Coleman uses a soil block maker that he developed for Johnny’s Selected Seeds ($22 to $170 depending on the size). This is a mold that forms the wet growing medium into cubes. You can use different sizes to contain seeds of varying sizes.
Make a blocking mix that will hold together but not harden out of peat, sand, soil, and compost. Coleman uses the following recipe to make a large amount of mix at one time.
- Start with three 10-quart buckets brown peat.
- Mix in 1/2 cup lime.
- Add two 10-quart buckets coarse sand or perlite and 3 cups base fertilizer, and mix together.
- Add one 10-quart bucket soil and two 10-quart buckets compost, and mix thoroughly.
Learn How to Lay Out a Planting Bed
For the most informative website on soil blocks, see Soil Block Makers We're the world's resource for "All Things Soil Blocks!"
Soil Blocksare a real green revolution starting to get some attention in the USA. Thanks again, Martha, for being the biggest celebrity advocate of soil block makers.
This is a great shot of Eliot using the Multi 12 Stand-Up soil block maker. Notice how he is ejecting it up on a bench top. You can charge the soil blocker down below and lift it up and eject it at the proper seeding height. Great work, Martha!