Seed Talk #31 - Growth on Soil Blocks, Overwatering & Damping Off

Do you have something growing on your soil blocks - other than seedlings? Today, Lisa and Layne discuss what to do about algae, mold, and fungal growth on soil blocks. They cover what might be growing on your blocks and why, how to properly water your soil blocks and adjust your growing conditions for healthy seedling growth, and tips for avoiding damping off. Listen to the podcast and get ready to troubleshoot the unwanted growth on your soil blocks!
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The “Seed Talk with Lisa & Layne” podcast is produced by The Gardener’s Workshop and co-hosted by Lisa Mason Ziegler and Layne Angelo. Lisa is the founder and owner of The Gardener’s Workshop, where Layne works as Seed Manager. Lisa is the award-winning author of Vegetables Love Flowers and Cool Flowers and the publisher of Flower Farming School Online, Farmer-Florist School Online, and Florist School Online. Watch Lisa’s Story and connect with her on social media. Layne is an avid gardener, seed starter, and engineer who loves learning and applying her technical knowledge to all areas of life, including gardening and growing flowers. Thanks for joining us!
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[@BWSRbushcraft]

Excellent idea on the use of wide weave burlap... I'm in zone 8a and sometimes the air temperature has a lot of humidity in it! Thank you! 🌱

[@debsmith8102]

Extremely helpful! Thank you!

[@LayneAngeloTGW]

Thanks so much, Deb! So glad you enjoyed it ☺ Have a wonderful day! 🤗

[@lindagrinnell1548]

Thank so much for all that good information. It made it much more enjoyable to be on my treadmill and learning all this. I’m doing soil blocks for first time this year.😊🌸🌺🌼

[@LayneAngeloTGW]

Oh, yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed this episode (and got your exercise in for the day!) 🙌 Best of luck with your soil blocks! Wishing you trays and trays of healthy seedlings 🤗 Thanks so much for watching, and have a wonderful day! 💚

[@FLlife]

If you’re growing in soil blocks and in a hot climate, like me, the fan is a good way to help dry them out.

[@LayneAngeloTGW]

Good to know the addition of a fan has been helpful for your blocks! I had great results using a fan when I grew in trays more frequently and think the added air circulation has a lot of positive effects (including strengthening up your seedling stems!). Thanks for sharing this tip, and have a wonderful day! 🤗

[@cbak1819]

I'll try that heat mat trick at night because my floor area gets down to 50's, I have green algae, white stuff and fuzzy mold. I put my seedlings our yesterday and they really looked so happy..😊

[@MilliePat]

Atlanta 7B, I am an urban gardener, planting less than 500 annuals per year. I started soil-blocking seeds this year with the mini cells. The mini blocks dry out very fast because they are on a heat mat. I had success with the five-cell soil blocks placed on the microgreen cell trays because the grid prevented the blocks from sitting in water.

[@LayneAngeloTGW]

Great tip regarding the microgreen trays, MilliePat! I love my 1.5" soil blocker and have found that the 1.5" blocks can be a happy medium between the small 3/4" blocks and the large 2" blocks. Glad to hear you have found a setup that works for you! Thanks so much for sharing 💚

[@MilliePat]

I may have seen at least 20 soil block KZbin lessons, there are different recipes as well as germination methods. Nonetheless, so far I've never seen soil block methods for the small gardener. Lisa and other farmers generate thousands of soil blocks and for me, her ideas were difficult to duplicate on a small scale, especially with the 3/4 block. The good news is that I learned the 1-inch, five-cell block works better because they remain wet longer. Also, the burlap covering should be wet, and to place pizza tables under plastic wrap. For a small number of seeds, a 1020 or 1010 tray with a grid inside works better. Don't mix different plants on the same tray if using the 3/4 blocks. I am experimenting, by comparing the germination times of seeds using humidity domes, open weave burlap, vs plastic wrap and using a microgreen tray vs a flat tray.🍃🙂

[@rachelle3445]

Thank you

[@coloradotulips]

Thanks for this information!

[@fraukeg.facchini2691]

Thank you, great information as always. 👏

[@janjohnson1052]

Another great one! Thank you.

