The Christmas that keeps giving...literally.
I'm not going to lie...I'm a very lucky woman. My hubby knows what makes me happy and he spends his time and efforts trying to make it happen. This Christmas, he went a little overboard with gifts, and I was so grateful! He felt bad because a few of the gifts he ordered for me were late arriving. I was thrilled...more CHRISTMAS! The other day, the final package arrived, and guys...he got me SOIL BLOCKERS! I know most of you just said "WHAT?" Let me show you!
How cool is that? I know - what's it for? Well, I'm assuming you can tell that the top piece is on a spring, which allows you to press it down. So basically, what you do, is you get your seedling mix, and you fill each of the cavities with the mix, press it in there firmly, and then you push down the handle and 8 lovely blocks of soil are created! The little balls in the second picture above, make a dimple in the top of the soil block for you to place your seedlings in.
This eliminates the need for the individual seed trays which are a little expensive, very flimsy and too much plastic! (picture below). Now I'll be able to start my seeds with less cost AND less plastic! Plus the plastic tray don't tend to last more than one or two plantings, so pretty wasteful.
If you guys are planning on starting a lot of seeds, and want something that can be put away and reused a bazillion times, consider checking these out. They are a bit of an investment, but I'm so excited to try them! I'll keep you posted once I get planting started next week!
My favorite seed mix (note - the compost is not a must have):
- 4 parts compost.
- 1 part perlite.
- 1 part vermiculite.
- 2 parts coconut coir
A note about coconut coir. I use coconut coir to replace peat moss. In the past, peat moss has always been my go to, but after reading several articles and doing a bit of personal research, I've come to realize that the use of peat moss is not really sustainable. Yes, it's a natural product, but it's rate of renewal is so low, it is becoming a biological issue. It just can't reproduce at the rate we are using it. Coconut coir, on the other hand, can. So I've chosen to push away from peat moss altogether and move to coconut coir. I really like it a little better too, so that's a bonus!
Check out this article explaining further. It also gives you a few options to use other than coconut coir - https://www.ruralsprout.com/peat-moss-alternatives/
Let me know if you guys are starting seeds, and if so, what's your favorite seed starting mix?
Have a great day!
Best wishes!
