Soil blocking is how we start 95% of our seeds on our farm. It’s a great way to ✔️ reduce plastic use ✔️ give our seedlings a healthy start ✔️ be environmentally sustainable ✔️ and provide a positive environment for the plant’s root system.
Reposted from @honeydewfieldsmn
Supplies you need for soil blocking:
• Soil Blocker – you can find these at many different online gardening supply stores. We use the 3/4” size to start small flower seeds. We also have the 2” soil blocker for up-potting and starting larger seeds like sweet peas or pumpkins.
• Tray – you need some sort of tray to house your soil blocks. I like to use old lunch trays – this is something that we can readily find, it’s a great way to recycle something that would have otherwise been thrown away. You could also use styrofoam meat trays that come with your meat you purchase from the grocery store. With any kind of tray, make sure you are giving it a good wash before use.
• Soil Blocking Recipe – you want to make sure that your soil blocks can withstand the test of time. The last thing you want is to have something that could crumble and not hold together.
A great soil blocking recipe to use can be found in Eliot Coleman’s book, “The New Organic Grower.” We have used this one and over time have tweaked it to our needs. We like to use coconut coir instead of peat moss. This is because peat moss is a large sequester of carbon and I feel it’s better kept in the environment rather than for my use. I love using @foxfarmsoilandfertilizer because they have high quality products! I also like adding a little cinnamon to my soil blocking recipe since it is anti-fungal. It will help with keeping your soil blocks from turning green over time.
Eliot Coleman’s Soil Blocking Recipe:
* 1 1/2 buckets of coconut coir
* 1/4 cup garden lime
* 1 bucket perlite
* 1 cup all-purpose organic granular fertilizer
* 1/2 bucket garden soil
* 1 bucket finished compost
As we continue with our regenerative gardening/farming journey, we will also explore vermicompost and compost teas to use with our young seedlings.
What do you say – are you ready to give soil blocking a try?
Reposted from @honeydewfieldsmn