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[Market-farming] RE contents off Market Farming digest July 15, 2007
- From: Heirloomketchup AT aol.com
- To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
- Cc: Heirloomketchup AT aol.com
- Subject: [Market-farming] RE contents off Market Farming digest July 15, 2007
- Date: Sun, 15 Jul 2007 16:35:37 EDT
Seed Starting Supplies
Soil blocks, Vacuum Seeders
from steve mcgowan, heirloomketchup@aol Dot com
Oil based plastic plant trays & pots are not recycled.
Avoid cheap flimsy plastic trays, pots, Speedling
trays, 6-packs which are all manufactured from Oil based
plastics and which ends up in Landfills because its too hard for recyclers
to clean economically.
Wash off all the dirt before recycling.
Secondly, many of the same do not even have the Recycling designation
stamped on them; they go direct to landfills.
Alternatives are:
1)Soil blocks, used in Europe (Netherlands) for years in commercial
veg pdn
2)Cow Pots (made from moulded manure)
3) Biodegradable pots made from wood, corn and starch
byproducts.
Google for them
Vacuum seeder: manual and electric wand seeder,
will customize.
www. gro-morent.com/wandseeder.htm
GRO-MOR INC.
413-743-2064 Motorized Blockers: US Global Resources, Seattle, 298-722-3998 www. usgr. com Ladbrooke Soil Blockers 5 sizes - Specifications ( www .ladbrooke.co.uk ) Mini 20 (3/4 in blocks)for sprouting & putting in larger 2 or 4" blocks. It works sell but they don't transer into larger blocks very well. Mini 4, 2' (4 blocks) hand held $31.00 Mini 5, 1 1/2" (5 blocks " ) $31.00 Multi 20, Multi 12: 1 1/2" (20) or 2" (12) Floor blocker $189 ( a 3" 6 block was made- hard to find) Maxi 1 , 4" single block hand blocker $105 In USA, Available from: www.________ Fedcoseeds.com , Johnnysseeds.com groworganic.com (Peaceful Valley Garden Supply, Grass Valley, CA) territorial-seed.com/stores/1/search/cfm What are, How to;
Soil blocks are made from peat moss, sand, compost &
nutrients (microrhizzae, greensand, lime, bloodmeal, feathermeal,
alfalfa and cottenseed meal,etc).
I use the 1 1/2 inch (20 blocks) floor blocker. In 4 days
w 2 helpers started and hand seeded (wet toothpick method-1 per block,
) 10,000 blocks and built a 3 tiered shelf system in my 15 ft x 32 ft
greenhouse. I only lost 600 because I missed watering once.
I found the plants ( all heirloom tomatoes) take off like
a rocket once they sprout- in 5 weeks I had 14 inch tomato plants (10,000 in my
greenhouse 15 x 32 ft) and I don't have to do anything but water. No potting on,
I just don't bother.
The dry stuff is blended, then watered in a plastic mixing tub for
concrete (or on a driveway, piece of plywood.)
One plunges the soil blocker into the wet mix, fills it, scrapes off excess
and squeezes (plunger) the blocks out.
I put them in a ( free ) 17 by 17inch nursery flat lined with plastic
window screen(16 x16") that I get at the local nursery. Some of the flimsier
ones require two flats. They last for some years, 3 so far.
Mix recipes: google for more
The mix I make is from a recipe in Eliott Colemans book: The New
Organic Grower, 2nd ed.isbn 0-9300031-75-X, Chelsea Green Pub.
$24.95
It has directions, recipes, contact addresses, research data
links and general market farming "propaganda'- great info. The claim of
hand making 3000 blocks an hour is baloney unless you are completely
streamlined.
Transplants in Soil Blocks by David Tresemer, 1986, pub by Hand &
Foot. ltd, a division of Green River Toos, Brattleboro, VT Photo copies
are sold by groworganic.com-Peaceful Valley Farm Supply $10.00
Before I transplant soil blocked plants, I soak them with / in a
solution of beneficial nematodes, moremicrorhizzae and fish & algae
fertilizer mixed in water or compost tea. You are adding aditional
organic matter to the soil that helps improve it in a sustainable
manner.
Two inch blocks of lettuce set on 12 inch grid = 5 tons compost /
acre(E.Coleman) Get a sneak peak of the all-new AOL.com. |
- [Market-farming] RE contents off Market Farming digest July 15, 2007, Heirloomketchup, 07/15/2007
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