Soil blocking 101: learn to soil block with our peat-free recipe!

UPDATE JANUARY 13, 2024: HERE IS OUR UPDATED FAVORITE SOIL BLOCKING MIX! • Seed starting soil mix...
Have you been wanting to learn how to soil block for your home farm or market garden, but don't want to watch our full hour long class? No worries! We've summed it up in this quick video on how to soil block (fast!). Why do we soil block? Well, a few reasons! Not only does soil blocking result in healthier seedlings (no root circling means no weak rootbound plants, and stronger plants are more drought and pest resistant!), it also helps us save a lot of space and means we don't have to keep buying plastic trays that eventually inevitably break down and end up in the landfill!
Depending on the size you go with, you can also start lots of seeds like we do! Check out our other videos on size options for soil blockers and how we lay out our backyard greenhouse to start tons of seeds every year!
Tools needed to soil block:
Soil blocker
Sifter
Fiberglass trays
Long spout narrow mouth watering can
Bin for soil
Scraper/spatula
Burlap or saran wrap for a humidity dome
Other tools available here: www.amazon.com/shop/blossoman...
Regenerative gardening course: blossomandbranchfarm.teachabl...
Flower arranging course: blossomandbranchfarm.teachabl...

[@debragrubbs4067]

Thank you. Great video as always.

[@OrganicBackyardGardening]

Super helpful! Thank you! Cheers, Tim

[@albertnett7864]

Great job. Well done.

[@rogehnimunoz4327]

Thank you so much for this vid.

[@jennyzimmer2224]

I think I might dive into soil blocking this year! Thank you!

[@debbie0greer164]

I love to hear about soil blocking! Getting ready to order my wool pellets✔️

[@heatheryoungbloom5085]

I love your channel! I found you on TikTok and have followed you on all your platforms and am learning so much! Thank you!!!

[@christingnad]

Thank you! Super simple recipe that doesn’t overwhelm me. Appreciate it. Going to buy these items now.

[@malissakelly2969]

I was excited to see you use wool pellets, I had been researching them and now I have a tested way to start my seeds. Very much looking forward to your tests using raw wool from your own sheep. I have access to waste wool and would love to bypass the huge expense of the pellets. Thank you for all the great info you are putting out!

[@jamiestoneham8168]

Do you pot up for your tomatoes, peppers and larger seedlings or are these soil block big enough? It seems like the seedlings couldn’t get very big in that size. 🤷‍♀️ thanks!

[@Sunny14136]

Thank you!

[@sellingprincess7835]

Love the soil blocking. I planted my Hippeastrum seeds using soil blocking and it is the best thing, ever. Seedlings are so heathy and very easy to transplant

[@leahmorrisoncreative]

THANK YOU!!! This is my first year using soil blocking, reasons being Im not having to clean hundreds of tiny seed trays, minimizing plastic, but when you talked about the healthier roots not circling and binding? I was sold. HOLY CRAP. I did both of your recipes, wanting to see which would work best for our humid area. The wool pellets are more expensive and I have found managing the moisture level properly a bit of a learning curve, but I have NEVER had such healthy seedlings! They’re only 4-5 weeks old, no fertilizer yet, and they’re SO lush and green!!! I can’t wait to see how the plants do through the year. The green sand recipe is the one I used on the second round of seedlings, planted about 2 weeks ago. Also looking great. Very excited to see. I am using the regular seed trays with the taller sides because that’s what I had and I didn’t want to invest in all new stuff until I got to test it, but I did leave about an inch/inch and a half gap all the way around and have a fan blowing. Those blocks are also holding their shape the best, just because I have them in an awkward corner and accidentally bump them as I move them around. So the sides are offering protection. Anyway, thank you SO much for all you are sharing, the experiments you do, and your honesty.

[@Blossomandbranch]

I’m so glad to hear that and I so appreciate you reporting back!! I agree on the learning curve with the moisture, I’ve found they need more at the beginning and then back off as they get bigger, but yes my wool pellet blocked plants are massive without fertilizer, too!

[@eowyn237]

Your system is so impressive! 😊I'm so excited to try it.

[@Blossomandbranch]

You can do it! 🥰

[@dawnalbani7887]

What size sifter and what mesh size on the sifter?

