Author Topic: Soil blocks from Elliot Coleman  (Read 3779 times)

Offline Daniel Wood

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Soil blocks from Elliot Coleman
« on: December 17, 2016, 03:03:36 PM »
Found a few different iterations of recipe.

Base Fertilizer
Equal parts: Green sand, Colloidal Phosphate, and Bloodmeal
Add base fertilizer to transplant blocks at 100:1. 100 parts mix to 1 part fertilizer.

The original recipe I found from a show he did.
3 quarts brown peat, 3 quarts compost, 1 quart permits, and 6 Tbsp of base fertilizer.

The newer recipe from his book.
3 parts brown peat, 2 parts permits, 1 part soil, 2 parts compost. If this is in measures of quarts add 1 Tablespoon of lime.

Mini block mix
16 parts brown peat, 4 parts compost, 1\4 part green sand, 1\4 part colloidal phosphate.

Link to new recipe
http://www.chelseagreen.com/blogs/soil-blocks-vs-pots/

Link to video to original recipe
https://youtu.be/mqy5dhHH09Y?list=PLwH6N4w81YXVJRpidfitbZmknib7giiXK
« Last Edit: December 18, 2016, 04:37:18 PM by Daniel Wood »

Offline Daniel Wood

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Re: Soil blocks from Elliot Coleman
« Reply #1 on: December 17, 2016, 06:02:20 PM »
I am not using base fertilizer. I am using Medina's Hasta grow.

I have replaced perlite with rice hulls as an experiment.

I also put made blocks onto cardoard sheets to act as a self wicking bed. I have had trouble with the blocks washing away when water comes in direct contact with soil. This way I just fill water to almost top of cardboard.
« Last Edit: December 18, 2016, 04:16:00 PM by Daniel Wood »

Offline Daniel Wood

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Re: Soil blocks from Elliot Coleman
« Reply #2 on: January 14, 2017, 08:51:50 AM »
The cardboard worked but I would not suggest using it on the bigger blocks only the small half inch blocks.  The bigger blocks spend more time on it and they became one with the cardboard.

Offline Daniel Wood

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Re: Soil blocks from Elliot Coleman
« Reply #3 on: January 26, 2017, 10:12:47 PM »
An 8 quart mix will make 50-1.5 inch blocks which will fill a 1020 flat.

Offline Daniel Wood

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Re: Soil blocks from Elliot Coleman
« Reply #4 on: February 05, 2017, 12:09:53 AM »
I have been using a double layer of paper towel as a base and it works great.  It wicks up water and then breaks apart when you take the blocks apart.

Offline Daniel Wood

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Re: Soil blocks from Elliot Coleman
« Reply #5 on: March 21, 2017, 08:28:48 AM »
This is what I used as my "Base Fertilizer" it worked great for me and I will use it again. 


https://drearth.com/products/organic-soils/root-zone-seed-starter-potting-mix/