awesome!! I am in South Korea teaching... I have been looking for a hand held soil blocker when I came across an article on making one ... then searched and found your vid.. thanks soooo much ... this will cost a lot less and seems easy to make
Blackberry Hideout Thanks Jess.... It's much better in my opinion! I don't expect to be doing any improvements on this one for a while:) ...or maybe...you know I'm a tinkerer!
Great idea. Thanks for sharing. I'll definitely try to make one. Thanks for the Version 2.0. It's great to tinker to success! There is another video out here that suggests building a good mix from scratch that is supposed to work well. I bought the supplies and I'm going to make a batch of it too. Again thanks for sharing.
Thanks Gordon! I actually have another version not that uses a 2" washer as the plunger that works really well too.... you can see it in my see starting timelapse video I did in January. Good luck with yours:) joe
Ya these are so good i caught the bug to lol i even tried my plastic sowing thread holder. I get 25 hole's for seeds that need to be 1/2 to 1 inch deep. I didn't change or build anything. Just packed the dirt ready hard then turn it over and hit the bottom. Packing dirt REALLY had is the key to it holding together. Now I'm not sure about separating the plant's I'll find out at Tran's plant time. I have a hunch the single cell will be better for roots not being disturbed with Tran's planting. Thank you this puts the fun back into a large garden indoor seed starting. Plus saves a lot of money. These things let us sale starter plants with out pots at the market. They have a professional look and much better Tran's planting results because the roots are not disturb like taking out of a pot does.
Dancing Sheltie Farms Sounds good DSF! I might be giving one of these away soon so stay tuned and you might not have to make one:) Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the video! I noticed that commercial block makers are square. If you have some 2" aluminum square tubing that would probably work too. Also instead of a nut at the end use a t-nut with its flange removed. It makes a cleaner indentation.
Thanks to people on you tube showing this i tried to make some & it works great. My best one is a chunk of old pluming pipe with a hand lotion tube with a scew in the lid of the lotion bottle for a seed hole. Lol ya it looks like hillbilly junk but works so good and fast i made allot put them on a turkey platter. I just drizzle a tab of water between the rows and they drink it up. I don't leave standing water in the platter. after a few times i got better at knowing just a tab of water. Now im watching if it's once a week or twice a week water lol its not an every day water, these things hold water good and the right amount to not hurt the seed. I'm having better luck with these then i did with the buy it kinds.
raisingarrows4him Awesome! If he has trouble finding a piece of plastic he can used a metal washer instead. I show an updated version in the giveaway video just after this video:)Anyways, thanks for watching and I hope it turns out great! Joe
We have a garden up here, and I am going to give this a try. I wonder if making the top handle a bit bigger would make it easier to use.. just a thought.. Nice additional comments about the misting until roots show.. I think we overwater our seedlings..
+Randy Rought Hey Randy... it could definitely be bigger but this way you only have to use one 'hole' drill bit to get both the top of the tube chamber and the handle... but you could certainly make it in any shape that felt good in the hand too! And yes the misting is good until the roots develop a little, but after they develop it's pretty amazing how well the blocks hold together!
have to add another comment ... a few years back i went and tried my hand at doing peppers it was expensive for the little piles of soil i should say the kit i bought from lowes ? anyway what a difference for some reason im really grasping all the info and i am very happy things are working out but i have to tell you the kit for the peppers just never grew and for some odd reason i now Not killing plants or seeds lol im actually getting great results i have peppers tomatoes roses etc and im in the process of trying out a lemon tree but have been looking for ways to cut costs and having a handy little tool like that i certainly will appreciate i am handy at making things like that great thanks again !!
That's great to hear MB98! Yes, the gardening thing takes a while to get the hang of.. but it's so rewarding when it starts clicking! Glad you are having some awesome success now:)
Is the piece of redwood fence board you used 1/2” thick or 3/4” thick? Seems like that would be important to know since you have specified that the pvc pipe should be a certain length of 2.3”. Otherwise without knowing that as well as the thickness of the piece of plastic end piece the final length of the soil block might not match what you are making here. Excellent design..getting ready to make several for myself and friends…thanks very much!
