How to use the Ladbrooks Micromotte 20 to grow successful nightshades?

Abstract

Although long overlooked, the micro-tiller has proven to be an incredibly effective tool for professional vegetable growers, particularly for the early production of tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants. With it, growers can plant hundreds of seedlings while optimizing space and energy. In this article, let’s explore why the micro-tiller has become an essential tool for sowing nightshade crops and how to use it effectively.

Introduction

For a long time, we thought the micro-tiller was too small to be truly useful in vegetable farming. Making 1.8 × 1.8 cm clods seemed unsuitable for both fields and gardens: too dry, too tiny. Then we realized that this tool wasn’t designed to replace traditional clods, but to meet a very specific need in professional vegetable farming: successfully growing early-season nightshades on a large scale while saving space and energy.

In this article, we explain what the Ladbrooks Micromotte 20 is actually used for and why it’s revolutionizing the way tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers are grown.

1. Micromottes: a tool designed for professional vegetable growers

The micro-balling machine produces tiny root balls—so small that they seem unusable for direct planting. And that’s normal: they’re not meant for the field, but for repotting.

This mini-pot is specifically designed for nightshades (tomatoes, eggplants, peppers)—demanding crops that are started very early in the season, sometimes as early as February. There are many challenges involved:

• need heat for the seeds to germinate,
• lack of space on the heating pads,
• high energy consumption,
• germination, which can sometimes be unpredictable.

With a standard tray, you can produce up to 400 micro-plants in a single batch—an unbeatable density. To plant 200 to 400 tomato plants in standard pots or large clumps, you’d need a huge amount of space… and a much higher energy bill.

The micro-tiller is therefore a smart tool: it allows for large-scale seedling management while keeping energy consumption to a minimum.

Discover the Micromotte + Spidmot 16 Kit: Spidmot 16 + Micromotte 20 Ladbrooks Bundle

2. How do you use a skid steer loader properly?

It’s easy to use: simply fill the top of the tool with very moist potting soil (about 25 liters of water for a 70-liter bag). A few presses are all it takes to produce small, clean, well-formed clumps.

→ Maintaining humidity: the main challenge

The micro-clumps dry out very quickly, especially when placed on a heating mat. Daily monitoring is essential.

Recommended watering:

• soak the tray to prevent the seed from being washed away,
• or water very gently over a thin layer of sand, potting soil, or vermiculite.

→ Planning Your Seedlings

You can plant the seedlings close together or leave some space between them. Another advantage is that you can mix several varieties in the same tray (tomatoes, eggplants, peppers), clearly labeling them.

→ Save a lot of space and energy

A small heating mat that’s 1 meter wide can accommodate four trays. This allows for 800 nightshade seedlings to be started as early as February 15, even in a sunroom. An exceptional yield for such a small space.

3. From sowing to repotting: switching to Spidmot 16

Once the seeds have sprouted, it’s time to transplant them into larger pots. That’s where the Spidmot 16 comes in, equipped with specially designed square prongs.

The benefits:

• 32 clumps per tray,
• soil that is kept consistently moist,
• quick release,
• and best of all: the micro-clod fits perfectly into the designated space.

The contrast is striking: 200 small clumps on a surface, compared to 32 clumps on that same surface once repotted.

This is why it’s impossible to start the entire process with a large root ball right from the beginning. Transplanting then becomes a breeze: you take the sprouted micro-root ball, slide it into the large root ball, and the plant continues to grow undisturbed.

Conclusion

The micro-tiller may not seem like the most intuitive tool at first glance, but it’s incredibly effective once you understand how it works. For early-season nightshade crops, it offers unmatched savings in space, energy, and time.

When used in conjunction with a system that produces larger root balls, such as the Spidmot 16, it enables the production of large quantities of vigorous seedlings, even in very small spaces. It is a true precision tool for professional vegetable growers.