BroadforkFeb 24
I tried out the trommel. It sieved a wheelbarrow load of compost in no time. #SolarPunk #Gardening #Compost
Show threadBroadfork

Some people enquired as to why I sieve the compost. It’s to remove the larger pieces so the compost can be made into soil blocks to grow seedlings in and cut down on plastic use.

The soil blocks are ready for sowing into. I added a little leaf mould, vermiculite, horse manure and perlite to the home made compost for the soil block mix.

#SolarPunk #Gardening #Compost

Feb 25 at 4:51pmWeb
Show threadLee from ColoradoFeb 25

@Broadfork Very nice!

We used soil blocks for a number of years when we first started serious gardening. Then they fell out of favor for reasons (my partner does most of the seed starting work and I pick it up when the seeds move out to the green house. She does great and the reasons are hers).

This year, we're gonna try soil blocks again. So, I'm busy sieving compost also!

Show threadBroadforkFeb 25
@colo_lee Happy sieving! I’ve been using some soil blocks for the last 3 years or so. It takes a little extra time to prepare the blocks but I like using them. They transplant well and it’s great to cut a little more plastic use out.
Show threadLee from ColoradoFeb 25
@Broadfork I'm looking forward to making the block mixture this year. We used peat as the substrate in previous years and are trying coco coir this year.
Show threadBroadforkFeb 25
@colo_lee Coco coir works well. I’m not using any this year but only because I have the horse manure now.
Show threadJust StaciFeb 25
@Broadfork As someone who was using straight processed manure right from the farm, I can tell you this is by far superior. 😁
Show threadBroadforkFeb 25

@splott I have a great local supply of horse manure, aged and fresh.

It’s difficult to find horse manure that’s free from aminopyralids from the herbicides.

Show threadJimmyB (he/him)Feb 25

@Broadfork love it! My compost isn’t hot enough to kill the seeds in it - and my leaf mould also grows a lot of volunteers 😀😀😀 had a fabulous butternut squash from my compost last year tho so I’ll take that. But I don’t think I could use it to grow seedlings…

And I worry about horse manure because of the invermectrin they give the horses…

But I know it’s good stuff!

Show threadBroadforkFeb 25
@JimmyB Yes, after literally years of searching I found a good supply of horse manure free from all the evils last year.
Show threadJimmyB (he/him)Feb 26
@Broadfork can I just check - is that basically an organic type horse farm where they don’t use de-worming medication? If so, sadly I don’t think we have such a thing in #Jersey
Show threadBroadforkFeb 26

@JimmyB It’s a small acreage of rented fields and stables where they mostly use natural anthelmintics. The only thing they ever spray on the fields is an organic citronella based spray on any ragwort (because it is poisonous to horses and ponies).

They have a dwindling supply of 20+ year old aged horse manure and a good supply of fresh stuff.

Dung beetle surveys have been carried out on their land. It’s a glimpse of what some agricultural practices used to be like before wide chemical use.

Show threadJimmyB (he/him)Feb 26
@Broadfork wonderful!!! That’s a great resource to have. Just been reading a book by a fella who rented some fields for a couple of years and used no herbicides or pesticides. The species bounce was stunning - just in that time. The agri-business eco-disaster has to be stopped somehow
Show threadBroadforkFeb 26

@JimmyB The sooner it’s stopped the better. Damaged and degraded land can be regenerated and the soil biology can bounce back but it takes time and each year that ticks by without remedial action is another year wasted.

I’m fortunate to have found this resource but it’s the only trustworthy aminopyralid free source of horse manure I have found in the area.

The overall picture is extremely bleak.

