Ask Tom: A Lesson In Soil Blocking
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 ส.ค. 2024
- The the history of, how tos, pros and cons of using soil blocks from an expert. This applies to uses on the farm and in the garden. Tom Elmore of Thatchmore Farm in Leicester, NC explains soil blocking from A-Z.
Love how this system reduces the need for all that plastic in addition to all the other benefits.
ive been lusting after a soil blocker for years. finally found some cheap and i hope it works.
Thank you so much for the great tips.👍🏻
This is the first year that I’ve used soil blockers.
I LOVE THEM. Its so fun prepping the soil and making the blocks.
I’m saving for the 4inch blocker now.
😁
I have to agree this is the best soil block video I have seen, thank you for your time.
6:44 tongue depressors, stacked together the exact width of the soil block you need to pick up, with seed tags on the outside and 2" longer than the tongue depressors, holding all together with rubber bands...brilliant idea for a custom made seed block tweezers to pick up your seed blocks easily!!!
wonderful video so nice to get information from someone who has been doing this for a living for years .
Very good video! Thank you
"I interpret 4seeds as 3 to 6"
My thoughts exactly:D
Thank you for such an easy to follow and thorough presentation.
Thank you great info and you are easy to understand With a great smile Peter
You managed to answer all my questions in 1 video. Well done brother. Much thanx from Texas
Great bit of history and a great example of how and why soil blocks are the right tool; from small allotments to medium industrial organic farm and garden centers!
This video is an excellent lesson on making and using soil blockers. Comprehensive and very accessible information.
Very educational and helpful! Thank you!
Thank you for a wonderful video.
Super helpful and informative. Thank you!
Great video and many thanks for your time and information.
Thank you so much! Many answered questions!
I've learned so much! You are definitely a well kept secret! I found you only by searching a subject..soil block recipe. I recently bought a 2 inch 4 block soil block maker and wanted more knowledge before attempting production. Will experiment on a small scale with this one and look for stand up model next year! Thank you!
This was so very helpful! Thank you!
Excellent video, thanks so much!!!
Very very helpful TY so much!
This is an excellent video. Thank you very much.
Thanks so much! I'm considering soil blocking, but needed to learn more before I made my decision. I feel like I have a much better grasp on it now, again thanks!
How does this video have 129 views! This deserves so much more! The best video on soil blocking out there hands down! Thank you so much!
You are probably right. That's too bad
Perhaps I’m too picky but this video could’ve been half as long if he didn’t say “uh” incessantly! Incredibly annoying and a huge turn off. Couldn’t make it through the video. Before uploading videos, people should review them or have someone else critique them for this sort of thing.
@@jcking6785 Copy. I bulled my way through it. Glad I did. There's only one Eliot Coleman.
@@jcking6785 That’s how real people talk I like it .
GREAR INFORMATION THANKS
wonderful video...thanks so much...:)...fans from Australia..:)
Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
Tom-Just subscribed to your channel. Love your content.
I really appreciate your informative video, I've been thinking about starting an urban farm where I live with organic food. This is certainly a way to start. Thank you dearly!
Well, I'm sold! Thank you for so much good information on this subject, I am surely going to switch to soil blocks after watching this video.
My God.....how much 'have I learned" in this video....no idea...but lots!
Have historically had trouble with blocks not holding tight cube and misshapen so sounds like need little more water but not to the point medium falls out of maker. Like the comparison and am motivated to try again and use more dry medium if the mix is too wet and noticed you are aggressive with filling the blocks. Think I’ve been too timid. Thanks
Very helpful guide. In the UK there are targets to replace peat now. Have you tried any peat-free ingredient combinations for soil blocks?
I’m a novice very small gardener and read about coco coir as alternative. Have not researched
Hi I love your videos
2 questions for you
1) can soil blocks be made and stored for say a month in humid or what sort of condition it can be if possible
2) how do you put small(fine) seeds into say 1/4 inches blocks ie do you put manually or do you have any templates if so where to get them .
Thanks
Where is your site? Do you mean the TH-cam channel? I don't see the video you are referring to. Please provide a link. Thanks :)
What potting soil do you use?
It looks like you have algae growth on the surface of the blocks. Does this cause any issues?
How do you water your soil block?
That stand up one is now 250 - 300$
Any suggestions on where to buy a soil blocker? Are they all $200 or is there a lower price somewhere else?
Amazon or Ebay
Wish i could.find a one.inch blocker...thr small one is too small thr large one to large..i did find a 1.5 but no one inch.
I'm having a hard time finding a soil mixture that doesn't use peat moss, which is unsustainable and damaging to ecosystems. Can I just use compost with some coco coir?
The main purpose of the peat moss (from what I understand) is to help hold the blocks together. I don't see why you couldn't use the coco coir. I'd say try it yourself and see how it works. Would definitely be a lot more eco friendly and sustainable.
Justin Rhodes Uses CocoLoco from Fox Farm successfully. I have a similar query. If prefer to not have to buy my potting mix at all, but if I have to, Ill be using coconut coir
Because of my where I am I use a locally made compost based blocking mix that contains some peat sourced from well managed bogs. In Europe they have over harvested their bogs, and damaged them with acid rain, but here on the east coast of the North America peat is growing faster than it's being used. Isn't that sustainable? How sustainable is a product that traveled thousands of miles, and was farmed in monoculture?
You will definitely be able to use coco. It is used here for texture. If you are introducing microbes, you will sacrifice CEC(cation exchange capacity)going with coco as it has about half the capacity. Plus if you use sphagnum, you get the mycos that come with it.
Coco coir is the best to keep the block together also very good growing medium grows better then compost. Coco coir needs to be buffer and rinsed to be optimized. You can buy buffered coco peat if you don't want to buffer yourself.
Is there any pre-mixed potting soils you can suggest? TIA
Jonny's used to sell a mix but i think they've discontinued...I haven't been able to find anywhere else...
It's still available at Johnny's: www.johnnyseeds.com/tools-supplies/seed-starting-supplies/soilless-growing-mixes/johnnys-512-mix-60-qt.-9228.html#q=512&lang=en_US&start=1
I'm surprised you didn't use compost.
I can not get Perlite where I live. Is there an alternative?
Vermiculite
You don't need perlite. Or vermicule. Many grovers stopped use perlite and claims that it does not make a improvement of the soil.
4:52 at least 1/3 of the micro blocks do not look well shaped. Wonder, if these are even usable...
Are you aware of any composition that gets by without peat moss?
Considering peat moss is basically crude oil (from a sustainability point of view, absolute cancer) I would very much like to not use any.
coconut coir I use
What is your soil blocker igedient miture as you do NOT specify in video? One cannot read the paper on the table! I would think this would be an important content for this video.
MY APOLOGY!! I found the ingredients at the end of video. Thank You
no one dares show the watering part
Dave, Watch Eliot Coleman's TH-cam videos. They are firm enough to top water. Good luck.
If you choose to top water, make sure you have a really decent watering can with many small holes. c
If you just removed the words "um" and "ah" you could knock of a third of the length of this video
TribalGlobe
You're very understanding... How dare a farmer not be an expert at public speaking; Why even bother to upload free content.