Blake Kirby Hey Blake, they actually hold up relatively well. There is very very little erosion but not much at all. It mostly depends on if the mix had enough water in it to start with. Too dry and the block will expand when water is added, therefore making the block deform. But if you have a properly formed and moist block, you should be able to use a simple water bottle with holes drilled on the top to drizzle water on top of the block with virtually no deformation or erosion. The peat moss, vermiculite, compost mix i use (4-1-2 parts) holds pretty well when compressed. And as the seedlings grow the roots start to add strength as well. Anyways, hope that helps:) Joe
@@homesteadonomics omg, you are genius! I love watching you. I live in LaBelle, Fl and being from NJ I DISPIZE THE TOMATOES here! So I'm going to try this block method in a barrel of GOOD SOIL!
DW Marschall lol... you're too kind! Just a garage tinkerer! Glad you are liking the channel so far... I'm hoping to improve the vids as I go and come up with good projects to show! Glad to have you along DW! Joe
+Kaylea Blackburn Thanks for watching Kaylea! I bet you have a neighbor that has a hole bit and a saw to cut the pvc.... and then you could just assemble and be good to go! ...maybe even offer to make one for them too:) Thanks for watching! Joe
which works better, these or newspaper ones, being less compacted soil? also how do I grow desert plants in the deep south.. greenhouse? dope video, thank you
I had about the same results with both. I can't really say one is better... but the block maker doesn't require the newpaper. I would say the newpaper is a bit easier in that you don't need a mix that holds together well.
Hi Keith... yes I am using the same design but with a few changes. I use a metal washer for the plunger now... you can see it in my first video of 2016 titled something like 'seed starting timelapse' :)
how about if you study material science and upcycle a soda bottle cut about 5 rounds and glue them to the plunger it will clean the push pull cycle and use the capto make like a T - V like a garden weeding tool but miniature that will break the surface for the seed reduce the moisture as it only needs compaction to hold the shape of the grow module concept TA DA jiggle them marbles around a little and ask the lord for answer that were i get most of if not all my answers it may not go according to my plan or plans but it does by his for sure amen amen?
Matthew Metzler You know what... that rocker does look really cool. I have some nice thick pallet wood pieces that I've been thinking of doing something. Might have to think of something like that! Only problem might be cutting through the nails on those pieces... of course I might be able to use my sawzall through those sections. Thanks for the link!
Excellent video! To the point, simple, clear explanations, no unnecessary fluff and effective. Thank you, and subscribing now!
Terrific idea! Who in the world are the 12 who don't like it? Shame on them! :)
You really did do a greatjob...Thank you.
They sell soil blockers?
Great Idea! Now I have to go find out what you've been doing for the last 9 years! Subbed!
Very Very Nice 👍
awesome!!
I am in South Korea teaching... I have been looking for a hand held soil blocker when I came across an article on making one ... then searched and found your vid.. thanks soooo much ... this will cost a lot less and seems easy to make
That's a great little soil plug maker! Cheers!
Canadian Sasquatch Brewery Thanks CSB! My favorite Texanadian;)
I like the updates to your previous soil block maker. :)
Blackberry Hideout Thanks Jess.... It's much better in my opinion! I don't expect to be doing any improvements on this one for a while:) ...or maybe...you know I'm a tinkerer!
Nice tool. I will build it. Greetings from Austria
A very nice design, thank you.
Thanks Robert:)
I wish I could have given you more then just one thumbs up thank your this was great
Great block maker! You could make a capo! That came to mind because at first glance, it looked like my wooden dulcimer capo that Joe Collins made. 👍
Thank you for educating me.
Very good 👍
Best I've seen. Thanks
Great idea. Thanks for sharing. I'll definitely try to make one. Thanks for the Version 2.0. It's great to tinker to success! There is another video out here that suggests building a good mix from scratch that is supposed to work well. I bought the supplies and I'm going to make a batch of it too. Again thanks for sharing.
