Soilblocking - Things To Consider

[@paulwooster3590]

I love your excitement when you discover something that is more efficient.

[@simeonandalex]

I am excited.

[@mikealmere70]

have been working with this system since 1989' still like it!

[@simeonandalex]

Wow. That is awesome!

[@ajthegardener]

Well why didnt u share it with everyone sooner lol 😆 hahahahaaha

[@timkirkpatrick9155]

SImeon, I live at 6800ft elev. (2100m) in the mountains of New Mexico. last frost date June 13th avg. at that time we can have days that are 75F (22) and upper 20sF(-2) at night. I find using blocks 3x3x10cm also use 5x5x 25cm, for tomatoes work better. Longer root space. Have used newspaper cones too! also work well. Also I do a thin scatter cast over a tray for greens and then use a knife to block out at transplant time. Gentle tease separates ind. plants well as you insert in beds. I do this with thousands of seedlings, loss is less than 3%. don't transplant midday. Try Serrano peppers, they should grow well for you. Keep growing! Tim

[@danieljonasson7589]

There's a video on youtube of someone (Matthew Farnell, video titled "Homemade Soil Blocker Maker (free - DIY)") making an automated system for watering the soil blocks that looks interesting. He basically placed them on top of an absorbent material, hung over the edges and soaking in a water tray beneath. By capillary action the right amount of water is sucked up into the material and subsequently the soil blocks themselves. It looked like a promising idea that could avoid a lot of the mess that you get when trying to water normally. I haven't tried it myself yet but I will soon!

[@catw5294]

I love your enthusiasm, it is palatable in the video

[@acoatofgold5627]

Simeon, this is interesting, I just saw this older man transplant the smallest soil blocking size into the standard soil blocker on Justin Rhodes' youtube channel, a market gardener, without cleaning the roots. He said that they did better over his years than just the largest one. The smallest fits neatly into the larger and once those blocks are ready, he just plants them into the ground as they're at the right transplant stage. I think its a very effective method and a time saver for you. Love your KZbin channel, its quite interesting to me. Best, Jacob

[@gerryheynes5082]

Hi Simeon, it's easy to make the larger size blocker and definitely best to sow straight in the smaller sizes to save time transplanting. I'd wash off the soil as someone else suggested and pick up the young plants by their leaves not the stem for less damage ( more leaves keep growing but a damaged stem is a dead plant usually). I love that you learn so quickly and share your ideas. Have a good weekend. Gerry

[@julier1080]

All excellent points. I tend to grab the stem but I know better. Tomatoes especially, love to be transplanted. I've compared starting them in 4" pots vs 1" then 2 then 3 then 4, and the extra work pays off in healthier plants.

[@dandylion6775]

Thank you Simeon for sharing your experience and tricks ...I really like your philosophy about farming very ethical and very respectful of animals and nature ...Also you're very honest when you present products like this soilblocker …You show how it improves the work and there's no hidden promotion ….too many youtubers tend to promote any stupid stuff they're sent for free ...but you talk about products you bought and show how to use them for more efficiency ...All the best to you and your lovely family

[@TheOregonOutlaw]

My father taught me this system 50 years ago, and I still use soil blocks getting wonderful results. You CAN reuse the blocks of failed seeds - just well moisten them. As to the tiny 17X17 blocks - forget it! Find the space for the 50X50's, and the time (and damage to tiny plants) you save yourself in transplanting excessively will more than compensate for the added space required. Make yourself portable water proofed and UV protected wooden trays sized for those 50X50 blocks, and ALSO a frame sized to hold them securely outdoors. If you need, I can supply plans for building them.

[@agustasister5624]

Lol and i have found several germinated when reused...makes me laugh...and feel sorry for em...i now hqve a huge tomato inside because the little thing so wanted to live...i also have another i found sprouted in the street...and in texas where they issue earnings not to walk your dog on the hot concrete when i found this little tomato plant i took pity on it..mand it too now lives inside until spring cause one week after seeing it the temps went from 101 to 35f...it was struggling but us now a beauty...wonder what it is..both my orphans.

[@rustedoakhomestead]

Whether it's trendy or not doesn't matter. What matters is that it works and is efficient!

[@simeonandalex]

+Rusted Oak Homestead yes!