Show threadHelenaFeb 26
@JimmyB can I ask what the book you are reading is? Sounds really interesting
@Broadfork
Show threadJimmyB (he/him)Feb 27
@Broadfork @Hellybootwader oh - I knew someone would ask! I’ll dig it out. He was somewhere in the West Country. Im always reading 5 books at the same time but I did at least finish this one. Bear with me…
Show threadHelenaFeb 27
@JimmyB
Haha! Sorry. Only if it’s not a bother
@Broadfork
Show threadArneFeb 26
@JimmyB Usually our compost isn't hot either. I use it for seedlings anyway. There might be a bit of weeding in the beginning. If you want to avoid that, prepare the blocks or module trays and keep them exposed to light for a few weeks. By the time you sow most weeds should have germinated. (thanks to @derbrumme for that method).
@Broadfork
Show threadPollinatorsFeb 26
@feinschmeckergarten @JimmyB @derbrumme @Broadfork Nice idea to give the soil blocks time to pre sprout any rogue seeds.
Show threadDerBrummeFeb 26
@feinschmeckergarten @JimmyB @Broadfork great timing of bringing this up again - I totally forgot to prepare that, it's high time to get that started! 🙂
Show threadSchattenspringerFeb 25
@Broadfork Thats exactly the way I want to do it. First step is to copy your compost-tumble-thingy. 😊
Show threadBroadforkFeb 25
@schattenspringer A quick search will provide you with lots of designs of trommels to have a go at. Good luck!
Show threadGemma SarraceniaFeb 25
@Broadfork I'm only in a trailer park, but I do this with my frog and pillbug bedding (boiled and crushed leaves, bugs and worms in her terrarium break them down) twice a year, up to 5 large jars of pillbugs. So I only start a few seeds indoors but I only made about a gallon of substrate, works out. Pillbugs are fed garden scraps. Need to do a worm bin again. Oh, it gets run through the oven before use because it's low temp.
Show threadBroadforkFeb 25

@tippitiwichet That’s so cool!

I’ll get back to having a wormery again this year after going the autumn and winter without one.

Show threadPollinatorsFeb 25
@Broadfork Hello to the soil blocks. They are looking good. The blend is good and the moisture is good. This will be our second growing season using soil blocks. #compost, #soil, #nodig
Show threadBroadforkFeb 25
@Pollinators Yes, that’s the first batch done. I’ll do more in about a month’s time. Good luck with yours.
Show threadPollinatorsFeb 25
@Broadfork Yes. Our planting space will have smaller numbers of soil blocks. What size soil blocks do you use to start the onions, shallots, and leeks? These seeds have nearly 100% germination rates. #gardening, #zone4b
Show threadBroadforkFeb 25

@Pollinators I don’t use soil blocks for any of those. I grow onions and shallots from sets. I have some overwintered Japanese onion sets growing which hopefully will escape the ravages of the allium leaf miner we have here 🤞

I sow leeks into seed trays of compost without soil blocks. The leaf miner hit leeks hard which is why I grow babington’s leeks as well.

I transplant the leeks individually into deeper dibbed holes in early June. I don’t find it’s worthwhile starting them in soil blocks.

Show threadChitchatFeb 25
@Broadfork could almost mistake that for trays of chocolate brownies!
I've never heard of soil blocks before. Do they need more watering than seedlings in pots?
Show threadBroadforkFeb 25

@Cyclist The blocks are quite moist when they’re made. I just water underneath and tip out the excess so they aren’t sitting in water. They need more regular, little but often, watering as they will air dry.

I’ll transplant them as young plants so they won’t need potting on or the extra watering bigger pots need.

Show threadKellyAnn Romanych (she/her)Feb 25
@Broadfork i make small soil balls by hand. It's the baker in me. Your soil blocks look great!
Show threadBroadforkFeb 25

@kellyromanych That’s what I do when I’m ‘potting on’ any seedlings. I just pack soil block mix around the original soil blocks.

As seen with these tomatoes I grew a couple of years back.

Show threadHumToTableFeb 25
@Broadfork @kellyromanych That's such a good idea! Totally doing that this year.
Show threadKellyAnn Romanych (she/her)Feb 26

@HumToTable happy sowing!

@Broadfork that's a great idea 💚