This topic contains 33 replies, has 7 voices, and was last updated by Rhys 7 years, 11 months ago.
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Don,
I follow the soil scientist Dr Elaine Ingham, both on Youtube and on the “Compost Tea” Yahoo! user group. She speaks a lot about the importance of getting air to the root zone, to maintain aerobic conditions for all of the soil microbes that drive soil fertility. In one post, Elaine Ingham recommended punching holes in the sides of a tomato grow bag, to let in the air. So, when I came across soil blocks, open to the air on 5 sides, I thought they must be ideal. I tried soil blocks for the first time last year and had enough success that I’m doing it again this season.
Peter
Don
I”ve just made up 24 soil blocks to sow scallions – I put 10/11 seeds per block, thus using up a 250 seed packet in its entirety. The blocks together can be snugly covered with a propagation lid which is designed to fit over a 15-module tray. We’ll see whether they do better or worse than traditional modules, but you can increase your ‘units of growth’ by 60% for the same area. For those with limited staging space at this time of year, this can be very useful.
The other thing they are very useful for if you can be bothered is creating rows across your no-dig beds of blocks to allow uniform seeding. I’ve done this very successfully before with radish and am going to try it this spring with carrots, looking to generate 20 – 40 seedlings per 1.5m row across my bed. The blocks will create a row of 20 sowing areas direct in the ground, hopefully with uniform spacing. The extra time at sowing will hopefully be recouped by no need for thinning…..
As is always the case, the test of the cake will be in the eating……
Hi Peter,
I’m unconvinced by Elaine’s argument. I have never heard it suggested that we bore holes in the soil around our plants in order to let air in. Equally I have never heard it suggested that we bore holes in the sides of our pots.
I completely understand that soil compaction limits air circulation but that’s not going to be an issue with seeds sown in module trays using an appropriate free draining seed/general purpose compost (mixed with Perlite or Vermiculite if necessary).Don.
Hi Don a soil block contains more compost than plug trays so they can stay in the block longer if necessary ,without any detriment to the plant.
Hi Don,
There’s no need to bore holes in the sides of pots when it’s possible to buy pots manufactured with holes already provided. This is an interesting article:
Peter
Pete,
I can appreciate that a bigger size might be an advantage in certain circumstances but we are talking here about raising seedlings so there is a limit to how big you should go, too big a pot/module could lead to problems with overwatering etc.
The question really is, do these soil blocks offer a significant improvement in seedling quality over conventional module trays to warrant the extra work required to use them. I think not.Peter,
That type of pot has been around for years in the shape of aquatic pots. I have been using these for bulb planting in the herbaceous borders for years now. What that article shows is just a different style of the aquatic pot.I find them useful in that I can plant and later lift clumps of bulbs for storing over winter and as they are in these pots no bulbs get left behind to surprise me next summer.
I would also add that I would think that that particular style shown in the article would cause significant root disturbance if you were potting on from one size to a bigger size,Don.
Don
I’m not sure soil blocks are extra work vis a vis module trays. With module trays you have to fill them, press them down, refill, press down and water well before sowing the seeds.
With soil blocks you prepare the mix, including watering; create and press out however many soil blocks you want on a tray, then pop the seeds in them and pop a lid over them or not.
I don’t think there’s any great difference in time taken to transplant into the ground.
I’ve done both this year and not noticed that much difference in time to be honest. I suspect the more soil blocks you make, the quicker it is relative to modules as creating filled module trays is a linear function of time, whereas soil blocks is a bit of upfront time mixing and wetting and then very quick generation of your blocks. The time taken to prepare 10 times as many blocks is probably not much more than three times the time taken to prepare one unit.