[@Godshole]

As someone else said, I am not sure about the smaller blocker. At some point you cross a line where there is not enough soil to make a stable block and it is more hassle than it is worth. Direct seeding to the size you have now is the way to go. Might I suggest a trial to do with leeks, they are tough little buggers and my experience has been that if you half fill a 6 inch pot and then sprinkle a third of the surface area with seed, firm it down a bit, water them in and sprinkle a little more soil on top then just leave them till they are pencil size ( they will be really crowded but they don't care ) then you can just plant them out to beds. You can be as rough as you like and some old timers even suggest you trim off the roots to 2cm to encourage new growth. It would leave you a lot more space for delicate seedlings and give you more time.. I really enjoy your filems and look forward to more :)

[@agustasister5624]

I perfer the small one to start most and transplant them...i swtiched to flowers and just a few veggies...u have a strong vigorous start with air pruned roots...really really nice..and boom a huge start on flowers.

[@Xainfinen]

The thing is soil blocks are supposed to have a bonding fiber in them and most of the time it's coconut fiber. It make the soil blocks absorb water and hold its shape, without it, the soil blocks can be less effective and not worth to make at all.

[@danielmcardle3476]

You can get sets of inserts for different sized holes in the top of the 2" blocks (50 mm). Great video, very well explained.

[@pauldominic2150]

Great enthusiasm. I've researched growing seedlings... all experts say you really need supplemental light-- or you get 'leggy' seedlings from insufficient light A window sill is not enough 99% of the time... just not enough consistent light. The consensus is to use indoor grow lights- either flourescent or LED. I just bought Hydrofarm Agrobrite T5 fixtures for my indoor set up for seedlings- they have the right spectrum of light for the vegetative growth of seedlings started from seed indoors.

[@martynelson8858]

suggestion: maybe if the small tray had some warm water put in it, the water would loosen the soil and the plants will come out easier. it might take off some of the soil before you plant it in the soil blocks. I think I am going to purchase one of the soil blockers. I always make sure I catch Swedish homestead videos everyday......best to you and your family

[@aleblanc3547]

I didn't know about soil blocking until your previous video on it. This is a nice follow-up, and I especially like hearing about being able to move plants from the smaller blocks to the larger ones. There a several people in my area who report making good money selling starter plants, so even if you don't have a large place to produce the vegetables for sale it's still possible to make money on gardening.

[@simeonandalex]

+A LeBlanc sounds like a good idea.

[@Woodyjims-shack]

Erecting our home made arched poly house over the next few weekends Simeon. watching your channel with interest.

[@rickgreen9936]

Going to be a big garden. Busy busy summer with everything else going on.

[@DeniseSkidmore]

You will have less root damage if you wash out the soil with water. Just dump the whole container into a larger container with water, and the shoots will pull right out of the thin mud.

[@julier1080]

I started to make that comment and then scrolled down first. You're very correct, just flood the seedlings and they pull out easy with less damage and the water helps them absorb the shock of transplanting. Another thing I learned is that tomatoes love to be transplanted, it helps the roots develop properly. More work but I transplant mine 4 times before they hit the garden (raised beds greenhouse in my case).

[@DeniseSkidmore]

... and I burry them a bit deeper with each transplant, turning those spindly indoor grown stems into deeper roots.

[@lmckay8881]

That is a lovely Christmas cactus!

[@woodwalker3879]

Happy it's working out

[@Flexaret]

Another interesting and informative video Simeon, I 'm not a keen gardener but have tried growing vegetables and so on a few times, transplanting seedling is one task I dislike and in my very limited experience the less you have to disturb the roots the better. Looking for ward to an update on the smaller (and larger) soilblockers. Looks like things are going to get very busy for you quite soon. Have a nice weekend.

[@karenbrandenberger517]

We also get freezing in May. Sometimes June in Colo Springs, Colo, USA

[@debiheeb-koller1239]

Very interesting!! I had not heard of this system before.

[@sqwrrl]

With soil blocker you’re talking about purchasing it once, not always having to buy more little pots and cups. They just don’t last. I like how the soil blocker allows me to do away with the many little planting pots or cups which inevitably blow around outside, clutter and seem to always be in the way.

[@neilbennett9281]

I wonder if you ever did try the mini blocker. I use it to start all my seeds and it is great. As you already said it then transplants directly into the indentation made by the cube attachement on the next size up. Hate plastic, love this system. Thanks for the video really enjoyed it.

[@RobertBrown-sd5dy]

Wish I could give 100 thumbs up. You're doing great! Cheers from Michigan, we have the same weather.

[@simeonandalex]

Thanks.

