. Maybe Santa will bring you one too!

    Mr. Soil Block Maker, Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your link! Your site is great! It has so much information on making soil blocks. Thanks again!

    Granny, Thanks for your tip! I'm sure it will be easy peasy once I get the hang of it!

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  11. I have no experience with soil blocks at all. I'd like to do it, but I'm afraid of how long it would take to do 100's of blocks.

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  12. A couple years before I began my blog I was already using soil blocks. I have the mini and the two inch blockers. I primarily use the two inchers because the seedlings can't grow long in the mini-blocks, and then you're moving them already. For what I plant, I think they're extra work. I started out using the Elliot Coleman mix, but I quickly switched to a 50/50 peat moss/sifted compost mix that I like much better. I do use his recommended fertilizers in the mix in correct proportions to the total mixture.
    I don't like using vermiculite or perlite in my garden because it is so light that it always rises to the top of the soil and I simply don't like the appearance of that. So, I completely eliminated that from my "recipe".
    I also don't wait for two year old compost as I think that is very impractical. When a batch of compost is ready, I use it.
    Before I use the compost for soil blocks, I do sift it through the screen top of a lizard cage that I had. It's like a screen for a fish tank top. I sift a couple of full grabs of compost at a time. The screen is about 3/16 or 1/4 inch mesh. This produces a very nice material for soil blocking. If you get one, make sure it will span the length or width of the container that you will be sifting into.
    Prior to using the peat moss, I put some of it in a tub and rub it together between my hands so it is as fine as it can be. In doing this, you will find the bits of stick and other materials that I feel would impair a smooth blocking process and you can discard them.
    So now you have sifted compost and rubbed peat moss ready. I use a three inch deep stainless steel steam line food tray for making mine. (A two inch or so deep metal cooking pan could be used for this part as well.) I equally measure how much I want and put it in the steam line tray and mix it thoroughly while dry. Then I thoroughly blend in the fertilizers. This also serves as the last check for finding bits of stick or whatever that you don't want in your soil blocks. Have some extra prepared compost and peat moss material ready so that if you make it too wet, you can add some and dry it out a bit. If you take some and squeeze it in your hand, it should not be dripping wet. It should be like a wet sponge.
    Have a deep container of water that you can rinse/wet the block maker with each time you make a set of blocks so the mixture won't stick to the inside and break the blocks.
    Now I'm ready to make the blocks. I scoop some of the mixture in a pile towards the center of the pan, visually checking to make sure that the pile is at least three or more inches high. Remember at this point that you will be compressing the material, so you want to have enough for tight blocks throughout. They will hold together better. Take the wet blocker and press it down onto the pile with a forceful back and forth twisting motion. This wiggles the mixture into the corners of the blocks for a nice product. This is similar to cookie cutting, but it takes more elbow grease. I think being in a metal pan allows the edge of the blocker to squeeze out the excess material, and the twisting motion that you are still applying "cuts" it off. When you lift the blocker while still using the twisting motion and sliding it (to prevent suction from pulling the material out), you can look at the bottom of the blocks and see how dense they are. Then you just eject them where you want to store them until use. I used two strips of plywood in a plastic flat that my plants would germinate in. Each strip of plywood held one row of 4 blocks wide by I think it was 9 block rows long. Whatever fits in there. I had a nail driven into the end of each plywood strip for use as handles to pick them up with when I needed to. As a personal preference, after I put the seeds in there I covered them with some of the loose mixture to hopefully aid in germination.
    That's it! I hope this helps potential soil block makers.

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  13. Dave, It seems like once you get the hang of it...it shouldn't take a lot of time. I think it will save me a ton of space and time in the end. It takes so much time to do all that potting up. Another thing is cleaning and storing all those darn plastic pots of every shape and size. I have hundreds and hundreds of them!

    VP, Thanks so much for your detailed comment! I'm sure I will refer back to it a few times!

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  14. I am choosing to purchase soil block mix to start out with. I like to break up new things into components and try and master each element well before moving on to the next item. Right now I am just trying to get my block making skills and block management (watering and moving on etc) skills developed and will wait to tackle the "make your own mix" portion of it for later this year. When I do get to that stage, I am planning to start out with Elliot Coleman's suggested mix and then go from there. Enjoy your new block maker!

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  15. Laura, I think that's a good idea. I was also looking at some to purchase. God forbid, you would buy all the components that you need and then have to waste a lot of it.

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  16. Very timely post. I also have a new block maker and plan to use it this growing season. I will have lots of time between Christmas and New Years to play. Maybe I'll start posting on my blog again too.

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  17. To me, if you are considering soil blocks, you will also be using humidity domes. For me it’s a must combination. If I get some time this winter I would like to try making soil blocks out of paper machete and a weak fish emotion to make the machete wetepeddles

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  18. Hey Liisa, Yes, I think that you should start posting again! Then we can all share our soil block making trials!

    John, I always use some type of humidity dome when I start germinating. How long do you keep your seedlings covered?? And, please educate me on the machete wetepeddles...what are they??

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  19. Robin:Johnny's Select Seeds website has excellent information on using soil blocks. I also read quite a bit on it in Eliot Coleman's "New Organic Grower"

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  20. I let the dome on until the second set of leaves. No damp off problems and no watering. The last sentence should have read " I would like to try making soil blocks out of paper mache and a weak fish emotion to make the mache wet". I don't know where the wetepeddles came from???

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  21. Hi Todd, I saw the videos and info on Johnny's site and just received that book of Eliot Coleman's. Have you ever used soil blocks?

    John, That's usually how long I keep my seedlings covered. I think that these darn keyboards have a mind of their own sometimes!! It couldn't be that we have our fingers on the wrong keys!

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  22. Robin - I use Eliot Coleman's recipe and use packaged shellfish based compost in place of the aged compost and garden soil. It works well for me. I hope you enjoy soil-blocking! It's a bit more work in the beginning but much more efficient than pots.

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  23. I've used both a mix and used Coleman's recipe. I like the mix better. Things grow really well in it so I've elected to spend the money to use it. I don't think you can get what I use (Vermont Compost Company Fort V mix). I think it is sold only in the New England area but I could be wrong.

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  24. Thanks Thomas, I'll have to stay on the look out for some.

    Daphne, Thanks for your suggestion. I still haven't decided what I'm going to do. It will most likely depend on what is available.

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