To each their own I suspect……
Hi Don
most people that use soil blocks have found a better quality of seedling. In a plug tray if the seedling are not pricked out early enough then the roots start to circle. While in a block they are air pruned when they reach the edge and start to fill the block.Peter
My two soil block trials are now sufficiently advanced that I can say with certainty that they are very good for germinating Sweetcorn seeds (32/32 within 2 weeks although some are further advanced than others) and for Scallions (using Ishikura seed from QuickCrop), where germination is transformed compared to the rubbish I have had using White Lisbon seeds from large manufacturers and huge numbers of seeds have visibly germinated within 7 days.
As I wish to keep the Sweetcorn in the blocks for 4 weeks, time will tell if the plants are happy with that. I suspect by the time the Scallions are ready to go into the garden, things should have warmed up sufficiently for this not to be a problem.
Rhys
Good to see that the soil blocks are working for you. It’s very informative to use pictures. I’m encouraged to take some photos of my own soil blocks.
Yesterday I planted out some of my earliest soil-block seedlings, taking Charles’ advice and covering with fleece. But it has been so cold and today we had some snow. (I’m on the south coast of East Sussex).
What I noticed is how compact the soil blocks are, when first sowed. It’s easy to produce a lot of plants in a small space. For example, you’ve got 32 sweetcorn in a space 16″ x 8″. When they’re set out in the garden, say 35 cm apart. it will need a lot of room by comparison.
Peter – I”m only intending setting out 15 sweetcorn but as I’m using a new seed source I germinated twice as many to be sure I got 15 good ones. Now I know how good they are, I”ll sow fewer in future – 20 – 24 probably.
As for fleece, my experience this spring (my first time doing it a lot) are as follows:
1. Parsnips germinate beautifully under fleece after sowing prior to the March full moon. Boltardy beetroot germinated very well under fleece after a sowing in the first week of April.
2. Transplanted lettuces and spinach really benefit greatly from being under fleece. Open to the elements, they really don’t grow very much at all, but under the fleece, they both do really, really well. I am expecting to harvest my earliest lettuces around May 15th, way earlier than I’ve done before and this is a much cooler later spring. This justifies the experiment of transplanting lettuce as an early crop prior to sowing runner beans in mid-to-late May.
3. Transplanted peas grow on terrifically under fleece (whether they really need it I don’t know, but I transplanted some Zeebrune shallots in front of them and they definitely need it).
4. Carrot germination has been relatively poor, but it may be the source of seeds rather than anything to do with the fleece.Peter
3 weeks after sowing Sweetcorn in soil blocks, what I’ve found is this:
1. All 32 seeds showed visible signs of germination.
2. About 5 then aborted for whatever reason.
3. Of the 27 remaining, about 5 are much bigger than the rest, 15 or so are ‘average’ and 7 are a little slower than the rest.So of 32, if I had wanted to, between 20 and 25 would be suitable for transplanting, although I only need 15.
I guess if depends on staging space, but this means I am picking the top 60% of plants to go into the ground…..
Hey Rhys,
I read your earlier post about how you prepare your module trays…
I usually fill it up with compost and then water deeply (the module tray would be sitting on another flat tray to collect and save the water). The compost would then have sunk a little and then I would top up with compost again and then water again. I find it too time consuming to press down the compost for each individual cell/module.
It has worked wonderfully for me. Timewise. Just an idea 🙂
My 2 varieties of sweetcorn were all sown in root trainers (deeper module cells) and had 37/48 and 33/48 seeds germinated.
Hey Don,
I think I can appreciate about the ´more air´ concept. As I have been experimenting with 2 types of compost. One with more bits while the other is more the typical dark coloured compost. It appears that most of my seeds in the compost with more bits germinated and grew quicker.
I noticed in one of Charles´ updates that he also sieved one of the compost and the other not sieved and the seeds and seedlings grew better in the not sieved compost.
Hi Rhys,
Good to hear of the sweetcorn progress.
In response to your earlier photos of soil blocks in action, here is a photo of my lettuce seedlings in 2 inch blocks. It’s no longer possible to see the top of the blocks because of the growth of foliage but, where I’ve already removed some seedlings for planting, it is possible to see some roots growing out to the edge.
Peter
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