Soil Block Watering
...Answering the most frequent question...How do I water soil blocks?
...Answering the most frequent question...How do I water soil blocks?
Bottom Watering for Soil Blocks
Many people are convinced the only way to raise soil blocks is by bottom watering. This is also known as manual
ebb and flow, static evaporation, and water wicking. It is not the only way to water soil blocks, but it is the best
way to water if you have very little time to monitor your seedling garden. Let's explain bottom watering and explore
the variety of methods used with advantages and disadvantages, and instructions on creating them.
Bottom watering is the manual watering technique that fills a shallow, water tight tray with water up to a
predetermined height of water at specific intervals to hydrate the roots of seedlings, transplants, or cuttings. The
rate at which water is supplied is determined by the rate of evaporation of the environment, and root wicking
caused by plant growth. The amount of water supplied is determined by the size of the plant container (or soil
block) and the depth of the holding tray or water reservoir. Bottom watering can be done manually by watering
cans, or automated by timers outfitted with drip irrigation, or with timers on pumps which fill and empty the
reservoir, known in the hydroponic industry as ebb and flow (E&F).
You should ask yourself, "Do I need to bottom water?". "Am I at work for 4-8 hours a day, every day?" "Am I new to
soil blocks and gardening?". "Do I have A LOT going on in my life and tend to forget little things?". "Am I going on
vacation, or away for the weekend?". "Do I live in the desert?". "Do I want to grow baby greens?". If you answered
"Yes" to any of these questions, then you are a bottom watering candidate!
After viewing a brief discourse on soil block making in Step by Step Instructions, you'll want to have your system
of watering prepared in advance of making blocks, since they will need somewhere to go right away. Big Tip
Here: If you are bottom watering, you need to make absolute sure that your blocks are very firm. Make sure and
charge the blocker 3-4 times and watch for water oozing out the tops. If not, your blocks could just melt away.
The fastest and easiest way to start bottom watering is to reuse some of your recyclable containers. Look for
aseptic packs, or rice dream and soy milk containers, Styrofoam take out trays, salad bar trays with clear lids,
plastic bottle bottoms, old cake pans, salad green tubs, etc. Make your blocks and discharge them into the
container with about 1/8" spacing between the blocks. After you seed or place cuttings, you won't have to water
for about three days, as the newly wet blocks contain enough moisture in them for that time. Cover your seeds
with black plastic to make absolute sure they won't dry out. Check every day, twice a day for sprouts, and then
remove plastic immediately. After about three days, you'll want to water your blocks by gently pouring in water on
the side of the container, never directly on the block, to a maximum of 2/3's of the height of your chosen block, be
it micro, mini, or maxi. You'll have to watch and keep track of how fast it is evaporating and how fast your plant
uptakes the water in order to gauge how often you'll be filling your trays up to the 2/3's mark. Never go over that
line or you could drown your seedling. Better to have too little water at this stage then too much as the block itself
contains a lot of water pores for emergency use. Only when the plant is well established in the block could it be
over watered and pose no threat to growth. If your block is made from a potting soil that DOES NOT CONTAIN
FERTILIZER OR AMENDMENTS, make sure to begin an organic fertilizer program in 10-14 days until your blocks
are transplanted into your garden bed. Consult my web pages for fertilizers to use, or my past blogs at
www.thesoilblocker.blogspot.com for free ideas.
The next best way to begin bottom watering is to cut the bottom out of an old Rubbermaid tub, provided at least 2"
of the bottom is salvageable. A jig saw is easiest! Try cutting the bottoms out of any old plastic junk lying around.
This works well for a larger blocking system. Or, buy a Hydroponic-grade grow tray right here. Best in the
industry!
The best way for larger scale growing is to make a custom tray out of plywood for the bottom, and 1x3's or 1x2's
nailed or screwed around the sides to make a lip. Then, take a spare or old piece of greenhouse plastic
(4-6mm) and line the tray and make it water tight. Be sure and sand any sharp edges and wrap it completely and
staple, poly fabric tape, or lathe it to the bottom of the plywood. If you decide to staple, use some kind of a tab on
top of the plastic to prevent it from tearing, like plastic tabs or even heavy cardboard, as the water will stretch out
the plastic and make it loose if you don't secure it firmly. This method takes a little longer to construct, about a
half an hour to an hour, depending on your size, and, if you have to rip your lumber down to size, but creates a
solid tray that can be used for a few years. Build shelves for them in a greenhouse (keep it very level), or create a
potting block bench top with the option to cover with wire hoops (9 gauge) and plastic for a hoop-bench
propagation station! Add a large heat mat with a thermostatically controlled switch and you got yourself a mini
greenhouse.
