DIY seed starting recipe for soil blocks or trays (peat free!)

New recipe starts around 3:38. Thanks for your patience while we did all of our testing this year everyone! As always, I go through numerous rounds, tweaking recipes as I go and comparing to previous years.
To summarize, I still think my old recipe that uses the coco loco bagged potting soil from fox farms performs the best as a seed starting soil and also in blocks, especially if you can add a bit of the bigfoot myco product we show here. That being said, this new recipe was a close second AND it is certainly more affordable, especially for those of you who reported bags of this soil costing $50 where you are (it's only $36 here, making it still cheaper than seed starting soil per pound).
The new recipe is: (by volume)
-3 parts worm castings
-2 parts coconut coir
-2 parts vermiculite
OPTIONAL**: 1/2 part wool pellets (hydrated with water after measuring for easy mixing).
**If you opt to not use wool pellets you will need to start fertilizing these seedlings after the first true leaf appears, starting with a 1.5tsp/gallon watering with fish emulsion weekly.
Hope you enjoy this video and next up we will be talking about seedling inoculation for better plant performance, so stay tuned!
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LAST YEAR'S VIDEOS: • Seed starting soil mix...

[@cognitive-botanical-therapy]

Bri, I also wanted to say that your honesty has been so helpful to me as a first year grower! I’ve been so nervous about messing up, but your transparency on this channel is a gift to all new growers. ❤❤❤❤

[@Charles00-xj3kz]

Hi Bree. After much struggle with soil block ingredients I found a super simple recipe. 3 parts coir, two parts well rotted and sifted compost, 1 part coarse sand. I have had great results with this. I have been fertilizing the blocks with your bunny rabbit liquid fertilizer recipe. Super simple and I make the compost myself so save cost and know exactly what went into it. Your content is inspiring.

[@Blossomandbranch]

Hi Charles! Thank you for sharing, I love when folks experiment with what works best for them--and it's great that you can make your own compost! I find that many folks can't or don't make their own compost (or it is very inconsistent in quality) leading them to purchase bagged composts with very mixed results due to the inconsistencies of ingredients, which is why I tend to avoid it as an "ingredient" for seed starting but SO GLAD you're making your own, way to go!!

[@maggiefifer6092]

So you don’t have to pack the soil blocker, each square!, anymore with this recipe? That would be awesome! Thank you!!

[@Charles00-xj3kz]

@@maggiefifer6092 You would pack it the same way Bree does it.

[@mike-g6g3g]

Where can I find the rabbit liquid fertilizer recipe ??

[@Charles00-xj3kz]

@mike-g6g3g look for DIY plant based fertilizer video Bree recorded two years ago on this channel. I use rabbit poop and water. I did a couple of table spoons of poop to 2 litres of boiling water and let it sit over night b4 using it.

[@deannakennedy1950]

I was excitedly anticipating this one! After the teaser in your greenhouse walkthrough video, I kept coming back and checking to see when the NEW recipe would drop. I am in awe of your knowledge, appreciate everything you have made available here, and will definitely be going through your full courses this year!

[@FaeHavenFlowers]

Thanks Bri! coco loco is very expensive to get here so alternative peat free soil options are great. 🙂

[@passportalwaysready]

After watching your videos last year I found some local wool pellets - a small bag went a long way and I was very happy with the results! Thanks for all of your great content

[@Blossomandbranch]

I'm so glad to hear that, it really is amazing how much it does help and you're right, it doesn't take much! Thanks for letting me know :)

[@kathrynmettelka7216]

Thanks for all you do. I can’t replicate your process exactly, but I can do parts. Age and arthritis limit my efforts though gardening acts like an antidepressant.

[@melinda858]

Love all your videos and hard work! Just recently realized you live in Colorado as well! I've started around 2K seedling so far. My home based business focuses on hanging baskets etc.. for Mothers day! Love your hard work with flower farming!!! Keep up the good work!

[@Blossomandbranch]

Aw how fun! Mothers Day is great for hanging baskets, it's still a bit early in our zone for cut flowers, what a great idea! :) Glad you're here!

[@melinda858]

@ I did start some lisianthus! 😜 This time of the year we all get spring fever !

[@mariahansen2139]

Thanks for sharing - I have just tried to add wool to my soil blocks. I don’t have pellets but got some raw wool which I have cut into tiny pieces and then added. My Matthiola started sprouting after only 48 hours! Don’t know if it was the wool, but for now my little sprouts seems happy 🎉

[@livingluminous]

Bree! Thank you for loving the earth like you do. Just discovered your courses for our winter/spring homeschool! 💗

[@thefumblingcuisiniere]

I screenshot the recipe, thank you so much for making and sharing this video! ❤️

[@melindah5952]

Thank you so much for clearing up my confusion about the part is a part! It just makes sense now! Wonderful video! Hello light!

