So now you’re convinced that you need to try seed starting by soil blocking. How do you get started?
I mentioned that I started after going to a class by Lisa Mason Ziegler at Mother Earth News Fair in Belton, Texas last year. She has a cut flower farm and is pretty much the queen of this. Her website, The Gardener’s Workshop has complete instructions for the whole process. She has even added online courses.
For me, I started by clearing out some shelves in my garage. I figured I already had shelf space and there was really no reason to purchase more shelves and try to figure out where to put them. Besides, who can’t stand to clear out a garage a bit. My garage is not heated or anything, but it is insulated and it doesn’t get that cold in Texas anyway.
After that I went on my old pal Amazon and purchased gro lights and heated seed mats. Also, be sure to order your soil blockers. These are the ones I chose:
Then next you’ll need to assemble the ingredients for the soil blocking mix.
16 cups sifted peat moss or coco fiber
4 cups sifted compost
¼ cup greensand
¼ cup rock phosphate powder
I use the coco fiber rather than the peat moss because it is a renewable resource. I also use worm castings rather than the sifted compost because I have a worm bin so it is something I have available.
Here is a video from Lisa where she shows you how to actually make the blocks.
Lisa’s FAQ about seed starting with soil blocking.
Lisa’s “All Things Soil Blocking”.
If you just avail yourself of these resources, you’ll be successfully starting seeds and filling your garden with plants!
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