Transplanting Soil Blocks (by hand)

In this video, we are transplanting watermelon starts grown in compressed soil blocks into the garden. We also show the features of our mini greenhouses made of wire hoops and remay cloth. (For more information on the soil block technique, see frontporchfarm.... and • Planting Soil Blocks and • Making Soil Blocks )
©Copyright 2011 Front Porch Farm, All Rights Reserved.

[@FrontPorchFarm]

I am finally getting to answer my questions, and I'm sorry it a year later! I broke my ankle a couple of months ago so now I'm inside! The rows get watered about once a week with a thorough soaking. The plastic mulch really helps retain the moisture.

[@FrontPorchFarm]

Sorry for the late reply. We keep both plants and they just grow away from each other. This way we can get the most intensive planting of our rows, keeping the plants close to the drip tape. It's similar to planting in a hill where you can plant 3-4 plants together but then the hills spaced further apart.

[@FrontPorchFarm]

We will make an effort to record the progress of the melons growing this year. It is amazing the harvest we get for the short growing season we have, although we do usually have hot summers. Some of our melons are probably on the small size, but boy are they delicious. We are growing watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew and crenshaw melons.

[@BalconyGrow]

Those are some gorgeous transplants. How old are they? I bought a soil block maker this year and am anxious to use it. Thanks for sharing. ~Jeri :0)

[@FrontPorchFarm]

Jeri, I think those watermelon starts were 2 1/2 to 3 weeks old when we transplanted them.

[@buddruffin]

I have a question concerning the watermelons that she plant under the black plastic mulch with the drip trip. How often do you water the plants during the heat of the hot summer thank you

[@apaulanarius]

Have you considered using an Hatfield transplanter in place planting by hand? Just curious as I am just learning this method of growing?

[@BennyPino]

Do you thin out the watermelons at any point, or do you leave the two next to each other?

[@yaomu9726]

Hi, did you bury the drip line under the mulch?

[@BryanKale777]

♡ Awesome UFO 13

[@reddeb92503]

Hi, This may sound kind of dumb...lol. but I am new to mini farming and I have 5 acres I want to grow on. How did you make those nice rows and what kind of plastic is that you are using? Thanks!

[@OldAlabamaGardener]

Deborah, there are no dumb questions, only un-asked ones. I know for me when I am trying to do something on the computer and someone says "its simple" well, its not simple to me if I don't know how to do it. I make my rows using a string and two iron poles. Stretch the string between the two poles and using a hoe corner make the furrow under the string. You will have a nice straight row. Measure over, depending on how wide you want the next row and do the same. Its nice that you have 5 acres, you can really lay out a great garden with that much room to use. Happy gardening!

[@Lebowskiiii]

NO plastic!!! Mulching!!!

[@FrontPorchFarm]

We use plastic as it allows us to grow things we couldn't otherwise. We just made our first beds of the year today and they brought the soil temp up in one sunny day so we can now plant tomorrow. Without them we would be waiting weeks to be able to plant corn etc.