Soil Blocks Are Better Than Plug Trays. Change My Mind.

Рет қаралды 166,410

Күн бұрын

Learn about soil blocks. What they are, pros/cons, gear needed and the techniques used to make them.
SPONSOR:
Tilth Soil
Website - www.tilthsoil.com/?...
Instagram @tilth.soil - / tilth.soil
Daniel Mays' Book - geni.us/EBLO
1" (35) Stand Up Blocker - geni.us/6NS4KAk
2" (4) Hand Blocker - geni.us/niQ0C
Soil Block Trays
Johnny's (preferred) - www.johnnyseeds.com/tools-sup...
Greenhouse Megastore (not as good) - www.greenhousemegastore.com/c...
Interplanting Video - • Grow More in the Same ...
Buy Farmers Friends tunnels here - imp.i209882.net/c/2555598/795...
White Landscape Fabric - shrsl.com/2uqwy
Josh's Instagram @josh.sattin - / josh.sattin
How I Build My Beds
• It's Bed Time
30"x50' beds
12"-18" walkways (whatever you prefer)
Cover the ground with a silage tarp or graze with animals until all the weeds are killed. Broadfork, put down cardboard, wet the down the cardboard, add 4-5" of compost in the beds and put wood chips in the walkways. This turns out to be about 2.5 cubic yards of compost per 30"x50' bed. I buy commercially made compost and get my wood chips from local tree companies for free.
SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:
If you wish to support the channel monetarily, you can use PayPal here:
paypal.me/joshsattin
This is appreciated, but unnecessary, and no content will ever be behind a paywall.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Пікірлер: 325

@paullueders5218 2 жыл бұрын

I'd like to add two things you might want to mention. Ist, it's very helpful to give your blocker a quick dunk in a bucket of water between refills to give you more crisp perfect blocks. 2nd, the mesh bottom trays from Bootstrap Farmer are way superior to the mesh trays from Johnny's. They are so much more ridged, heavy duty, and not so bendy. I've been at soil blocks for 4 years now and as far as I'm concerned it's the only way to go. Great video Josh, as always.........

@sn232 Жыл бұрын

Or double up the other flimsier brands so they have more support.

@charleswilson4598 3 жыл бұрын

When I was 13 years old, in 1953, I got a job for the summer at a truck farm (market farm) with two other 13-year-olds, and we got paid 45c per hour. We were for weeding and other chores. I really enjoyed working on that farm. The thing that impressed me about that farm though is after I grew older and remembered that the farmer supported himself and his wife, his son, and his son's family with children and built a new brick house off of 13 acres.

@IanCdnMerkaba 2 жыл бұрын

farmers feed cities. modern day hero's in fact! minus the tights, lol

@ronallens6204 5 ай бұрын

@IanCdnMerkaba ... wow.. at 13, i was making 5 cents an hour in 69 doing yard work on a farm. Couple years later i got to 15 cents plowing and mucking and eventually got to 25 cents milking.

@sweetsue4204 2 жыл бұрын

My mother used a 4-block model back in the 80s. This video brought back wonderful memories. I’m a volunteer land manager for a senior community (I’m the energetic one 😄). Last year was all about cleaning up the neglect. This year is about getting a team of senior neighbors involved. Next year I’m planning vegetables, and this is exactly what I will be guiding the team to do. 😊 Some nice raised beds and trellises, happy soil blocks of veggie sprouts, luscious living organic soil….yep, I can see it happening. Thanks for the trip down memory lane and the inspiration for improvements going forward. 😊

@katythriftyunder35homeowne57 3 жыл бұрын

Your content is always awesome & we all see you as a garden 'friend'

@JoshSattinFarming 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you!

@bigwheelsturning 3 жыл бұрын

I've got the 2", 1.5" and the little 3/4' blockers. Use the tiny one for the small seeds, and the medium one for Chard and seeds in that size range. I use the 2" blocker for peas, corn, and beans. I use my own mix, and to help the blocks stay together, I mix in grass clippings that I chop up smaller with some scissors to act as a binder. I find that I get better results by hand packing the "tops" first then the body of the blocker. That gives me a firmer top that doesn't blow out when I press them out. I also have a block of wood that I press the filled blocker on to compress the soil some more. I also use the 45 quart storage containers that Costco sells with the clear lids as "mini green houses".