[@johnmarquardt1991]

You have a very understanding wife doing this at the dining room table, lol. I planted some lettuce and parsley yesterday.

[@julier1080]

With little kids, that's probably not the worst the table sees! ; )

[@fargiraff9040]

thanks to this video I finally found a way to order a soil block maker :) THX!!!!

[@cpnotill9264]

How did it work out for you?

[@liwu441]

Thanks for your review on soil blockers! Im thinking of purchasing one (or 2 or 3) myself. But Im wondering if it's necessary to add more peat in order to make the blocks than is available in regular swedish planting soil (not sowing soil). I really dont like to use more peat in my gardening. Thank you so much!

[@danfraser7479]

best of luck with your garden.

[@MonteTurner]

Justin Rhodes had a video with a guy in Florida that uses that same system!

[@DaybirdAviaries]

That's really neat. I need to try that.

[@Talasbuan]

Det där så ju riktigt smidigt ut! Har du nån video på när ni använder verktyget, och vad skulle ett sådant verktyg heta på svenska?

[@kevinparker7953]

Green looks good on you Simeon. :)

[@bcamlivebait]

I want to see how you make your machine to see if it would be worth making or buying one for myself.

[@mimisfavorites5269]

How bout using a spoon or fork to lift from the mass planting tray? But your right, more efficient to plant directly into the block and then you can pull the smaller of the plants and leave the biggest to grow.

[@peewees6199]

Looks great! I enjoy your content.

[@hedgecraft559]

Are you using capillary mat with them? I know it says don't let it dry out....I'm curious if you have tried capillary matting under your blocks cause I'm using the smallest blocks, capillary mat and then pot on until it goes out. Here in Alberta we don't get anything out until june, just like you, but I start everything January February...would love to know your thoughts.

[@terriefriday2462]

Thanks for sharing

[@DeniseSkidmore]

We start in small pots, and we put in 2 seeds per pot, and cut out the weaker of the pair if both come up. Then if not all seeds germinate we don't have empty pots. If the seed is very old I may put 3 per pot.

[@justinfrederick3648]

great job!

[@meredithr9824]

Useful. And I don't know if this will be any use to you this year, but I've found that if you stand some tin foil on the back side of the tray that the pl ants are sitting in, that some of the sunlight will be reflected back. Question: do you have to use a special soil mix for blocking? What do you use?

[@raymondhodge3979]

Great system, it should make things a lot faster for you. As they say time is money.

[@simeonandalex]

+Raymond Hodge yes

[@wendyweddell2782]

Where can I get soil block presses

[@verteup]

you can grow stronger plants of you put a fan on your plants. This will strengthen the stems greatly.

[@mitchellcarr6175]

Do you mix anything in when you make the soil blocks?

[@Mundo_Diverso]

How do you water them

[@memaepap4220]

Simion, what about if the roots get 2 long and strt to grow into the neighbouring soilblocks? Can you seperate them without hurting the roots?

[@ttkddry]

the root growth stops when it feels it's leaving the block and touches air. This is contrast with a pot where the roots start to circle the inside of the pot (google for rootbound)

[@MrVailtown]

How can I send you photo of home made blocker ?

[@trollforge]

I've been looking at those soil blockers for for nearly 30 years I can't figure out how you water them without the soil blocks falling apart. I've always watered my seedlings with a flood & dry system, and I really don't care to change that...

[@finlandfarm1674]

I've never tried soil blocking, but it looks interesting. By the way, what part of Sweden are you in? I've been to Sweden many times. My wife grew up there and her family still lives south of Stockholm. My favorite place to visit is Gamla Stan.

[@simeonandalex]

We live between the two big lakes towards the northern end of them.

[@cpnotill9264]

Are you still using the soil blocker? 👍🌱

[@msim7087]

You buy that on amazon us? they ship to sweden?

[@andrewboddy2791]

I bought from the UK, and they shipped to Sweden: www.blackberrylane.co.uk/ladbrooke.html

[@simeonandalex]

I bought mine in Germany but make the link available for the US viewers.

[@jeanskilling708]

I've been pre-chitting my seeds. Only germinated seeds get planted.

[@sandracunningham2689]

less plastic waste..

[@silviodallapozza3394]

Mein Lieben Freund Swedisch, aber wo Sie Wohnen? In Welke City?...Sie sind Fantastic......... immer besser...... fenomenale...... Antworte Bitte, Bitte.....gruss aus Silvio.

[@TheZombie13777]

make money by selling soil blocks maybe?