[@anaveragenwgardener5632]

I used you recipe last spring for the first time and the results were amazing! I blend the re-hydrated wool with a scoop of coco loco in a small second hand food chopper and then mix that into a larger amount of coco loco. I find it helps distribute the wool evenly. Thanks!! Neil in Oregon #An Average NW Gardener

[@wild_gardener]

Came here to same thing! I grow seedlings to share with others and my mom commented that my seedlings looked healthier than what she could buy at greenhouses. I also blended up wool pellets in a blender and added those in. I really think I had to water less because the wool pellets helped retain moisture. I live in Minnesota and with constant indoor heating, it’s always VERY dry inside when starting seeds

[@melanyjohnson7067]

Thanks for the video! I love learning ways to make gardening more affordable and sustainable.

[@veronicabilash4207]

Bri, your content is so wonderful. Thank you for advocating for healthy, sustainable approaches❤❤❤!

[@KokoraLife]

Love this! Great job being peat free! Really awesome to spread the word on alternatives.

[@brunofttt]

Thank you! 😊 🌱 💗

[@Blossomandbranch]

Happy to help you start your seeds off strong! 💪

[@notyaaverageb]

Thank you for being mindful about the environment at large. I want to gently ask you to look into peat moss' sustainability practices as much of the world's peat come from Canada and there are many new practices in place that are making it sustainable. The sustainability conundrum about the coco is A) where it is harvested (across the globe) the little fresh water that is available is used to rince the salts. And B) the packaging and cargo of said distances, create a negative carbon footprint even for this "reusable" waste product. Not a slight, just something to consider. The data has changed and I think it's important for us all to check in on what we know so that we stay in the know. Keep up the great work and thanks for the vid

[@mistygeller3193]

Great timing for this!! Thank you so much!! I am so excited to start some seeds this year!! And it looks like sooner is better for the perennials if I want a larger transplant come mid-late May 😊

[@cbak1819]

I am with you sista'... i'd love to use non sterile soil but after a few tries..I don't enjoy fungus gnats in my grow space, aka. house. 😬 I will try some mykrorisol. Thanks friend.

[@cognitive-botanical-therapy]

I do the 5 lb blocks of coco coir from true leaf market. When hydrated 1 block makes a whole tub of sifted coir. I sift it all in an afternoon then store it with a lid. When I’m blocking, I use about the same ratios of worm castings and vermiculite. If I have homemade compost on hand, I sift it and add 1 part. It’s a lot easier than other recipes! I also add MycoBloom as well. I find recipes with a lot of amendments annoying. I never have it all on hand and it’s not worth it to hunt down greensand, etc. locally. ❤

[@tiakorpela8923]

Thanks for posting this video! Do you know how far a bag of Coco Loco gets you with your large soil blocker?

[@CarolMalcomb-s4u]

Great recipe. Thanks

[@user-ef5uu2zm1s]

Hey Bree, thank you for all of your amazing advice! I’ve learned so much from you! I was wondering if you have any recommendations on good sources to purchase worm castings from, or things to look for when buying them?

[@Blossomandbranch]

If possible start a worm farm, then you get them for free! If not go for OMRI certified brands.

[@tinyshedlife]

Thank you so much for your video! I'm doing soil blocking for the first time this gardening season. I was planning to use a different recipe, already have the ingredients, but I love yours much better 🫣 so much easier! If I need another batch, I'll switch to your method. I do have a question about the wool. I have some wool that's for filling pillows etc. Can I use that in the soil block recipe?

[@dglemmer1]

Bree, thank you so much for all the time and hard work that went into your recipe AND making an alternative recipe that can be so affordable. I am wondering, 11 months ago you were putting the wool pellets into the food processor with some water. Would you still do this or just wet the pellets and let them soak a bit and then add to the mix? Thanks for everything!

[@Blossomandbranch]

We've found that soaking does the job as well and won't make your food processor smell like wool, haha!

[@celeste9129]

Thank you for taking the time to share your recipe with us ❤I have a local source for wool fleece. Do you think it would work if I cut it into smaller pieces and incorporate that to the soil mixture?

[@MyFocusVaries]

I don't use peat anymore and googled trying to find alternatives. I settled in dry leaves. They're free, and zero shipping since I get them from neighbours. Newer leaves I chop with a weed whacker in a garbage can, or use leaves that have gone through a mulching mower. I haven't used it in a seed mix. There I just use compost and soul mix.

[@Blossomandbranch]

Hi! We actually tried dried/decomposed leaves (we ran them through a lomi composter) a couple years ago and unfortunately the seedlings struggled big time so be sure to test it first!! :) Let me know how it goes!