@Stu2366593 3 жыл бұрын

Soil blocks were popularized by Elliot Coleman years ago, in one of his Winter Harvest books if I recall correctly. I used soil blocks for several years but have gone back to the trays for several reasons: 1. Air pruning doesn’t always seem to work and sometimes the roots overlap with other blocks (so the same problem you noted with the trays). 2. From my observations where I experimented with both methods in my last year of using the blocks, there really is no marked difference in transplanting impact or plant health. 3. Finding the right recipe for the soil is a real pain especially when ingredients are not always available (here in Ottawa Canada) - nothing more frustrating than having your blocks break down later when watering. 4. Seeding seems faster and easier using the trays - but then I am a home gardener and not a pro like you and dont seed the enormous amounts like you do for your business. Once again, I really appreciate you sharing your expertise and knowledge. I thought that I would share my observations having been a soil block convert before switching back - the trays just work better for me :-).

@szabomarton8064 3 жыл бұрын

air pruning can fail from too frequent watering, if the sides of the soil blocks are always wet you lose the effect and with it the quality improvement compared to trays.

@antoniopietroniro2270 3 жыл бұрын

@Mike Barnes Not to mention getting some plastic out of the environment. Worth the effort even if there was no difference, but the advantages are clear to me and getting the right soil mix is not rocket science. The only blocker we can't get in Canada is the 32 size. If anyone knows a supplier msg me please ! I got mine from West Coast Seeds in BC. I'm in Quebec.

@antoniopietroniro2270 3 жыл бұрын

@Mike Barnes Sounds like a plan !

@antoniopietroniro2270 3 жыл бұрын

@Mike Barnes I sent them an email.

@chloefortier-devin8190 2 жыл бұрын

@@antoniopietroniro2270 Lee valley in Laval is one! They have different sizes

@suziqbrown7073 3 жыл бұрын

enjoy watching someone garden in such a beautiful tidy way

@tilthsoil 2 жыл бұрын

Soil blocks rule! Thanks so much for the support and words of confidence on our product, Sprout.

@laurensheppard5932 3 жыл бұрын

I've been shopping for trays and pots today. Glad I saw this video before I bought any! Now I want to get a hand blocking tool instead.

@jangsy33 3 жыл бұрын

Love the idea of soil blocks! Reduces plastics in my garden, and in my body. I find bits of degraded plastics in my soil from products past, and now I try my best to keep it out of my garden.

@RibbedGiraffe Жыл бұрын

You consume microplastics regularly. Unfortunately at this point there is no way around it.

@CapriceGVR 2 жыл бұрын

I love how quick you are to get to the matter. I appreciate it! I go to your site to learn and I don’t like non focused videos!

@darrenfullmer8062 3 жыл бұрын

This year Im seeding into 2" soil blocks Super Happy so far.

@agrarianarc 3 жыл бұрын

I really appreciate the quick-release information flow of your videos Josh. Keep up the great work

@MosesMLam 2 жыл бұрын

Great video Josh. Probably the best video to intro and explain soil blocks I've found so far on KZfaq!

@dwilliamslamb5417 3 жыл бұрын

Yep. Great move Josh! Getting rid of my trays was the best move for me so far. I also don't even use the soil block anymore. I just make soil "balls" by forming them in my hands and then putting a small indentation on the top for the seed. Last Sunday I made 65 soil balls (took maybe 30 minutes), placed one corn seed in each, and now (one week later) they are already 4 inches tall. There has been zero transplant shock. Great video brutha!

@joeykoehn6038 3 жыл бұрын

Would two big ice cream scoops make the process faster? A half moon in each scoop, mashed together... Just a thought, I haven't tried it though.

@mwmingram 2 жыл бұрын

Very cool.