[@guarimn]

My take-aways: It's not necessary to be so miserly with water. In fact, It's fine to pour water out from time to time. It's not necessary to be so miserly with heat. In fact, A couple extra degrees can lead to faster growth. Even though I can't fully explain why or how, heat prevents problems that reduce vigor and affect the entire life span of the plant.

[@LayneAngeloTGW]

Great summary, Kevin! Thanks for sharing ☺ Yes, I actually prefer to have excess water in the trays that I need to dump out, just to confirm that the blocks are thoroughly moistened. Thanks so much or watching and for sharing your key takeaways! Have a wonderful day and a lovely spring 🤗

[@helenachase5627]

Replanted celosia after damping off. New warmer room not in soil blocks this time, t 5 lights for warmth to dry the soil and a fan. Fingers crossed

[@LayneAngeloTGW]

Yes, hopefully the warmer room will help! If you are using a fan to blow air across the soil surface prior to the seeds germinating, that can sometimes dry out the surface a bit too much and prevent the seeds from sprouting, so just keep an eye out for that 👀 Hope you have trays full of healthy celosia seedlings soon! Thanks so much for watching, and have a lovely day 💚

[@Cherryparfait41]

I’m m wondering if some fabric row cover pieces would work for moisture for germinating.

[@helenachase5627]

My soilblocks look terrible. Celosia is damping off and still -22 Celsius. Good Lord winter in zone 3 ! I'm wondering if soil blocking is not for me. It's so cool that they don't dry out or do so very unevenly

[@LayneAngeloTGW]

Hey, Helena! Yes, I have issues, as well, if the growing space is too cool 🥶 Perhaps you can try again once the weather warms up a bit! 😎 Best of luck 🤗

[@MilliePat]

When the seeds are planted in block are placed they place under the grow lights ?

[@MilliePat]

I ruined the germination using the wide weave burlap covering. I should have wet the burlap. I got germination with blocks under a humidity dome. It may have been the type of lights, I had no germination with burlap and LED lights and good germination with fluorescent lights and humidity dome. I had both lights 2 inches from the trays.

[@LayneAngeloTGW]

Definitely use the humidity dome if it is working for you! Whatever setup gets you the best results is the way to go 🙌 Thanks so much for watching and for sharing your experiences! Have a wonderful day 🤗

[@helenachase5627]

Lisa has her own system tried and true. It looks like you have your own now ! That's great

[@MilliePat]

I have mushrooms growing on the soil, yet, I keep a fan going 24/7. I never leave water on the trays.

[@LayneAngeloTGW]

Oh, my! 🍄 Do your blocks seem to dry out in 24 hours, or do they still look somewhat wet? What soil mix are you using? Thanks for watching 🤗

[@helenachase5627]

I guess you are meant to be a mushroom farmer

[@MilliePat]

@@LayneAngeloTGW I used the recipe of Liza Z, it was the burlap and fan that caused the mini blocks to dry out. I should have wet the burlap before placing it on the soil blocks and don't use a fan. Fans are only needed on the seedlings.☺

[@MilliePat]

@@helenachase5627 Mushrooms are grown in do do.😆 The soil mix or the organic fertilizer had mushroom spores. This only happened on the trays that I did not cover with cinnamon powder. I water my seedlings every other day to prevent algae.

[@janellnerida8239]

Should the whole block be wet? I have been watering enough that wets bottom but not soaked to the top of block. I lost a tray of petunias.

[@LayneAngeloTGW]

Hello, Janell! Yes, the blocks should be thoroughly moistened. My preference is to have a bit of excess water in the trays (that I then dump out), just to ensure the blocks have absorbed enough water. I will just add water to the trays, wait five minutes or so, add more water to any trays that have absorbed it all, and then go back and dump out all excess water. Hope that helps, and so sorry to hear about your petunias! Have a lovely day 🤗

[@janellnerida8239]

@@LayneAngeloTGW thank you I tops got super hard the way I was doing it Thanks for your reply. I’m learning allot

[@LayneAngeloTGW]

@@janellnerida8239 You are so welcome, Janell! Best of luck with your blocks 💚