The CARIBOO GARDENER by Ken Bourne
Soil Blocks- less shock when transplanting.
Transplanting seedlings from flats or pots directly into the garden always creates some stress in the plants and in the process some roots are damaged and take some time to recover. This could put an end to your well-laid plans for an early garden as so much time is lost if you have to re-sow the seeds.
One of the best solutions is to grow your seedlings in soil blocks. They are easy to make, inexpensive and really do work. Plants take off immediately because they have a superb root system that has not been damaged by tearing them apart.
Soil block machines are available in many garden and hardware stores or from a seed company like Veseys. The ideal size for the home gardener makes four blocks at a time.
Use potting soil with a peat or coir (coconut husks) base and make it very moist so that the blocks stay intact. You fill the four holes very firmly and depress the lever to eject the four soil blocks.
There is a depression in the top of each block to sow your seeds. For larger seeds put in one seed and for smaller ones you can sow a few and when they have germinated reduce them so that the strongest plant remains. After sowing cover the seeds with a sprinkling of soil and keep the blocks moist.
The seedlings will not require any fertilizer until they are transplanted when they have 2 to 4 true leaves. If kept any longer you can give them a weekly boost of compost tea but they must be transplanted as soon as roots start showing through the sides of the soil block.
Copyright 2011 by Ken Bourne
(Word count 296)
(One of my garden columns)