@lindaspellman2108 2 жыл бұрын

@@joeykoehn6038 omg you just solved my conundrum. I want to try soil blocks without investing a bunch of cash. Ice cream scoop to the rescue. A half-ball sounds perfect to give the roots some space

@joeykoehn6038 2 жыл бұрын

@@lindaspellman2108 Good! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! If you remember, let me know how the scoop works! 👍

@shawnhammond1614 3 жыл бұрын

Been using soil blocks for a long time. Glad to see people starting to use them more its crazy how much healthier and how much better the germination is in them

@janew5351 3 жыл бұрын

Amazon out of stock!

@JoshSattinFarming 3 жыл бұрын

amzn.to/3gpozoM

@scottwhite4645 3 жыл бұрын

Josh Sattin I’m guessing it’s the smaller units which are out of stock. Ladbrooke is having a hard time with orders due to full COVID-19 lockdown in GB.

@gardencookeat22 3 жыл бұрын

Its almost as if the plant knows! Lol or its just good salesmanship.

@annmoy8932 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing your experiences. Glad I found you on KZfaq!

@mistyn380 Жыл бұрын

Love your videos! You always walk us through every steps and explain it so well. I'm new at this so it can be so overwhelming but not only do you explain the steps you actually walk us through it. Thank you!

@professorb7054 2 жыл бұрын

Made my day. I am definitely doing this. Thank you so much for the valuable session.

@kristinbrowning-mezel2379 Ай бұрын

One of the better soil blocking videos! Thank you for the details on the soil block maker in the one inch size.

@hollys87 3 жыл бұрын

This was my first year using soil blocks and I LOVE them. I was skeptical about whether they would stay together but they have worked great and it does seem like the plants themselves are stronger. There is a bit of a learning curve getting the soil to water consistency right.

@dustinlight4716 3 жыл бұрын

I'm so glad the experiment worked out. I've been very happy with my soil blocks for the most part. I have made the mistake of over watering some flower starts and they didn't germinate. But that would have been solved of I had open bottom trays.

@the_mothercooker 3 жыл бұрын

Saw someone make soil blocks using a cement mixer, seems strange but super cool. She managed to make a lot and it mixed itself.

@learnjcbskidsterchickensga7594 3 жыл бұрын

Wow. I was thinking about getting a concrete mixer for soil mixing.....hope I find her video!

@moniquem783 2 жыл бұрын

I was thinking that would work 😊 I want to try one with a cricket ball or two in it for threshing grain too. It would have to work. I’m pretty sure. I haven’t seen anyone do it though.

@mike253549 3 жыл бұрын

Great job. Took me 4 months to get a 2 inch blocker. Time to start looking again.

@tbluemel 3 жыл бұрын

Great video! Just getting started with soil blocking and you offered a whole lot of great advice . . . as usual. Thanks!

@suerindels2859 3 жыл бұрын

I love using soil blocks for my seed starting!

@oscer1111 3 жыл бұрын

This year i switched to soil blocks as a test , and its very interesting

@jamesd6920 3 жыл бұрын

Was always curious about these you make it look so easy great video Josh

@SiriusScientist 2 жыл бұрын

I was already committed to trays when you posted this, but after moving and having to replace because of damage I decided to give these from Johnny’s a try. I wish I had watched this again before starting some greens and micro tomatoes for inside winter experiments, but I’m overall pretty happy with them so far. I did get the tiny 20 block and will up pot to the 2in with the optional divot for those blocks. If I had to do it over I’d likely just stick with the 1 inch for small starts like you do, and two for stuff that takes longer like peppers. I started the peppers in the blocks too but am not sure how it’s going to go.

@JohnsonBranchFarm 3 жыл бұрын

I didn’t do soil blocks with my tomatoes this year and my seedlings have not been as strong. I will be using soil blocks from now on!

@mishalea 3 жыл бұрын

Good points to consider. Never heard of air pruning!😁 Have a great week, Josh!🌻

@lynnlovessoil Жыл бұрын

Great video explaining soil blocks. I have been sick of the plastic cups breaking and thinking about making the switch to soil blocks.

