March 12, 2010: Soil Blocks and Garden Cleanup

Last night I started making my soil blocks. I'm using Ace Potting Mix, straight from the bag, with nothing else added. I had good luck with this product last year, so decided it will be used again this year. I don't have a fancy ($$$) soil block maker, I have one that John Best made for me that works great. I can only make one block at a time, but it really goes quite fast, and I have nothing but time.



I can get 40 blocks in the large flat, and 15 on the tray. The block maker is a small Tupperware container, a threaded rod, a nut and an acorn nut to hold the Plexiglas square on the pusher end, and a handle for comfort. I get the potting mix quite wet, then push it into the block maker with my thumbs until it's well packed, then push down on the plunger to release the block. I rinse out the block maker after every 6-8 blocks to keep it working smoothly.


I bought several of these white trays at the dollar store last year. They are perfect for 15 soil blocks and the plastic dome that comes with salad mixes. They have just enough lip that I can use bottom watering on the blocks, and they are sturdy enough not to bend when I move them from one place to another. I have enough trays and flats, and enough room in my mini-greenhouse, to hold 304 blocks. That means I only have to make 257 more!


The soil blocks are sturdy, and can be moved around if needed. I plant one seed per block, and if some don't germinate I just recycle the block and try again. I normally plant at least twice as many blocks as I'll need, to compensate for possible poor germination. If I can't find room in my garden for all that do grow, I can usually find someone to take them off my hands. After I place a seed in the indentation in the block, I cover it with vermiculite. I use a spray bottle to water the tiny seedlings, and switch to bottom watering after they begin getting their true leaves. I won't use any fertilizer on the seedlings, as there is added fertilizer in the potting mix. I nearly killed all my tomato plants last year by giving them extra fertilizer!

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It's trying to rain this morning, but I did get quite a bit done so far. The east garden has been cleaned up, old marigolds and tomato plants removed, tomato cages cleaned and put away, radishes planted and a new bed in the making.


Yesterday........Today

It's too bad I didn't take a better photo of the bed along the left (east) fence. It was overrun with dead tomato and marigold plants, and full of leaves and an unpruned rose. Actually, it's too bad I didn't take a photo of this entire garden area before I worked on it yesterday, as it was really a mess. Anyway all the leaves were raked out and tossed over the fence to be mowed and bagged, the rose was pruned, all of the dead marigolds (these were HUGE!) and the tomato plants were pulled and bagged, and the tomato cages were cleaned and stored.


Last year bed #7 held the potatoes. This year I plan on using it for lettuce, which really doesn't need such a deep bed, so I pulled off the top frame, and I'll make a second lettuce bed!

Earlier this morning, I made three seed strips (seeds glued to toilet tissue) of Champion, Cherry Belle and Sparkler radishes. I decided to use these as row markers in bed #7, where I'll be planting lettuce seedlings later. The wind was blowing pretty hard, and the glue wasn't quite dry when I planted the radishes, but it was beginning to sprinkle so I thought I'd better hurry and get them in the ground. Luckily I didn't have any problems! It's now lunch time, and the raindrops are only teasing me. Please, please....I need rain!

21 comments:

  1. Hello AG, good to see your clean beds and garden. For the germination of the seeds, do you use heating mats ?

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  2. Sarada, I have two old (waterproof) heating pads that I set some of the seeds on...tomatoes, peppers and eggplant to start with. I've found I can put a wire rack over the pads, the kind I use as cooling racks in the kitchen, then set the flats on the racks, and they stay a constant 80F.

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  3. Doesn't it feel good!!!!! I can't wait to see that beautiful garden green again.

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  4. Ribbit, it feels kinda good, except for that spot just above my tailbone. Rub a little harder, will ya?

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  5. Boy, you have been so busy with gardening. The beds look so clean.

    Your soil blocks look wonderful! They have a dark, rich look to them. I looked up the potting mix and it looks like it is made from peat moss, compost, perlite, and fertilizer. Glad to know it works well for you as it is similar to what I am using for my soil blocks.

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  6. You are kicking some garden butt AG!!! :)

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  7. Rachel, I used that potting mix last year and some from Wal-Mart. The Wal-Mart mix grew weeds! This stuff does hold together well.

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    Sunny, I feel like somebody kicked MY butt! I haven't used a shovel all winter, and I'm feeling it today.

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  8. That's a pretty fancy soil block maker. I like reengineered stuff like that the most, I think. Maybe I'll give it a try. It's like making sand castles, only with a purpose.

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  9. Stefaneener, even better than sand castles, it's mud pies at the kitchen sink!

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  10. We are getting lots of rain tonight and all weekend. We need it badly after only received 40% of our normal participation this winter. Good luck with all your outdoor seeding. I am trying out your seed tapes this season for all the smaller seeds. It will save my old back :-)

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  11. Dan, we got a lovely rain this evening, and it looks as though it will be clear and sunny tomorrow, perfect weather for the early spring garden! I spent the evening making soil blocks, and will probably make seed mats or strips tomorrow and Sunday. I'll begin planting the soil blocks on Monday (above ground crops).

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  12. The soil blocks look so uniform and rich - just aching to be planted up!

    You have been working hard and the gardne looks great as a result. A little central Washington sunshine and the whole place will be bursting with produce before you know it.

    Is that Annie in the last picture?

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  13. I was going to talk about my soil blocks too yesterday, but time got away from me. I even had to sow my spinach in the dark. Maybe today.

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  14. Hey Gran! You are putting me to shame with all your progress!! Your soil blocks look great - and I finally understand why they're so great. I've had a real tough time removing my seedlings from the plugs. I will definitely have to get a soil block maker before next year!

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  15. Thanks for another great tutorial! It seems everyone is doing these now, but I was still looking for some real experience on how stable they are, etc. I may have found my Christmas gift for next year!

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  16. Kitsap, I have the promise of a grandson for the weekend, so I plan on really getting the rest of the garden in shape. There's an awful lot to do, as I had to leave for AZ before the fall cleanup got done. This year will be different, as I'll be home late enough in the year to get it done in the fall, as it should be.

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    Daphne, great minds and all that! You and I often run on the same wave length ;-)

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    Caffeinated Mom, I'm sold on the soil blocks after using them last year. There's no repotting, root damage or transplant shock.

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    Erin, I think you've found your Christmas gift ;-) Honestly, I do love these soil blocks. I might have to spring for a multi-block maker one of these days.

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  17. Kitsap, I forgot to answer your question! That is Otto in the garden photo. Sorry, I cut off his nose ;-) Annie is on a diet, so she's waiting until she loses a bit of weight before she has her picture taken :-D

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  18. It's rained here for four days straight and this afternoon the soil is still soaked... so no gardening for me today. I'll just enjoy your gardening chores vicariously, Granny!

    Is that Annie by the lettuce and radish bed? :D

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  19. Meredith, I guess I should have identified Otto in the photo. Annie is black and looks kind of like a seal (shhh, don't tell her I said that, she is on a diet). Actually, maybe a seal isn't the correct description, we call her "Little Orca Annie"! ;-)

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  20. Great looking progress so far this year! I never knew Ace had a potting soil. What does it contain? Later - Steve/tn_veggie_gardner

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  21. Steve, Ace Potting Mix (not potting SOIL, this is a soiless mix) contains 70% Sphagnum peat moss, 20% fillers (bark & compost) 10% perlite, a wetting agent and slow release fertilizer. Now that I look at the ingredients, I could have made my own, much cheaper! I will be making my own mix for all of my containers.

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