[@potagermalo]

Coucou Superbe vidéo

[@chaosinthecraftroom]

Thank you so much for experimenting and sharing it with us. I have learnt so much from you. I use alpaca wood from my alpacas which works well too and a cheap alternative for me as thats what i have available. I have a question about vermiculite, my understanding is that this is a mined unsustainable resource, just wondering if you have an alternative to this or if i am missing something. I know its hard to make a perfect mix thats eco friendly and i love how you have already incorporated so many improvements to the standard soil starting process.

[@beeconnectionzzz8786]

Thanks for the seed-starting recipe! For context (to understand my question): your recipe provides the seedlings with a lot of nutrients. On a go-forward basis, how do you water your seedlings....with straight water or water amended with a liquid fertilizer?? Thanks again Bri for all the wonderful information!!

[@emilyboehr8378]

Thanks so much for this Bree! Just wondering if you could use alfalfa pellets instead of wool? I know you have mentioned them as a DIY fertilizer before

[@jessbeth73]

I live in a rural area and have a friend whose boys have 4H sheep. I just found out they throw away all the wool after sheering. Woohoo! I'll have a source! I'm curious, how else can wool be used in the garden? What about mixing it into the beds?

[@arielbate2115]

I’d love to know as well!

[@ledychestnut400]

Bri!!!! First time growing lisis, I used The Rusted Garden’s recipe of 2 parts coco coir and 1 part vermiculite…so far so good, but gosh do they grow SOOOOOO SLOW! anyway, thanks for your updated recipe, will give it a shot with my next batch of blocks- by the way I should have bought the 5-block rather than the 4-block size like you have recommended for beginners. I do love the mini though. Ok my question is…when is your book coming out????? Eagerly awaiting 💜 🌺 💜

[@Blossomandbranch]

Ooh yes there is absolutely zero nutrients in that recipe so they will be quite slow! Speaking of slow, so is our publisher, pre-sales start this summer! Haha

[@HarshithaK-p5r]

Could we fertilize with seaweed instead?

[@cheesadavila7945]

Thank you! Can you give me the name of the white trays? I’m trying soil blocking for the first time this year! Your videos are so helpful!

[@arielbate2115]

So you don’t add wool pellets to the cocoloco right?

[@laurienafe5390]

Hi Bree! If you use the recipe in the video with one bag/block of each ingredient minus the wool pellets, how much seed starting mix do you have? If you know an approximate number in soil blocks that would be super helpful. Thanks!

[@sarahdavis52]

Do you still recommend pulsing the wool pellets in the blender with some water before adding it into the mix?

[@rachelleighwilliams]

I completely swore off coconut coir years ago after all my and my friend's houseplants that were coming in planted in that stuff ALL got a white layer build on the top of the potting mix and the plants melted. I always thought it was a fungus---was it actually SALT?? I have always wanted to make the switch but my past experience has been terrible. I'm trying to be open!! 😭

[@micoolah]

Do you just let your rehydrated coconut coir dry out afterwards?

[@Blossomandbranch]

I do! I typically have to add a bit more water once it's dry to the mix. :) Hope that makes sense.

[@micoolah]

It does! Thanks!

[@ashleywallace8088]

Hi Bree! You may have covered this in previous videos but couldn’t remember. Do you bottom water your blocked soil? And do you add wool to cocoloco recipe? Thanks! ❤❤❤

[@Blossomandbranch]

Yes, bottom water! Adding wool is always a good idea in my book, if you watch the video from last year we will see we recommend it!

[@tory464]

💚👍

[@weavingrainbow9063]

I'm a wool spinner, and i like to spin different breeds of wool... Is there anything particular about the wool pellets? Do we use washed or unwashed wool? Any tips?

[@melaniebuckner7247]

can you use compost from goats, sheep or cows or does it need to be worm casting specifically

[@tinyshedlife]

Also, where did yo find those pans? I've been hitting up all the resale shops and can't find anything. Thanks!

[@kadieburrone7370]

Does the wool have to be in pellets? How can I use my own wool?

[@Blossomandbranch]

It's difficult to use your own wool in blocks because of the structure (pelletized shreds apart better which is helpful for distributing into soil blocks) but you can use it in our wood trays or just put a tuft of it in the bottom of each cell if using trays :)

[@reneejankord3193]

Do you no longer recommend using green sand?

[@Blossomandbranch]

It was very difficult to find for most folks! If you can find it, it can still be a helpful amendment but not strictly required.

[@thisandthatendeavors]

Which wool pellets?

[@seanandreeawillson5037]

Any brand suggestions for potting mix for those of us in Canada 🇨🇦 who do not have Fox Farm available (anymore- they pulled out) 😢.

[@Blossomandbranch]

The whole second half of the video is a seed starting recipe that doesn't use any specific brand :)

[@heatherpfeil2939]

Have you done a comparison using miccorhizae vs not?

[@Blossomandbranch]

Yes, in the linked video in the description!

[@wendylarsen3426]

What can I use for a comparable product to the Big Foote Mycorrhizae in Canada?