@makingitthrough190 3 жыл бұрын

I’m so excited to see this! I’m just a beginner gardener. But I saw soil blocks and thought - how good to reduce plastic waste. And who doesn’t love making mud pies?

@ardenpeters4386 2 жыл бұрын

don't waste $ on the tiny blocker! 2" works fine

@paullueders5218 2 жыл бұрын

@@ardenpeters4386 ther is a 1 1/2" soil blocker too. It makes 5 blocks at a time. Try Fedco Seeds.

@dirtdiggerjerry 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Josh. Great content and instructions!😁

@effieinglish Жыл бұрын

Very nice Video, thanks for maken' it.

@Sunny14136 Жыл бұрын

Great, helpful video! Thank you!

@ymehair 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much for showing how to do this. Will give it a try. Anything to make things go better I'm all for it! :)

@rogerbeck5704 3 жыл бұрын

I have been using the 2" hand blocker and love it. I dunk the blocker in water between each block that I make and find the rinse helps. Excellent video!

@924project 3 жыл бұрын

First time using them this year, I will have to try the dunking.

@SiriusScientist 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the suggestion! I’ll give that a try the next time I experiment with these. The last two rounds had some sections that kept getting stuck and I bet that would solve that issue.

@paullueders5218 2 жыл бұрын

dunking in a bucket of water really really helps!

@alisonburgess345 3 жыл бұрын

Great - I love soil blocks. I just put them onto solid bottom plastic trays and pour water gently into the corner of the trays and let it run around amongst the blocks and soak in. I don’t have the issue with the plant roots you talked about. I plant them out ASAP though..! Excellent video ...

@TwoGardensHomestead 3 жыл бұрын

I had that book shipped to the UK, it’s brilliant! Really strong learning in the book so I might just try soil blocks!!

@GardensforLife 3 жыл бұрын

Great stuff. I agree, it's hard to keep them watered.

@trishapomeroy9251 3 жыл бұрын

I love my soil blocker! I do put them in regular 1020 trays and bottom water. I just make sure they are transplanted either to a larger pot or to the garden before the roots start going crazy on the bottom. I also use the 2" hand blocker, so my blocks are a little bit bigger to accommodate the seedlings a bit longer. I did try the 3/4" blocker a few times and I really never liked it at all. Those tiny block dried out way too fast and really didn't seem worth the extra effort to me.

@Arie-Ruiter 3 жыл бұрын

You convinced me, thanks for the tip. Greetings from the Netherlands.

@Cherryparfait41 2 жыл бұрын

Glad to hear of Tilth Soil, thank you! Wish I still lived near Cleveland. So, I’ve known of soil blocking for decades, but never jumped in to make the investment. Well, I finally did this year. But, I bought the mini and the 2” 😭 Although I will find ways to use them, I’m now going to pick up the 1” because that does seem to be the perfect size for lettuce and other things. Here are my ??? What method are you using to start your green onions (what variety?) and do you ever raise bulb onions? Besides lettuce, what do like to start in the 1” blocker? I also love interplanting. Just can’t resist and love experimenting. Thanks for sharing so much solid info with us. Love watching your progress!

@randyketcham3840 3 жыл бұрын

Interesting way to start your transplants. Thanks for another variation on planting. Appreciate this one!

@JoshSattinFarming 3 жыл бұрын

You're welcome. Thanks for watching!

@ciaranosullivan7791 3 жыл бұрын

I just bought a blocker, I'm going to try it today! Thanks Josh for the update, great timing...

@JoshSattinFarming 3 жыл бұрын

You're welcome. Have fun!

@PamsPrettyPlants 3 жыл бұрын

I just switched this year too, blocks and paper pots before I got my blockers. Air pruning foreverrrr!

@anniemomma5389 3 жыл бұрын

I'd probably go for the hand blocker first 😂 I've seen Rebecca Rhodes use it for yrs n u made me feel more confident 😂..so thanks for the video!!

@dannyluker7326 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the great vids. Really enjoy your content.

