Four mistakes to avoid when soil blocking!

UPDATE JANUARY 13, 2024: HERE IS OUR UPDATED FAVORITE SOIL BLOCKING MIX!    • Seed starting soil mixes--Mycorrhizae...  
Let's talk about soil blocking troubleshooting (because clearly, I'm obsessed). Ever since we started growing our seeds this way 5 years ago it has been a massive game changer. I truly believe it's one of the main reasons I have so little pest pressure (in combination with the biodiversity we prioritize). A healthy plant=a more resistant plant to disease, damage, and drought!

As I've been teaching and coaching others on soil blocking, I've found that these were the top mistakes that I made in the first season. I'll sum them up here if you're more a reader than a watcher:
1) Letting the blocks dry out (even slightly) during germination/cotyledon stage: the soil must be very moist for that initial tap root to set down into the block, which is compacted by nature of soil blocking. If you find your seedlings are sitting on top of your soil blocks instead of working down into them, this is likely the cause.
2) Using the wrong seed starting soil! My two favorite recipes that we use are linked below.
3) Using the wrong TRAYS! Using the wrong trays can lead to tipping and breakdown of blocks, easy knocking over of trays in the case of lightweight trays, and algae formation.
4) Using the wrong size soil blocker! While there are sizes I use, if I had my choice there is ONE soil blocker I would use all the time--if I had the space. But this is the great thing about soil blocking, is the flexibility you have with your space and your own methods!

soil blockers and soil blocking trays: https://www.amazon.com/shop/blossoman...

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