Posts from — March 2008

When we started to tractor cultivate with the Electric G, we needed to make sure that the spacing between rows was very precise and consistent. Many larger farms use transplanters or vacuum seeders to set the spacing between rows. We transplant by hand and direct seed by a hand-push seeder. The solution I came up with is a simple tool bar mounted on the back of the tiller with bars made from 5/8″ flat stock with lawn mower wheels mounted at the base. I had originally thought that disc openers (like what one sees on a seed drill) would work, but I couldn’t find any used ones and I think the lawn mower wheels work better anyway. They actually firm up the soil within the row to be planted and seem to preserve some moisture this way. Best of all, this system of mounting to the tiller saves me another pass, another implement switch, as well as some fuel. Check out the video and feel free to email me with any questions.

Here’s our soil block recipe that we use. Sometimes we’ll add more compost to a mix depending on how much fertility we feel the compost has. We mix our soil in an old mortar mixer. That’s the type of mixers that have paddles and actually churn the mix instead of a concrete mixer that just spins and turns the mix. We always mix the ingredients dry first (You’ll notice on the recipe it says “mix” after a series of ingredients are added. This helps you end up with a even mix) and then add the water. How much moisture? Well that’s where the artisan skills come into play. Probably more than you think but not so much you end up with a soup. And remember, the peat moss absorbs a lot of moisture over time so if you wet it down, leave, and come back you’ll generally find a much drier mix than you started with. Ideally I aim for a mix that I can grip in a handful and squeeze a fair amount of water out when my grip is closed.

How’s that for non specific in terms of moisture? Email me if you need more input.