Originally published in magazine, March 1987
Republished in magazine's Special Collector's Issue, February/March 2015
Photography by Mitch Mandel
To save money and to avoid waste, I now use a soil-block maker that compresses peat-based potting mixtures into 1½-inch cubes. And by using homemade compost in my mix, I’ve reduced my dependency on mined and manufactured materials such as vermiculite, fertilizer, and peat moss.
1. To form the blocks, mix the dry ingredients (half peat moss and half compost, with enough lime to reach a pH of 6). Add water until the mix is thoroughly wet and about the consistency of wet mortar.
2. Push the block maker into the mix to fill it, then push it against the floor of the tub to compress the mix. Wipe off the excess against the side of the tub or with your hand.
3. Press the blocks out onto a tray. Put one to three seeds in each block. The goal is one seedling per cube, with no thinning.
4. Cover the seeds by sprinkling each flat with peat moss. Water the flat thoroughly and transfer it to a hotbed or to whatever light and heat setup you have for getting your seedlings started. Keep the blocks well watered. Most plants probably shouldn’t be in the blocks for more than about six weeks, because they get too crowded. post from sitemap