Thanks Gordon! I actually have another version not that uses a 2" washer as the plunger that works really well too.... you can see it in my see starting timelapse video I did in January. Good luck with yours:)
joe
Ya these are so good i caught the bug to lol i even tried my plastic sowing thread holder. I get 25 hole's for seeds that need to be 1/2 to 1 inch deep. I didn't change or build anything. Just packed the dirt ready hard then turn it over and hit the bottom. Packing dirt REALLY had is the key to it holding together. Now I'm not sure about separating the plant's I'll find out at Tran's plant time. I have a hunch the single cell will be better for roots not being disturbed with Tran's planting. Thank you this puts the fun back into a large garden indoor seed starting. Plus saves a lot of money. These things let us sale starter plants with out pots at the market. They have a professional look and much better Tran's planting results because the roots are not disturb like taking out of a pot does.
Great idea! We will have to try this for our fall garden (already have plans for our spring garden).
Dancing Sheltie Farms Sounds good DSF! I might be giving one of these away soon so stay tuned and you might not have to make one:) Thanks for watching!
This was great! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching!
Joe
Thanks for the video! I noticed that commercial block makers are square. If you have some 2" aluminum square tubing that would probably work too. Also instead of a nut at the end use a t-nut with its flange removed. It makes a cleaner indentation.
wow what a way to save on so much soil for a beginner im a newbe learning alot along the way thanks for sharing :)
Glad you liked it MB98:)
Joe
GreAT Idea!
After seeing your 1 video, I put a peg in mine. Made several sizes, so I can drop the seedling into the next size.
Awesome! thanks for sharing👍🏼
Thank a lot that's very helpful. Keep going with other project
Adler Houmess Thanks Adler! Will be doing more like this in the future:)
I like it thanks have to steal this one
Matthew Metzler Thanks Matt... hope you're staying warm during this last cold front up there:)
Joe
Brilliant !
Permaculture Prepper Thanks PP! Looking forward to seeing your garden and swales this spring and summer:)
Joe
Thanks to people on you tube showing this i tried to make some & it works great. My best one is a chunk of old pluming pipe with a hand lotion tube with a scew in the lid of the lotion bottle for a seed hole. Lol ya it looks like hillbilly junk but works so good and fast i made allot put them on a turkey platter. I just drizzle a tab of water between the rows and they drink it up. I don't leave standing water in the platter. after a few times i got better at knowing just a tab of water. Now im watching if it's once a week or twice a week water lol its not an every day water, these things hold water good and the right amount to not hurt the seed. I'm having better luck with these then i did with the buy it kinds.
Brilliant
One improvement will be stainless steel parts. Don't want it to rust. Nice little device.
This is great! Thank you very much. Had hubby watch this and he is making me one as I type this. :O)
raisingarrows4him Awesome! If he has trouble finding a piece of plastic he can used a metal washer instead. I show an updated version in the giveaway video just after this video:)Anyways, thanks for watching and I hope it turns out great!
Joe
Helpful. Thanks
Glad you liked it YG!
joe
We have a garden up here, and I am going to give this a try. I wonder if making the top handle a bit bigger would make it easier to use.. just a thought.. Nice additional comments about the misting until roots show.. I think we overwater our seedlings..
+Randy Rought Hey Randy... it could definitely be bigger but this way you only have to use one 'hole' drill bit to get both the top of the tube chamber and the handle... but you could certainly make it in any shape that felt good in the hand too! And yes the misting is good until the roots develop a little, but after they develop it's pretty amazing how well the blocks hold together!
Nice Video
have to add another comment ... a few years back i went and tried my hand at doing peppers it was expensive for the little piles of soil i should say the kit i bought from lowes ? anyway what a difference for some reason im really grasping all the info and i am very happy things are working out but i have to tell you the kit for the peppers just never grew and for some odd reason i now Not killing plants or seeds lol im actually getting great results i have peppers tomatoes roses etc and im in the process of trying out a lemon tree but have been looking for ways to cut costs and having a handy little tool like that i certainly will appreciate i am handy at making things like that great thanks again !!
That's great to hear MB98! Yes, the gardening thing takes a while to get the hang of.. but it's so rewarding when it starts clicking! Glad you are having some awesome success now:)
Awesome improvements!!!
Thanks Violet! Glad you liked it... I've even made a couple more mods recently so I might have to do another vid come spring time:)
Joe
I wonder if you could use a small spam can or square out a green beans can for rectangular or square blocks? Would be fun to try! :)
Is the piece of redwood fence board you used 1/2” thick or 3/4” thick?
