Producing seedlings on a micro-farm can quickly become a time-consuming and complex step, especially when seeking to produce in quantity efficiently. Spidplant offers innovative solutions adapted to small market gardening operations, with ergonomic and high-performance tools such as the Spidmot and the Spidsem, which make soil block making and sowing easier. Discover how to optimise this crucial step with this equipment.

On a micro-farm, succeeding with your seedlings is essential to guarantee the robustness and health of your plants, while optimising work time. Traditionally, soil block making can be long, heavy, even poorly ergonomic, especially without suitable equipment. Faced with this observation, Spidplant has developed tools specifically designed for small market gardening operations: the Spidmot, to quickly produce solid blocks, and the Spidsem, a suitable professional seeder.

The different methods to make soil blocks

Before discovering the Spidplant solutions, it is useful to know the classic alternatives:

  • Quikpot: practical but a significant time loss when unmoulding and planting. Plants obtained in soil blocks are also more robust and root better.
  • Electric soil blockers: very efficient but expensive and often poorly suited to small operations. The investment is heavy, and the machine cannot be used at full capacity on micro-farms.
  • Hand-held soil blockers: inexpensive but slow and not very ergonomic. The repetitive gesture can cause back or arm pain.

Spidplant innovates with the Spidmot

Preparing the potting mix before making blocks with the Spidmot

In 2024, Spidplant launched the Spidmot, an ergonomic soil blocker designed for micro-farms. Properly preparing the potting mix is the key to perfect blocks — moist enough to hold together, not too packed so it stays aerated.

How to make your blocks with the Spidmot?

  1. Place the soil blocker to the right of the tray, and the potting mix bin to your left.
  2. Remove the ejector.
  3. Generously fill the Spidmot’s cells with potting mix.
  4. Spread the mix without packing or perfectly levelling the surface.
  5. Place the ejector back on top and press front and back.
  6. Gently lift the entire Spidmot.
  7. Repeat the operation for the left half of the tray.

You can choose to make only half-trays depending on your needs.

Sowing made easy with the Spidsem

The Spidsem placed on a tray of blocks for sowing
The Spidsem, the Spidmot's companion tool for fast and precise sowing.

Spidsem instructions for sowing your seeds

  1. Choose the plate suited to your seeds and insert it into the Spidsem.
  2. Pour an approximate quantity of seeds onto the tool.
  3. Move back and forth to fill all the holes with seeds.
  4. Place the Spidsem on the blocks, pressing lightly.
  5. Pull the side latches simultaneously to release the seeds.

The blocks are then ready to be placed on heating mats, or directly at room temperature depending on the season.

Conclusion

Thanks to Spidplant, micro-farms now have tools specifically designed to optimise seedling production while preserving the health of market gardeners. The Spidmot and the Spidsem bring ergonomics, speed and precision, allowing you to save time and obtain robust plants.

Discover the Spidmot block press at Spidplant