Soil blockers

David787

Recently Monty demonstrated soil blockers on the programme. Does anyone know where they can be got hold of in this country; the only ones I can find online seem to be from American companies with prices in dollars.

Lyn

eBay has them, why do you want them,? I’ve just bought these, 10 trays for £3.00.
i don’t watch Monty but I suspect he’s only advertising them, doubt he actually uses them.

Fire

He says he does use them and that they are great.

B3

I've never heard of them before. They look like a good idea to me. 

Obelixx

I just googled soil blockers and found a UK site called, funnily enough, soilblockers.co.uk

They mention Monty's recipe for the compost mix but spell his name wrong.

Kevin134

You can get them from

http://www.blackberrylane.co.uk/toolshop1.html

Along with some other useful and hard to find tools

David787

Thanks for all the really helpful responses. I have places to go and look now.

Nanny Beach

Yup, e bay, thiking of getting one for next year, not only for the plastic cells that are actually falling aprt, they arent cheap, but expect they would last for ever.

debs64

What are they? 

Blue Onion

They are a device for creating small square soil 'bricks' that you can start seeds in, growing without plastic cells.  The idea is the 'bricks' will keep their shape for the weeks and months until it's time to plant out, air pruning the roots and making planting out simple and easy.. and most importantly, using little or no plastic (depending on what you use as the base).  

in my opinion, they look tricking and difficult, and likely to lead to much failure.  Over wetting will lead to 'bricks' loosing shape, keeping them moist looks difficult, and I expect rewetting them if they get too dry will be near impossible.  I am interested to see if anyone has had good success.  

Personally, I've never bought seed starting pots or cells.. I just reuse cells from previous years purchased bedding plants, or small pots from other purchases.. or yogurt pots, etc.  My town only recycles cardboard, paper, and magazines.  No glass or plastics.  So I might as well use what I already have.

Blue Onion

Lyn said:

i don’t watch Monty but I suspect he’s only advertising them, doubt he actually uses them.

That is a bit unfair.  Monty has been featuring a variety of ways to reduce plastics in the garden, soil blockers being one of many, and is trying them all himself this year.  I look forward to his reviews at the end of the season.  Some look rather doubious, but others have good potential.