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  • From: "Michaele Blakely" <mjb AT premier1.net>
  • To: <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] soil blockers
  • Date: Mon, 27 Jan 2003 19:34:42 -0800

I have used soil blocks for over ten years now, and wouldn't use anything
else, although every spring I think longingly of not making them. I place
them in square flats then place the flats on slats over heating mats. The
starts are airpruned on sides and bottoms. Makes for a great root structure
and I can have starts much longer in the blocks than I would otherwise in
cells.

I soak the flats in an old shower bottom. This is a lot more labor
intensive, but again the benefits outweigh the time. I use a diluted
fertilizer when I do this. Usually I need water but once a week, maybe
twice if it's very hot.

As I said before, every spring I think about not doing things this way,
because we go tthrough a lot of starts during the year, but I just can't
give up those starts that are so fantastic.

I don't remember where I got my block presses, but if I were replacing them
I would go with the smaller sized one. It's 13/4 " I think rather than the
2" block I have. I have one that makes 3/4" blocks which is rather useless
I think. I do not have a 4" because with the air pruning I can keep plants
much longer in the 2" and do not need to pot up..

Michaele
Growing Things
Carnation Wa
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ken Bezilla" <kenbez AT hotmail.com>
To: <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2003 6:57 PM
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] soil blockers


> Something I've always wondered re: soil blocks -- aren't they a lot more
> work to keep watered? And how do you water them without the blocks
> crumbling under water pressure -- do you need to have misters on timers?
>
>
> Ken Bezilla
> East Wind Community
> s. MO
>
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