Tip Tuesday: Favorite Tools
More tools. We have so many that this may go on for a while!
Today, we’re going to focus on seed starting tools.
For starters, my #1 tool of the trade. I would not get my many seeds started without my trusty mini soil blocker for all of the thousands upon thousands of seeds that we start every single year.
Not to mention, space! I can hold SO many more seedlings in a smaller area versus if I were using standard plug trays.
The soil blocker is basically a mini mold. I mix soil blocking mix (I used to make my own but started using a mix from Vermont Compost and I’m very happy with it) with water to obtain a certain consistency. Then push the blocker into the mix several times to pack it. Then plunge the top lever to produce 3/4” mini soil blocks onto my trays (that I reuse every year). I can fit up to 280 seedlings on a 1020 tray space.
My next favorite tools coincide perfectly with my soil blocker and they are my trays from Bootstrap Farmer. I used to use old Styrofoam meat trays and they were great for my first year or if you are a home gardener. As I ramped up the number of seeds and frequency of planting that I now start, they quickly became difficult to manage and I didn’t like having to pour excess water off, the same way I’d have to do with cafeteria trays (what many people use with soil blocks). I found these mesh trays and they’re my absolute favorite! They are pricey compared to a regular tray but they are very heavy duty and I expect them to last me for many, many years. I use a mesh tray inside of a solid tray. This way I fill one solid bottom tray and soak my mesh trays for a few minutes before returning them to their dry trays. It works so well for me.
When seed starting, many of the seeds are so tiny and dark that they can be hard to visualize. I almost always use a headlamp to seed my soil blocks unless I am outside in very bright light. Along with this teeny seed issue, some seeds (like snapdragons, poppies, etc) are so tiny that the easiest way to accurately place them (whether soil block or standard plug tray) is to use a toothpick, or in my case, I love using a small wooden skewer (pointed tip) like you would use to make fruit skewers or mini kabobs. These are easier to handle than a tooth pick and I also like to reuse them over and over.
Stay tuned for more favorite tools to come!