Making Soil Blocks
The secret to getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is
breaking down your complex, overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks,
and then starting on the first one.
--Mark Twain
breaking down your complex, overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks,
and then starting on the first one.
--Mark Twain
| For the Micro 20, you'll need a small bucket, a stick, some blocking mix/soil, a jug of water for dipping your soil blocker, a tray or sheet of plastic, a thermostatically controlled heat mat (optional) |
| Spray some water........Mix and let stand.......Squeeeeeeeeeeeeze.....should have just a few drips oozing out, or stir until the consistency of oatmeal. Dip mini-blocker to lubricate chambers. |
...you can also mound it up on a board....
| Stuff and twist and turn and slightly tilt off the bottom while twisting to release suction and repeat. Scrape bottom off (optional). You can also smash extra soil into blocker in the tray! (BEST) |
| Put them in a tray, pushing down on your thumb, while lifting up with your fingers....Voila'!.......Now get your seed, pencil, scoop, jar of water.... |
| Dip pencil in water, touch seed, touch soil block hole, seed sticks! Cover with a sheet of black plastic .....Look how fast they sprout! |
| Let's transplant or make some 2" blocks... Fill a Rubbermaid Tub with 1/4 Blocking Mix.....check out this Mini 4 w/o the pins... |
top: 3/4" cubic inserts (pins)
middle: 1" dowel seed pins
bottom: Old style 5/8" seed pins.
Replace them with new quick
release pins!
middle: 1" dowel seed pins
bottom: Old style 5/8" seed pins.
Replace them with new quick
release pins!
| Use a needle nose pliers to remove or insert seed pins (Old style, now replaced with "Quick Release" Pins) Always dipping....... |
| Stuff it in the slur, twist and twist again...slightly tilt and twist at the same time to release suction....do it again...you should see some water oozing out of the top the blocker.....that's good compression! |
| Now scrape (optional) and place on board or sheet of plastic or tray and push down with the thumb muscles but lift up on your fingers... |
| .....gently lift up your arm while doing the former and you should hear a sssssuction sound as they release.......Nice spacing! (1/8"-1/4" for air pruning) |
Now seeds...a scoop, a tablespoon, a creased seed packet...tap one at a time, tap, tap, only one seed per block!
| OK, let's transplant those micro-blocks into some 2" soil blocks....Tip: get a magnetic philips screw driver, hold the cube underneath and then screw the screw and washer from the top into the hole.... |
Dip....always dipping...CHARGE...CHARGE AGAIN! You need to see water oozing out of the top.
| Ready for "Potting ON"...Hey look!, 2 cedar shims (spit down to 3/4" strips) connected with a metal strip and wrapped with clear duct tape makes a FREE grow tweezers. Slide it in to the air spaces and pluck a beauty. |
| Look closely at the tap root. The root can sometimes grow long before the seed leaf emerges, so remember to transplant according to the growth of the roots, NOT the leaves...Placing a cube in block... |
| You can use your hands to place, but NOT to pluck out of the tray (always use a tool). Insert and compress slightly to push out all the air. Let's get ready to transplant into some 4" blocks. The Big Kid on the Block! |
| Wow, look at this piece of zinc coated steel; a heavy duty machine. Mound up a BIG pile of Slur which is slightly wetter for ease of use.....Dip...Always dipping, right? |
| Twist and turn and CHARGE....CHARGE AGAIN.....Don't forget to tilt slightly and twist at the same time to release the suction off the bottom |
Note the water oozing out, good compression. Smooth off the bottom by
compressing against the bottom of the tub.
compressing against the bottom of the tub.
| Pushing down on the thumbs but lifting up with the fingers, firmly hold soil blocker as the block is ejected out.......That's the same amount of soil you can find in a 6" plastic pot! Saves Space! |
| Grow tweezers used for 2" block, then use fingers to push soil-block into 4" maxi-block., press down firmly to push out all the air. You're done. You just bought yourself 4-8 weeks of uninterrupted growth with no transplant shock! HOME TOP |
| (c) 2007-2012 by Jason Beam. All rights reserved. Any reproduction without written consent strictly prohibited. Thank you. Jason Beam, Eliot Coleman, PottingBlocks.com, Season Cycles, Old Farm Boy, Ladbrooke, Micro 20, Mini 4, Mini 5, Maxi 1, Multi 12, Multi 20, Multi 6, Multi 4, Mega 1, and Potting Blocks, are all trademarks of Jason Beam, Oregon. You Tube Blog Articles Sitemap Links Testimonies Catalog Guarantee |
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| Don't forget to clean your blocker |