@JoshSattinFarming 3 жыл бұрын

You're welcome. Thanks for watching!

@calittlegarden-3311 2 жыл бұрын

Looks great! going to give it a try!

@wladimirrahn6194 3 жыл бұрын

That was super helpful. Thank you so much Josh.👍

@JoshSattinFarming 3 жыл бұрын

You're welcome. Thanks for watching!

@ReapWhatYouSeauxLeJeune 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing info. I ordered me a soil block just waiting until it comes in...

@fantabulospleef 3 жыл бұрын

Welp. Time to buy some blockers!

@scottwhite4645 3 жыл бұрын

Good Luck ! There are some of the larger units still available, but availability of the smaller ones is a challenge due to the COVID-19 lockdown in GB. The company who makes the blockers, Ladbrooke is based there.

@TheSunRiseKid 3 жыл бұрын

There is videos on KZfaq that shows you how to make soil blockers. We made one and it works great!🌱

@mightyconker3903 3 жыл бұрын

Please stop blaming the effects of an authoritarian lockdown on a virus. The two are mutually exclusive and each deserves its due. They are talking about "climate lockdown" now. Too many freedoms have been lost

@ardenpeters4386 2 жыл бұрын

don't waste your time and money on tiny one!

@ardenpeters4386 2 жыл бұрын

@@mightyconker3903 no kidding! sick of hearing that

@teresaadela1533 2 жыл бұрын

Im here right after I saw someone from reels. Didnt know about this technique and would love to learn on how the soil stays intact!

@marcosbacas7169 3 жыл бұрын

Hi Josh, I’ve learned si munch watching your videos. Great job. I like the way you teach. You really do it with a pedagogical approach. Would you do a video about potting soil and fertilizing potting soil. How do you feed your seedlings

@JoshSattinFarming 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you. I don't add any fertilizer to my seedlings. Any good potting mix should have everything that they need.

@MosaicHomestead 2 жыл бұрын

I have never heard of this, great video

@texasrecycler9676 2 жыл бұрын

thank you very much. great information and presentatioin

@LadysFarm 3 жыл бұрын

Great stuff

@keithcummins4380 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Josh! I think I'll go this route for starts, sustainable... Great video btw! Awesome editing!

@JoshSattinFarming 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you!

@ryanoconnor8207 3 жыл бұрын

I'm diggin the Lo-Fi beats + soil block making. it's so cool lol!

@jamesdouglas6846 3 жыл бұрын

I had already purchased the Hand Blocker but will for sure get the Stand Up Blocker soon. Huge time savings. Thanks

@JoshSattinFarming 3 жыл бұрын

You're welcome. Thanks for watching!

@yx6889 2 жыл бұрын

Started using the 2" soil block maker this year and there is NO comparison! The plants are so much more vigorous!

@wadeneumann4959 Жыл бұрын

oh yeah. the soil block volume, to feeder root direction... just ace!

@antoniopietroniro2270 3 жыл бұрын

Good on you Josh, I'm glad you're dumping the plastic. Coincidentally, I did some blocking myself today, except I made my own trays with wood and 1/2 inch hardware cloth for the bottoms. I made them to fit the soil blockers perfectly since they are all the same size. I designed them so the blocks don't flop around like they do in 1020 trays. I used the 20 block blocker because I can't get the 32 size here in Canada, and I don't want to deal with the exchange and duty + + ... as much as I like Johnny's it's too much money over what an American would pay. So what I'll do instead is take my 20 size blocks with tomatoes planted in them and just make a hand made 'Jessie ball' around it and see how that goes. Ideally it would be a 32 block into a 6 block. Hopefully a Canadian company will also carry the 32.

@tannerfarmstead 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for your videos Josh. Been watching your channel for almost 2 years now. What green house are you using? Been going back and forth on a farmers friend tunnel for a greenhouse/covered garden beds

@tolsen4893 2 жыл бұрын

That's so cool! Great video! Been trying to find a nice alternative to trays, and only just come across "soil blockers" I'm sold! A question though.. How resilient are the blocks, I kind of figured they would disintegrate as soon as you have at them with the watering?!

