Transplanting, Cold Frame & Tomato Update

[@simidhel]

It is a joy to watch someone who consistently takes such pride and delight in the fruits of their labour as you appear to do and these soil blocks were a very satifying process to watch. I have been watching your channel for a while now and you've become one of, if not the, favourite channel for me to watch and look forward to. You have a certain serene and methodical approach to your tasks and your presentation that is very likeable and inspiring, so thank you. (I would certainly support you more directly if only my somewhat dire financial situation permitted it, with apologies...)

[@TheWhedgit]

Looking good! Our potatoes are poking up. Tomatoes are ready to go into the ground but it gets too cold at night still. Rain collection system is set up and ready for some minor upgrades. I'm ready for the growing season! Soil blocks are on the list for next year!

[@martijnheeroma5492]

Transplanting the tomatoes to the bigger blocks was going super easy, The plants are looking great, thanks for sharing.

[@hermitld]

Soil block company should send you a large blocker, you are giving them a lot of good PR on your site, IMHO!

[@itypefaster]

Simeon, the thing I find most interesting about you channel is you are sharing your daily activities in what you are doing. There is an American from the North West that stated that way and I enjoyed his channel, but he has sold his soul to the click bait way of running things and he is no longer a man sharing his life and way of living, i have no interest in someone who is artificial. I enjoy what you share the way you share it. Thank you.

[@hickoryhomes6838]

What a really impressive cold frame - very nicely done.

[@carolinabeth5173]

Wow! Plants look great! Impressive. I just found your channel and am really loving it, especially the gardening parts. I have raised beds that I built myself. 8’x4’x12” and I have only 5 in my back yard but I’ve discovered I have a green thumb. I’m from South Carolina, USA. Thanks for sharing!

[@PermaPen]

Gorgeous cold frame! Your plants are looking so happy. I think I'll be building a similar one this winter, thank you for the inspiration!

[@donlatimer5114]

Clean up your block press real good, put it in 150°oven & get the wood nice and hot, while your heating up the wood melt some bee's wax, wax the wood while it is still hot paint the inside of the press and the bottom of your block and the sides with the hot wax and let it soak in, this should make the release the potting soil much easier

[@TheOregonOutlaw]

Wax, Varnish, Polyurethane - ANY water repellent finish or coating would be better than bare wood. Also - The syringe portion of the blocker needs reinforcement with a small block or bar across the middle gap= }H{ poor drawing, but hope the idea comes thru.

[@Veemack21]

nice job all the plants look great!! love those soil blocks they work great!!!

[@MISTERD21]

nice job being innovative with the large soil blocker. I also noticed your tomato plants are growing nice and tall. Have you considered topping them so they grow bushier, thus increasing yields? I usually do this once or twice early in the season before the plant starts to bloom. the plants tend to bush out and i can easily double or triple my tomato fruit yields per plant.. This means i can dedicate less garden space for tomato plants and still gather the same yields i would with more garden space.

[@thomasfarkas5458]

Exceptional video Simeon. Your cold frame is a complete success. We hope to start planting soon here in Michigan, the weather is getting better and the garden soil is beginning to warm up. Looking forward to the next video.

[@evamariaklklkl7588]

Hi Simeon, herzlichen Dank für Ihre sehr wertvollen Videos. Bin total begeistert, hab viel lernen dürfen, freue mich jeden Tag auf ein weiteres Video von Ihrer Farm und wünsche Ihnen und Ihrer Familie viel Erfolg und Gottes Segen. Liebe Grüße aus Bayern Eva Maria

[@thomascrouch6135]

You do a wonderful presentation!

[@mikealmere70]

your plants look really strong, well done!

[@Woodyjims-shack]

Nice plants Simeon We had to buy some plants because we couldn't get everything done in time, you are well ahead of us.

[@betsytraughber1870]

I have never seen plants grown like this what kind of soil did you start the seeds in? I love the your spray nozzle that has the mist setting, where did you get it at and how much did it cost? Your plants look amazing and are so very healthy! So you made the soil form this way and they keep their shape, all through the growing process? Amazing, super easy, I can't wait to try this someday. I need to get my supplies to start up plants like this. Love the cold frame, I'd put cardboard strips on the plastic before shooting in the staples, it would make the plastic more tare resistant, strong winds will rip plastic away from the staples. USA here the great state of Tennessee.

[@louisroy9348]

Nice work, the real busy season is just starting for you. good luck and God bless regards,

[@grodad7034]

next time you build a block maker, paint the insides with a high gloss paint. slippery! have you considered making a block mold 6-8 or 10 boxes wide, dividing them as you press the holes? use cardboard so they'll soften and maybe dissolve when wet. great looking cold frame, always loved them!