Now, you can take the last option and create a hydroponic system known as the ebb and flow with a pump and
timer. For this you will need: a timer(capable of multi-settings), a little fountain pump, a water reservoir or
Rubbermaid tub, silicone, some plastic tubing that fits your pump, and whatever fittings secures the pump with
the tubing with couplings. Now, build your plywood trays deeper, at least 2" for the micros or minis, or 4" for the
maxis. Drill a hole the same size as your tubing at a corner of the tray and then cover with plastic. That hole will
be your drain and fill hole. As you position your tray make sure it is slightly slanted towards the hole for proper
drainage. Position the tray on a bench over the reservoir and secure the pump in the reservoir, silicon the tubing
to the hole in the plastic lined tray. Check for proper water drainage and tilt. Hook up the pump to a timer, fill the
reservoir with water, and manually test to see how long it takes to fill up the tray to the 2/3's rule on whatever
block you choose. This amount of time will be programmed into your timer to come on once every three times a
day. Next, fill with soil blocks, and seed or transplant or fill with cuttings and wait three days and turn your timer
on. The water should fill through the pump and drain through the same hole. Mix fertilizer in your water at the
10-14 day mark and watch for rapid growth in order to transplant before the roots spread out too far. You can
transplant or pot on the next block and replace them back in the tray, or get them out in the garden. Make sure to
harden plants off properly to prevent stunting of growth. You could, however, keep them in the blocks until
harvest, depending on the plant size and length of time until harvest. Lettuce, spinach, baby greens, micro salad
mixes, mesclun, basil, herbs, scallions, flowering broccoli, baby kales, nasturtiums, flowers, and spices work
wonderful for block to harvest.
Experiment and create for yourself the wonderful options of bottom watering. Be sure to check out timeless,
in-depth and hot information at my blogspot to steer you clear of soil stumbling blocks. And, be sure to stay
focused on thesoilblocker.blogspot.com to receive the three part series on hydroponic soil block gardening. I'm
sure it will please those who want to go hydro, but need to stay with organic soil systems.
Many people are convinced the only way to raise soil blocks is by bottom watering. This is also known as manual
ebb and flow, static evaporation, and water wicking. It is not the only way to water soil blocks, but it is the best
way to water if you have very little time to monitor your seedling garden. Let's explain bottom watering and explore
the variety of methods used with advantages and disadvantages, and instructions on creating them.
Bottom watering is the manual watering technique that fills a shallow, water tight tray with water up to a
predetermined height of water at specific intervals to hydrate the roots of seedlings, transplants, or cuttings. The
rate at which water is supplied is determined by the rate of evaporation of the environment, and root wicking
caused by plant growth. The amount of water supplied is determined by the size of the plant container (or soil
block) and the depth of the holding tray or water reservoir. Bottom watering can be done manually by watering
cans, or automated by timers outfitted with drip irrigation, or with timers on pumps which fill and empty the
reservoir, known in the hydroponic industry as ebb and flow (E&F).
You should ask yourself, "Do I need to bottom water?". "Am I at work for 4-8 hours a day, every day?" "Am I new to
soil blocks and gardening?". "Do I have A LOT going on in my life and tend to forget little things?". "Am I going on
vacation, or away for the weekend?". "Do I live in the desert?". "Do I want to grow baby greens?". If you answered
"Yes" to any of these questions, then you are a bottom watering candidate!
After viewing a brief discourse on soil block making in Step by Step Instructions, you'll want to have your system
of watering prepared in advance of making blocks, since they will need somewhere to go right away. Big Tip
Here: If you are bottom watering, you need to make absolute sure that your blocks are very firm. Make sure and
charge the blocker 3-4 times and watch for water oozing out the tops. If not, your blocks could just melt away.
