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Questions and Answers

1. WILL THE BLOCKS FALL APART?

No, properly made blocks hold together. Two things are important: 

  • Thorough sieving of the substrate – it is necessary to remove coarse particles.
  • The right amount of water – the mixture should be moist enough for the blocks to bind well.

Blocks are sensitive to handling, so move them as little as possible. If they are well made and properly watered, they will remain in good condition for the entire time.

2. HOW TO WATER THE BLOCKS?

At the beginning, the blocks are sufficiently wet.

  • To maintain moisture, you can cover the sowing with a lid, transparent box, or bag, but remember to ventilate regularly.
  • If the surface of the blocks starts to dry out, moisten it with a fine sprayer.
  • Once the seedlings have germinated, remove the lid and water from below – pour water into the saucer so that the blocks naturally absorb it. Use a gentle stream of water.

3. HOW LONG WILL THE PLANT LAST IN THE BLOCK?

This is individual and depends on many factors:

  • Plant species and its growth rate
  • Specific plant's nutrient requirements
  • Type of substrate you use (nutrient content)

For example, lettuces can last longer in the block, while peppers or tomatoes will need to be transplanted to a larger block or pot soon.

4. WHAT SUBSTRATE TO USE?

You can choose the substrate according to your preferences. For example, we mix our own substrate from vermi/compost, coconut fiber, vermiculite, and the addition of insect fertilizer and mycorrhiza. It is important that the substrate used is fine – therefore, before creating the blocks, sieve it through a coarse gardening sieve to remove large pieces of material (bark, stones, larger fibers of wood chips, etc.).

  • For small blocks, sowing substrate can also be used, but the plants will need to be transplanted earlier.
  • For large blocks, we recommend using classic gardening substrate (sieved) due to its nutrient content.

5. CAN YOU BLOCK WITH SOWING SUBSTRATE?

Yes, but... Sowing substrates are naturally fine, so blocks from them usually hold together well. However, they are poorer in nutrients (the amount varies by manufacturer), so seedlings will not last long in them and it will be necessary to transplant or fertilize them soon.

6. CAN YOU FERTILIZE THE BLOCKS?

Yes, but... If the plants have exhausted the available nutrients and it is not possible to plant them outside or transplant them to a larger volume immediately, they can be fertilized for a short time. However, this is only a temporary solution, especially if the roots have already fully filled the block.

Use liquid fertilizers of natural origin and apply them from below – pour the solution into the saucer so that the block absorbs it itself.

TIP: You can also support the plants by using natural biostimulants - for example, probiotics, lignohumate, and the like.

7. THE BLOCKER IS JAMMED

The most common cause of jamming is a small particle inside the blocker, which can happen especially with substrates containing sand. For next time, try replacing the sand with vermiculite, which is softer and less abrasive.

If the blocker jams and does not return to its original position:

  1. Dip it in a bucket of water.
  2. Shake it vigorously to allow the water to release the jammed particle.
  3. Test the mechanism – it should move freely again.

TIP: Use a sufficiently wet substrate when blocking. Moisture helps minimize the risk of particles jamming.