@Tonia.lynn2411 3 жыл бұрын

I got soil blockers the 2” ones but i love the 1” i don’t have that one! I shift the soil before making blocks don’t wanna get sticks in their. Then just sprinkle vermiculite on top or perlite.

@jenedge5579 3 жыл бұрын

I started mine with mini blocks and was able to pop into 2 in just block as soon as I knew it germinated. It’s very useful for home seed starting because space under grow lights is a premium and it’s not wasted on blocks that don’t germinate. I honestly don’t see any transplant shock. I keep the mini starts in Tupperware type tray so they stay moist until germination. I don’t ever have to water the mini because it’s like a terrarium in the box. I have the 2 inches ready. I can pop them in as soon as I see green. I work full time so I don’t have excess to make blocks during my work week(12 hour days), so if they are ready to go, it takes two seconds to transfer them over and I can do the more time consuming things, like block making and planting out, on my off days.

@vegasunset Жыл бұрын

Wonderful idea! Thanks

@gioknows 3 жыл бұрын

Great video. Cheers from Ottawa, Canada.

@JoshSattinFarming 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you!

@atanisoftware 3 жыл бұрын

I have both the 2in blocker and the smaller 1in blocker. I have used only the 2in blocker for my setup this year with 600 blocks spread across 12 10x20 trays from johnny's. We started around 100 tomatoes and had all but a handful germinate, we set aside around a dozen for us to keep and the rest were given away over this last weekend to neighbors who stopped at our mini plant stand. Next spring I'm planning on expanding the germination setup to have another nine 10x20 trays (450 blocks).

@Jeffipookins 3 жыл бұрын

Curious to know if the 1" blocker will find a use or if you will stick to 2" from now on? Also, what block recipe have you been using and any issues with damping off?

@atanisoftware 3 жыл бұрын

@@Jeffipookins that would depend on what I'm planting, but moat likely I'll stick with the 2in block instead of "potting up" from the 1in block. Current recipe is roughly six parts peat moss and one part vermiculite. I'll be adjusting it slightly for the next batch of blocks as we saw them drying out a bit too quickly. We are also looking at a few extras but not 100% sure which yet.

@Riverrockphotos 3 жыл бұрын

One of the best things I found make soil blocks in is at The Home Depot or lowes they sell the cement mixing tubs for like 4 bucks and they work really great. Because you can use a hole in him really easily and goes really well.

@OhPervyOne Жыл бұрын

This is perfect for large batches and similar to this, for smaller batches you can get a cheap plastic kitty-litter tray.

@jeshurunfarm 3 жыл бұрын

Respect from Africa 🇿🇦

@TereseJames3 2 жыл бұрын

thank you.

@chrispfenning5871 3 жыл бұрын

Winstrip trays...just as good of a transplant as a block and without the whole arm and shoulder soreness! I blocked for years, they are nice but some physical downsides for sure if you are making a lot of blocks each week.

@justinciallella4724 3 жыл бұрын

Winstrips are expensive, but I have trays that are nearly 10 years old. They can be carried with one hand when plants root in.

@paullueders5218 2 жыл бұрын

@@justinciallella4724 Still a pain in the ass to get out of the tray compared to blocks.

@dustinalker972 3 жыл бұрын

Have you tried direct seeding your green onions? Transplanted g. onions last year and besides being a ton of work, the onion root maggots got a bunch of them , this year with ds. they are doing so much better! almost no root damage and just super healthy all around, and I'm getting a lot more out of the same amount of bed space. 4 rows, x24, something around 2" spacing.

@davidpritchett855 3 жыл бұрын

I love my soil blocker. I think a soil blocker is as good as the soil you use for the blocks, I have had some major failures if the soil didn't hold together we'll enough or was so dense the roots didn't penetrate well. The biggest draw back I have seen is I need to put significant amount of room between my blocks to prevent them growing into each other and properly air prune.

@tripledstickers 2 жыл бұрын

LOL, Tilth is based in Cleveland, Ohio, that's where I work. Thanks for the input.