[@garywylie2231]

Wow that is a lot of plants! Very cool! I'm really enjoying your vids. Music choices are very good also. I hope tomorrow is good news about the channel!

[@wickster7154]

Try coating bees wax on the plug at the bottom. It may provide less resistance when removing from the soil block. Great channel, I really enjoy what you are doing!

[@pyro854]

If you sand your wood down to at least 600 grit it will release alot better. If you sand it fine enough it will even become hydrophobic, however you need to go REALLY fine. It depends on the wood, the black walnut that grows here in southern Missouri becomes hydrophobic at about 2000 grit... if you use a foam backing for your sand paper.

[@zametki_sibirychki]

A beautiful greenhouse for seedlings turned out and seedlings are very good! Earthen cups, like ready-made peat tablets for seedlings. Tomatoes are so hard to get. Sorry if I write a little incorrectly, as I use a translator. Greetings from the shores of lake Baikal.

[@101life9]

Awesome job again! !

[@fredthorne9692]

Yes, making the larger soil blocks for the tomato transplants is labor intensive, but, you make up for the time by the speed in which you are able to replant. It seems to all even out. Plus, buying the potting soil might have been an added expense, however, you are correct about soil improvement. You've eliminated weed seeds, undesirable microbes, and other adulterants which would have been present in a homegrown soil mixture. What species are you using? I've used the Rutger's heirloom since I live very close to the University Agricultural exchange. Home of the tomato which was made famous by Campbell's Soup. They're a cross between the J.T.D. and the the 1934 variety. Big ol' "Jersey Tomaters"

[@oldtimeengineer26]

Very nice a lot of work. I have a suggestion on your plunger slope the side just a little and it will release much easier. Also if you coat it with some polyurethane or similar it will slide easy. But I like how you made them slip in from small to large.

[@Offgridchica]

this is great. thanks for sharing brother

[@jerrybeaver3216]

Maybe add some plastic to the press part of your homemade soil block that contacts the soil (maybe use a old water bottle,the plastic would not stick to the soil the way the wood does)Also make a simple fulcrum to press the mold down to remove more water and make a more consistent soil block from your mold when ejected.They look great

[@monteverdefarms5626]

Simeon, did you raise the plants from seed in the cod frames or did you raise them inside them brought them out to the cold frames. I know you had some heaters but that is impressive if they were raised from seeds in the cold frames.

[@kirstenwhitworth8079]

Your seedlings look fantastic! I wonder if you could use something to measure the amount of soil you are putting into the frame to create more uniform cubes? The suggestion to coat the inside of the forms with beeswax seems like a good idea. Thanks for the video!

[@timkirkpatrick9155]

Boiled linseed oil on the wood and it will release. let it cure for 30 days before using. Also not so wet, just water drips from a tight fist. You are washing nutrients out as wet as you have it. The cold frame looks great and so do your plants. Do you plant the tomatoes deep? I just leave two true leaf pairs above ground. The rest grows roots as it is below ground. This makes for very robust and heat resistant plants. NM

[@sunflowersnbluebirds7362]

Why, why did you have to go and make a bigger soilblocker...now I want one. I'm still trying to get used to the micro soil blocker. I love the med, I'm not real good at making them yet, but in another week or so I will be making them so fast! I love your content, awesome videos Simeon! Thanks for bringing us along!

[@alwayslearningthankyou2708]

I wonder if wrapping the soil block plug with thin metal will prevent sticking for you? Good looking plants.

[@Michael-db1ce]

Your hard work is inspirational. I wish you the best of luck.

[@RS-jj7yj]

pretty ingenious. Simeon, have you thought about spraying the wood with silicone spray to keep it from sticking... or maybe a polyurethane

[@Pastaboy7]

I am enjoying your show. What are you using and how are getting the tomato plant to stand up right, it looks like you are using a stick.

[@yuksanng8864]

Your plants look very healthy, what the temperature of the cold frame? I see you have a heater is must be very dear to use a heater,my tomatoes plants are still indoor .it is too cold to put it out I have got heat source only polytunnel,night temperature is3degree at night .day time about20 in the polytunnel.

[@mitchilgeary2762]

Prime and paint the wooden block with some gloss acrylic paint.

[@Pastaboy7]

This maybe a silly question, I noticed that you use a stick to hold your tomatoes, do you use twist ties, velcro to hold them up and erected instead of flopping over?.

