This week 3/15 & how I start the seeds

This week the weather has gotten warm and the snow is slowly melting away.  I'm sure many of you are just itching to go outside and maybe start gardens of your own.  So, in case you're considering starting some plants, I thought I'd go into different ways to do that and how I started mine as well.

Most commercial growers start their seeds in a flat filled with loose soil and then move them up to the plastic cell packs you'll see in most nurseries if you buy your transplants, but there are some downsides to those, so I've never really used them.  First, they're made of plastic that doesn't really last for many years and they aren't too good for the transplants root systems, as they'll just keep growing around and around once their roots reach the edge rather than stopping. That can cause problems for the adult plants.

Another option that I've used before are those peat pots you can fill with soil and then put straight in the ground where they'll decompose.  In some cases, I really like these and they tend to stop the root binding issue as, when they touch air (as opposed to plastic), the roots stop growing and wait for you to move them into something bigger.  Still, there are problems with these, as they take up a fair amount of room, peat tends not to be sustainable harvested, I've had some serious problems with them getting moldy, and I tend to knock them over more as they get top heavy easily.

So, this year, I'm trying something new: soil blocks.  To make a soil block, you have to use a soil blocker and "charge" it by plunging it into moist soil until all the spaces are filled up. Then you squeeze the handle to push them out on to something, usually a plastic mesh flat, but I'm considering making ones out of wire mess instead.   The blockers come in a variety of sizes, from under 1 inch up to 4, and each makes a different number of blocks with the smallest making 20 or so and the biggest just one.   The middle sizes also have different attachments, depending on the seeds you're planting or if you're potting up one of the smaller squares.  I love how easy it it to move them up to larger sizes. It saves a lot of space if I don't have to start everything in 2 inch pots right away and it saves seeds as I don't have to put more then one seed in each tiny block.  Also, since the soil is denser, more nutrients should be available to the plants than in a loosely packed pot - but, at the same time, there might be less air, which can be a problem. So far, I haven't noticed much of a difference yet.  Other problems with soil blocks, though, are that they can be pricey to start with, but they do last years. They take practice to use, and supposedly only certain potting mixes can be used as well. So far, the kind I buy from Johnny's works great and I even like it better than the actual soil block mix that came with the blockers. Still, it's something to keep in mind.  I've also had some problems with the middle sized blocks falling apart. It's possible I didn't charge that compartment enough or just handled it badly. Also, I'd prefer if the hole made for "potting up" the seedlings was a bit deeper as, right now, the old block sticks up. There are some plants where I'd like to be able to bury the stem deeper.  I still need to experiment a bit more, but so far I've liked them.



So what did I actually do this week?  Aside from starting tons of seeds (including various tomatoes, amaranth, large asters, holy basil, chamomile, and more yarrow), I've also been slowly moving up the seedlings into larger blocks, testing out using my car as a temporary greenhouse, and finalizing the sketch for the May Day artwork.  Oh, and I just put up a FAQ page and have been waiting (not so) patiently for the snow to melt so I can get to work preparing the soil.  I just can't wait to go outside even more.  I hope you had a great week as well!

Enjoy,
Amber