@bigdope9578 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the info

@JoshSattinFarming 3 жыл бұрын

You're welcome. Thanks for watching!

@daisybraungardt1933 2 жыл бұрын

very cool

@kajunagify 3 жыл бұрын

Hi Josh. Thanks for this great educational video. Question: can soil blocks be used in preparing seedlings for hydroponic farming? Or will the soil collapse and get washed away.

@PlantKiller 2 жыл бұрын

thanks lots of great information. Do you ever use heat mats with soil blocking?

@GriffinC507 Жыл бұрын

My starts are always struggling from using those plastic starts trays. Switching to soil blocks immediately!

@dustinlight4716 3 жыл бұрын

Now I wish I had hunted for the 1" block maker. For my small scale, I got the combo deal for the mini blocker and the 2" blocker and did lettuce in mini blocks, then potted them up to 2"

@SiriusScientist 2 жыл бұрын

I just started this same combo and wish I had gotten the 1 inch as well after watching this

@kriswhite1344 2 жыл бұрын

Great information I just got my hand blocker 2" been wanting one for two years but it was beyond the budget. A backyard gardener here. I have watched you build the farm and just dream of doing similar as a home gardener. Thanks..

@crystalrivers2102 3 жыл бұрын

I heard cushioning your handle is a game changer for the soil blocker.

@BrittCHelmsSr 3 жыл бұрын

Pool noodles might do the trick

@gambit2000 3 жыл бұрын

that green onions and lettuce line looks neat af

@yogevbedrak7061 3 жыл бұрын

i just order yesterday some 2In Soil Block Maker :)

@caseywilson812 3 жыл бұрын

used to use soil block maker and found that it was a lot more time consuming. also to use colemans recipe for the soil its a lot more (for me) gathering all the components (green sand is hard to find_. the fine mist water wand would be the way to go to water the soil blocks to not over water and damage the block. my opinion on the small scale sure it would be fine but on a commercial fast paced scale i wouldn't suggest it. using the paper pot trays without the paper pot transplanter is the way to go if you didn't want to purchase the whole kit to transplant really fast. overall good video and thanks for the content.

@garya3056 3 жыл бұрын

Pretty cool, Josh! 👍

@JoshSattinFarming 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

@garya3056 3 жыл бұрын

@@JoshSattinFarming 😎

@amysnipes4245 3 жыл бұрын

I've been using these for years, never any problems.

@catherinehines1128 Жыл бұрын

Thanks! Helpful video! I'm wanting to get some soil blockers to try and growlights (since I don't have a greenhouse). Do you have any recommendations for good growlights for things like lettuce, kale, tomatoes, etc?

@amandadrew6861 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks

@pamlarson3261 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for this helpful video. What Coast of Maine mix are you using for soil blocks?

@xiatian80 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the video. May I know which brand is your water wand at beginning of the video?

@je-fq7ve Жыл бұрын

3/4->2" is nice for tomatoes and peppers. easy to fit 300 blocks on a heating mat and cover with plastic. When they sprout choose the best ones to plant.

@MrOmfghi2u 3 жыл бұрын

I’m curious about a comparison of root expansion after transplanting as I’m often disappointed to find many of my plants seem to still think their space is restricted and their roots rarely branch out when they’re in the ground. This may also be a soil or water imbalance but I’m super curious whether these would fix that issue.

@EarlybirdFarmSC 3 жыл бұрын

Great video Josh. Very good information. I curious as to why more ppl don't use compost to start seeds vs a potting mix. I have always wondered that.

@JoshSattinFarming 3 жыл бұрын

A good potting mix is balanced in a lot of ways, including the structure. I let the people that know way more about it than me make the good potting mix for me.

@EarlybirdFarmSC 3 жыл бұрын

@@JoshSattinFarming Thanks 🙏

@heavymetalbassist5 3 жыл бұрын

I may go that way with blocks in the future but I just got a lot of trays and 4 inch squares. I need to sell starts the first few markets before I have variety as far as fruit is concerned