Seems like that would be important to know since you have specified that the pvc pipe should be a certain length of 2.3”.
Otherwise without knowing that as well as the thickness of the piece of plastic end piece the final length of the soil block might not match what you are making here.
Excellent design..getting ready to make several for myself and friends…thanks very much!
How do the soil blocks hold up after being planted? Do they fall apart as they get watered and some time passes?
Blake Kirby Hey Blake, they actually hold up relatively well. There is very very little erosion but not much at all. It mostly depends on if the mix had enough water in it to start with. Too dry and the block will expand when water is added, therefore making the block deform. But if you have a properly formed and moist block, you should be able to use a simple water bottle with holes drilled on the top to drizzle water on top of the block with virtually no deformation or erosion. The peat moss, vermiculite, compost mix i use (4-1-2 parts) holds pretty well when compressed. And as the seedlings grow the roots start to add strength as well.
Anyways, hope that helps:)
Joe
Neat gadget and a great idea.
***** Thanks Michael:)
@@homesteadonomics omg, you are genius! I love watching you. I live in LaBelle, Fl and being from NJ I DISPIZE THE TOMATOES here! So I'm going to try this block method in a barrel of GOOD SOIL!
Looks great but can you water the bottom in the tray without the soil breaking apart?
You, my friend, are a DIY genius. Just found your channel and my list is already about 12 projects long. Thanks for nothing. :)
DW Marschall lol... you're too kind! Just a garage tinkerer! Glad you are liking the channel so far... I'm hoping to improve the vids as I go and come up with good projects to show! Glad to have you along DW!
Joe
Can you make me one? lol I have none of those tools! very cool!
+Kaylea Blackburn Thanks for watching Kaylea! I bet you have a neighbor that has a hole bit and a saw to cut the pvc.... and then you could just assemble and be good to go! ...maybe even offer to make one for them too:) Thanks for watching!
Joe
I need one
which works better, these or newspaper ones, being less compacted soil? also how do I grow desert plants in the deep south.. greenhouse?
dope video, thank you
I had about the same results with both. I can't really say one is better... but the block maker doesn't require the newpaper. I would say the newpaper is a bit easier in that you don't need a mix that holds together well.
homesteadonomics thank you!
Is there a way to make a multiple soil block maker? It'll take forever if there are lots of seeds to start!
Hot glue a bunch of PVC sections together.
How do soil blocks hold up in heavy rain?
Please explain how a 2 1/8 (cut outs) fit into a 2" pvc?
Looks great. The video is from 2015 and we are now in 2017. Are you still using it? Any changes that you have made to it?
Hi Keith... yes I am using the same design but with a few changes. I use a metal washer for the plunger now... you can see it in my first video of 2016 titled something like 'seed starting timelapse' :)
When you water the seeds, does the soil wash away since it doesn't have any sides to hold the soil in? Great invention.
Thanks... no the water doesn't wash the soil if you have a good mix and water slowly. If you don't water slowly then it eventually would though.
Won't the soil /compost crumble when you water them ?
bro put a spring on the back side for the reset
will you be selling any of these
it's now 2018 do you still use the soil blocks for your seeds
How does this hold up?
🙂
Hi I am Anthony from South Africa Western Cape. I like your soil Block maker. Can you please give me the measurements in mm thank you
Correction …2.3” pvc pipe
Well…3.5”😂😂
how about if you study material science and upcycle a soda bottle cut about 5 rounds and glue them to the plunger it will clean the push pull cycle and use the capto make like a T - V like a garden weeding tool but miniature that will break the surface for the seed reduce the moisture as it only needs compaction to hold the shape of the grow module concept TA DA
jiggle them marbles around a little and ask the lord for answer that were i get most of if not all my answers it may not go according to my plan or plans but it does by his
for sure amen amen?
listened to the music but loved the rocker looks like a pallet woo project ua-cam.com/video/oI43Ove3xgY/v-deo.html
be well
Matthew Metzler You know what... that rocker does look really cool. I have some nice thick pallet wood pieces that I've been thinking of doing something. Might have to think of something like that! Only problem might be cutting through the nails on those pieces... of course I might be able to use my sawzall through those sections. Thanks for the link!