[@farrelllewissr.5001]

Good morning

[@TheOldNorwegian]

You might have better/easier time removing the plug part of the compression fixture, if you cut a slight taper on it. Make the bottom smaller than the top. Taper doesn't have to be much, but should release easier. Otherwise your "project" looks good. Will need to try and make something similar for our use. Never have seen that method before. Thanx! The Old Norwegian

[@kitingmare]

was just thinking about that. Relief angles are a thing in casting metals so they should help in this situation also :-)

[@chainsawtony6857]

So mm any tomatoe plants! What will you do with so many tomatoes? Love your channel so please keep up the hard work. All the best from the UK.

[@adelalukacova7982]

It seems to be you grow a lot of plants. All of them will grow in your garden, or some of them you sale as a pre planted? Sole block are great :-)

[@djnever00]

Cut up pop can, glue/nail/screw/fasten pieces to block. No sticking.

[@Geertpieter]

Have you tried it with a little bit dryer soil?

[@Lejamejais]

would it make a diference if you made the bottom thing from laminated material?

[@xenimde]

Try to add a taper to the inner block and apply a coat of paint

[@SuperleonaSWE]

Var fick du tag i soil blockern? Har letat massor men verkar ju inte finnas på svensk marknad? De jag sett på amazon fraktar ju inte till Sverige :(

[@Tony-Blake]

I presume there is a reason not to start the plants in larger blocks initially --- removing the two-stage small block into larger block's hole step. ????

[@hilliebakker5629]

maybe bee's wax the mold wood, mount box to plank frame and make slide out bottom, to remove soil block. .... lever and hinge compression block.

[@SunfireWoods]

+Swedish Homestead Simeon, I'm curious about why you wouldn't just start your seeds in a larger sized soil block? This would eliminate the need to continually up-size from one block to the next.

[@itypefaster]

Hyder Enterprises yes, i was wondering the same thing?

[@charlymaher3361]

Hyder Enterprises because not all the seeds sprout and then it's a wasted effort.

[@phyllisbreault3675]

Some seeds require a constricted space to feel their perimeters, to focus on developing a root system. Then upper growth will take off when the roots are well established.

[@pyro854]

You can fit more small blocks in your highly controlled sprouting area. Then, when the plants get bigger and stronger, you can put them in a bigger soil block in a less controlled area.

[@danielgelhaus2559]

Nice Work! Abonniert!

[@beavis8308]

you could spray some pam or get some olive oil in a spray bottle to make it not stick.

[@sandram.johnson2754]

Simeon and Family, Would you be kind enough to share your instructions for creating your "cold frame"?

[@garywylie2231]

I don't know if you already watched them but he made a couple of videos "How to build a cold frame" part 1 and part 2 about a month ago. hope that helps!

[@sandram.johnson2754]

Missed, though will seatch for. Thx😉

[@perthyren4567]

Soon 40k subs :)

[@stanpatterson5033]

06:59... evicting the freeloaders :)

[@davidodom6127]

Concerning soil blocks, go to Mladen365 for his briquet press. You could be punching out many blocks at a time. His bio blocks are the same principle.

[@1striperon]

It looks like you are contracting "two-footitis." On the cold frame you only need two more feet of room, and then two more feet of room, and ... A good affliction. Lol

[@rmack48]

If you want to continue farming as you are at the present time should not be that high of a priority because when time is a constant priority shortcuts often come into effect to get everything done.

[@ziran123]

Why do you transplant tomatoes? Why not start them in bigger soil blocks, from the beginning? You don't ad soil around the stem of the tomato, to get more roots from the stem. So could you do a clip about the pros and cons with transplanting opposed to starting the seeds in bigger blocks of soil.

[@johnmarquardt1991]

85 more and you're at 40,000 :)

[@charlymaher3361]

John Marquardt 48 more needed now 👍

[@Afraithe]

No strawberries? It's Sweden, you need strawberries!

[@carlnicholas7346]

take a 2x6 lay it flat, atatach a upright 2x4 2/3d's height of cell block. thake another 2x4 slot the end,drill hole for bolt and make a lever. much more compaction and not as hard work

[@zezo1975]

Why don't you make the mold conically

[@NolaukiemLV]

hi

[@lisab9836]

Couldn't you just finish off the seedlings in small pots, about the size of the blocks? Pots can be properly sanitized and reused.

[@kathybrochu1057]

use less water in your soil!

[@balkanfrog2117]

I think the music is a bit too loud. Just saying.

[@kirstenwhitworth8079]

Agreed

[@christoslygd6171]

maaaaannnnn just use plastic cases-trays for your plants... they are reusable . Soil blocks are just a waste in your time. Anyway you should consider it a little :)