The fastest and easiest way to start bottom watering is to reuse some of your recyclable containers. Look for
aseptic packs, or rice dream and soy milk containers, Styrofoam take out trays, salad bar trays with clear lids,
plastic bottle bottoms, old cake pans, salad green tubs, etc. Make your blocks and discharge them into the
container with about 1/8" spacing between the blocks. After you seed or place cuttings, you won't have to water
for about three days, as the newly wet blocks contain enough moisture in them for that time. Cover your seeds
with black plastic to make absolute sure they won't dry out. Check every day, twice a day for sprouts, and then
remove plastic immediately. After about three days, you'll want to water your blocks by gently pouring in water on
the side of the container, never directly on the block, to a maximum of 2/3's of the height of your chosen block, be
it micro, mini, or maxi. You'll have to watch and keep track of how fast it is evaporating and how fast your plant
uptakes the water in order to gauge how often you'll be filling your trays up to the 2/3's mark. Never go over that
line or you could drown your seedling. Better to have too little water at this stage then too much as the block itself
contains a lot of water pores for emergency use. Only when the plant is well established in the block could it be
over watered and pose no threat to growth. If your block is made from a potting soil that DOES NOT CONTAIN
FERTILIZER OR AMENDMENTS, make sure to begin an organic fertilizer program in 10-14 days until your blocks
are transplanted into your garden bed. Consult my web pages for fertilizers to use, or my past blogs at
www.thesoilblocker.blogspot.com for free ideas.
The next best way to begin bottom watering is to cut the bottom out of an old Rubbermaid tub, provided at least 2"
of the bottom is salvageable. A jig saw is easiest! Try cutting the bottoms out of any old plastic junk lying around.
This works well for a larger blocking system. Or, buy a Hydroponic-grade grow tray right here. Best in the
industry!
The best way for larger scale growing is to make a custom tray out of plywood for the bottom, and 1x3's or 1x2's
nailed or screwed around the sides to make a lip. Then, take a spare or old piece of greenhouse plastic
(4-6mm) and line the tray and make it water tight. Be sure and sand any sharp edges and wrap it completely and
staple, poly fabric tape, or lathe it to the bottom of the plywood. If you decide to staple, use some kind of a tab on
top of the plastic to prevent it from tearing, like plastic tabs or even heavy cardboard, as the water will stretch out
the plastic and make it loose if you don't secure it firmly. This method takes a little longer to construct, about a
half an hour to an hour, depending on your size, and, if you have to rip your lumber down to size, but creates a
solid tray that can be used for a few years. Build shelves for them in a greenhouse (keep it very level), or create a
potting block bench top with the option to cover with wire hoops (9 gauge) and plastic for a hoop-bench
propagation station! Add a large heat mat with a thermostatically controlled switch and you got yourself a mini
greenhouse.
Now, you can take the last option and create a hydroponic system known as the ebb and flow with a pump and
timer. For this you will need: a timer(capable of multi-settings), a little fountain pump, a water reservoir or
Rubbermaid tub, silicone, some plastic tubing that fits your pump, and whatever fittings secures the pump with
the tubing with couplings. Now, build your plywood trays deeper, at least 2" for the micros or minis, or 4" for the
maxis. Drill a hole the same size as your tubing at a corner of the tray and then cover with plastic. That hole will
be your drain and fill hole. As you position your tray make sure it is slightly slanted towards the hole for proper
drainage. Position the tray on a bench over the reservoir and secure the pump in the reservoir, silicon the tubing
to the hole in the plastic lined tray. Check for proper water drainage and tilt. Hook up the pump to a timer, fill the
reservoir with water, and manually test to see how long it takes to fill up the tray to the 2/3's rule on whatever
block you choose. This amount of time will be programmed into your timer to come on once every three times a
day. Next, fill with soil blocks, and seed or transplant or fill with cuttings and wait three days and turn your timer
on. The water should fill through the pump and drain through the same hole. Mix fertilizer in your water at the
10-14 day mark and watch for rapid growth in order to transplant before the roots spread out too far. You can
transplant or pot on the next block and replace them back in the tray, or get them out in the garden. Make sure to
harden plants off properly to prevent stunting of growth. You could, however, keep them in the blocks until
harvest, depending on the plant size and length of time until harvest. Lettuce, spinach, baby greens, micro salad
mixes, mesclun, basil, herbs, scallions, flowering broccoli, baby kales, nasturtiums, flowers, and spices work
wonderful for block to harvest.
Experiment and create for yourself the wonderful options of bottom watering. Be sure to check out timeless,
in-depth and hot information at my blogspot to steer you clear of soil stumbling blocks. And, be sure to stay
focused on thesoilblocker.blogspot.com to receive the three part series on hydroponic soil block gardening. I'm
sure it will please those who want to go hydro, but need to stay with organic soil systems.