[@wendylarsen3426]

Also a little confused, do you put both the mycorrhizae and wool pellets in? And then do you continue to fertilize once a week or will that do?

[@FloralTherapyLLC]

Hi there! I have asked before and was never noticed a response. Some sources say certain countries are growing coconut just for coir and clearing other native forests to grow them. I’m curious if you have done research on this to see what unintentional environmental impacts it has? I know you do a lot of research so I’m sincerely interested in what you’re seeing

[@Blossomandbranch]

I haven't seen any information about forests being cleared just for coconut coir. For coconuts/palms, yes--but the primary market for coconut is coconut milk, coconut water, and coconut meat, while the husks are a secondary byproduct.

[@seanandreeawillson5037]

Is it possible to sub perlite for vermiculite?

[@Blossomandbranch]

Perlite can be larger but so long as the blocks hold together I don't see why not as that shouldn't affect the nutrient levels!

[@maxlundgren3482]

I'm not sure if you've seen this, but here's some scientific data from two years ago that explains why wool pellets work so well in seed starting soil mix: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p52XmHWcp7CpgrM TLDR: The lanolin provied an initial boost of N for the first 28 days, and N release increases again at around 46 days and contious to release N for ~140 days. The effect of adding wool pellets to the soil blocks probably also gives a boost to the plants over the the majority of the growing season :o

[@Blossomandbranch]

Interesting, I had not seen that!

[@nicholasdemarest4254]

You need to do more research on your peatmoss trash talk. Canada has very stringent regulations on peat. Do the research on coco coir see how sustainable it is. Also how it is produced is not regulated

[@ZoubidaPA]

If the wormcasting is not for texture purposes and only there for its fertilizing properties, it could be lowered to about 10% - 15% of the total mix. It's been scientifically proven to have no increased benefits/value above that. Also, it's been proven to have adverse effects on certain plants growing in the field when used at 20%. I would be even more conservative for seedlings and use no more than 10%.

[@Blossomandbranch]

We did tests of about 8 different ratios. It did best at this one :). I'd love to see the scientific research you're referencing!

[@Blossomandbranch]

After looking, the only "scientific proof" I've found is this study from Mississippi State, which found that "Water-holding capacity and bulk density were greatest in 100% vermicompost from sheep manure. Plants grown in mixtures of 50% vermicompost from sheep had a greater growth index at harvest, foliar area, number of flowers per pot, and dry weight, and they required fewer days for flower development than plants grown in other substrates. Vermicompost from sheep manure added at 50% by volume was most effective as a substrate amendment for chrysanthemum production." www.mafes.msstate.edu/publications/bulletins/b1169.pdf If you're referencing the student work from the University of Arizona that is being cited by google AI (which recommends 30% worm castings in the mix), it is VERY notable that that "research" only was composed of a single seeding per mix, which is a flawed study and hardly statistically significant. I grow 30 seedlings in each mix I test so I can see what the entire recipe looks like; as we know as gardeners some seeds are inherently weaker than others and can easily skew such an experiment. That study was never peer-reviewed or published and is unreliable. You can see that study here. These are the two being used by google AI to come up with recommendations; which as you can see are faulty. If you have other actual scientific research I'd be interested in seeing it. arboretum.arizona.edu/sites/arboretum.arizona.edu/files/Haug-Baltzell%202011%20Research.pdf

[@barbaravanerp4598]

I love your videos. I also think coco peat is not great . Labor practices are awful, it comes from half way across the world. I don’t think it’s better or worse.

[@Blossomandbranch]

Coir is a renewable resource; peat is not. There is fair trade coir available. And lastly, again, the husks that become coir are waste product. So until demand for coconut oil, coconut water/milk, and coconut meat goes away, ecologists agree that it is still a far better option than peat.

[@barbaravanerp4598]

@ I guess we can agree to disagree. I don’t think slave labor is a trade off

[@123bkthayer]

@@barbaravanerp4598 She states that you can get fair trade coir, which means that the farmers and laborers receive fair wages, it is not slave labor. There is clearly an advantage to using coir instead of peat.

[@barbaravanerp4598]

@ we will all do what we think is best. I think it’s a fair debate

[@Blossomandbranch]

@@barbaravanerp4598 Never once did I say "slave labor is a trade off." The unfortunate fact is that in many parts of the world unfair labor is used to produce goods we consume. From the clothes many purchase at Costco to the shoes on our feet, there is none of us who can say nothing we own contributes to the suffering of others. But the evidence that coco coir is ecologically preferable to peat is irrefutable. The "carbon footprint" of coming halfway across the world is actually negligible as peat is shipped from Canada by truck, which has a higher carbon footprint than ocean freight. If you're concerned about labor practices, research the company you are purchasing from--as we all should do. I'd recommend hortgrow.com.