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Initiative enables you to stand on your own feet, free and
independent. It is one of the attributes of success.
Master Paramahansa Yogananda, Father of Yoga in the West
independent. It is one of the attributes of success.
Master Paramahansa Yogananda, Father of Yoga in the West
Fog watering refers to watering or misting or fogging the plants with super small aerated water particles in
abundance over, around, side to side, under and on top of your soil blocks. The tiny water particles naturally mix
with air and thus create a living ion of oxygen, so very needed to plant roots that are trying to burst through
compacted potting soil. Aerating your water is a crucial step in healthy plant growth. Fogger nozzles are easy to
use and require no agitating of the water before you water your blocks, which one should do if she's using a
watering can. Agitate the water by filling the can with a powerful streaming of water into the can so it bubbles
and froths up, adding air bubbles to your water. Or, stir rain water very vigorously for the ultimate in healthy,
happy plants. But, in the greenhouse or nursery, fog misting is preferred, even though it is usually done three
times a day. We like to be close to our plants, constantly assessing health and speed of growth. We play music
for them, or I put on one of my bird CD's which contain songs by many birds for hours and hours. These tricks
have been well documented to aid in plant growth. So, by fogging we believe we create a natural environment
for soil block growth. The fog completely saturates the plant, root, soil block, and leaves a heavy dew on the
leaves and stalk. Coupled with tons of sun and lots of wind and air from recirculating fans, our plants develop
thick stalks. Fog and mist will never crush your seedlings. We also create wire benches for soil blocks and mist
from the bottom up, under the benches. We don't miss any spot. The wire benches are used so we get all six
sides of the potting block "air pruned". Air pruning eliminates transplant shock. But, at least the mist should be
sprayed over head until the bottom of the block is dripping water.
We use Fogg-it brand nozzles attached to coiled garden hoses that are suspended from the greenhouse pipes
and roll back and forth with a little pulley/roller wheel on top of the pipe.
Fogg-it nozzles come in 4 sizes:
1/2 gallon per minute used for newly seeded soil blocks and 3/4" soil blocks.
1 gallon per minute used for established seedlings in the 3/4" soil blocks or vigorous seedlings in other blocks.
2 gallons per minute used for heavy drinking seedlings in the 1.5" block or bigger.
4 gallons per minute used for 2, 3, 4 inch blocks that are growing crazy and very thirsty!
We go a few steps further for installation. We use Gardena Quick Connect hose ends for quick interchange of all
foggers. We also set them up on Gardena flow regulators, and install the actual fogger on a high quality brass
squeeze nozzle. This provides the ultimate in control, flow and endless adjustments for different growth rates
and tender flower starts.
We also have certain commercial mono crops growing in hoop houses that can be built with automatic misters
and timers that attach directly to an in-line black or white poly pipes directly over the seedling benches. A little
programming gets it done all day without worry. This would be known as drip irrigation using misters. Not really
that much more work involved in setting this system up, and it works well for mass planting of seedlings that
require the same amount of water every day. Complete instructions can be emailed or faxed to commercial
growers who purchase a commercial Stand Up blocker. Give the Guru an email with your needs.
Another great idea is a gentle rose watering from a watering wand with a rose attachment. This is the basic
economical way to water soil blocks. Just give 'em a good drenching, and check and water at least twice a day.
Of course, if you're going to purchase a new watering wand, you'll get what you pay for. Surprisingly, you can't get
a professional watering wand that will last for longer than 3 years without spending well over 30 bucks! That's
the Dramm company who sells the top-of-the-line wand. Get one at Amazon.com!
Easy Tip:
water them down
with a gentle
watering can. If
you made a good
solid block, and
Just go ahead and
the "body" of the
block is made with
either coco pith or
peat moss, but not
just coco peat, it
will hold up under
almost any
overhead watering
technique. Just
keep in mind, air
pruning is a
technique that
requires frequent
soaking.
water them down
with a gentle
watering can. If
you made a good
solid block, and
Just go ahead and
the "body" of the
block is made with
either coco pith or
peat moss, but not
just coco peat, it
will hold up under
almost any
overhead watering
technique. Just
keep in mind, air
pruning is a
technique that
requires frequent
soaking.
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Simplest and cheapest way to
make a bottom watering tray:
make a bottom watering tray:
- Screw a wooden lip
around the perimeter of
some plywood. - Line it with agricultural
plastic. - Level it.
- Fill with blocks and water.