[@BramptonGardener]

Great video. I love soil blocking. I just use straight poting mix, and haven't had any issues.

[@arlenstrauch]

Thanks for the comment. I'm going to try soil blocking next year.

[@pokeydiaz210]

@@arlenstrauchhave you tried it? I just started. Coco coir seem to weaken the soil block so I won’t be using that anymore

[@arlenstrauch]

I went the cheap route and used regular potting soil. It worked great for the petunias.

[@karenm5681]

This is my second season using soil blocks, so I’m no expert, but I do love using my soil blockers. I have the mini size (20) and the larger blocker with 4 in a row, and I use both sizes often. I don’t think I could choose only one. Well, no…I guess if I had to choose only one, I’d pick the mini blocker because I ✨could✨pot them up into a larger container if I had to, or just start them later when it’s warmer to harden off/plant into the garden while they’re still quite small. I love soil blockers for so many reasons, but especially for the space saving aspect.

[@sveindanielsolvenus]

A big benefit of soil blocks is that the soil gets oxygenated much better than in plastic pots, because of the increased soil surface area exposed to air. 5 sides exposed instead of just 1 side. This prevents disease, because of the increased aerobic environment and also the roots needs oxygen.

[@GEOsustainable]

I gotta try this. Soil blocking is new to me . Thank you! Not sold on the lamb's wool pellets, but your results were amazing.

[@wildvalleyfarms4789]

Both Utah State University and the University of Vermont studies showed similar results using Wool pellets.

[@Blossomandbranch]

We have another recipe using coconut coir. :)

[@chantelhockstein1285]

Where would you recommend sourcing wool pellets? I live in Cache Valley where USU is located in the main town.

[@TheFarmacySeedsNetwork]

Thanks for the walk through... I've had soil block stuff for a long time and every time I revisit it, I find the recipe isnt great from Elliott... I will give it a try with your formula... Would love to eliminate all the smaller plastic pots / trays and dump filler. Cheers! Happy New Year!

[@bktcz]

Love it! THANKS! Where do you get good wool pellets????

[@deanablythe9394]

Thank you for this video, it looks just the thing moving forward if I don't want to use more plastic, which I don't. I have priced it out and it's not a great investment, especially since it's a one-off cost and last for many years.

[@karenlapierre]

Would love to know where you got your sifter that fits over a five gallon bucket. Thank you. Love your videos. So informative

[@Blossomandbranch]

There’s a link in the description to the tools, I believe that is in there! It’s the 1/4” screen

[@caitlinhaack6087]

Do you add anything else to your current seed starting mix (that you had in ur previous mixes), or are u using these two ingredients only? I have just discovered ur videos and I appreciate ur straight-forward approach, with step-by step instructions! Thank you!

[@paulamcgivern8552]

Did my first batch last night so fingers crossed they stay in tact 😅

[@paulamcgivern8552]

So far so good, wo g bok alreadypeeping up so I will remove the burlap. I love the fact that they look like chocolate brownies # allthegoodness❤

[@katebarrett1924]

I wanted to share an update - based on your instruction I did a couple trial trays and every cell germinated! This is a huge improvement from my attempts in the past. No cover (plastic) and bottom watering daily is what made the difference - thanks to you!!! I appreciate it sooo much!!

[@Blossomandbranch]

YAY! So glad to hear kate and thank you for the update!!

[@MilliePat]

I would love to know what you used because I did the cocoloco and wool pellets recipe and got a 5% germination and I used heat mats and humidity domes

[@gvillegal9571]

@@MilliePat i used the soil blocking recipe I've been using - I'm a small hobby cut flower grower so my recipe is sifted peat moss, purchased compost (mine still had stuff living in it) and two additives (LMZ recipe for cool flowers) but I used Regenerative Gardening's method. Low sided tray, no plastic cover (dome) - I know - it felt funny not using, heat mat, bottom watered every day and after it sat for like 10 minutes I poured off any remaining water. Hope this helps!

[@MilliePat]

@@gvillegal9571 I need to increase the compost ratio in the mix . I am doing more mini blocks today. I have the green sand and rock phosphate powders

[@MilliePat]

@@gvillegal9571 Do you place the tray under grow lamps during germination?

[@hansejr]

I was hesitant to try this recipe because it was so different from others I have seen. But I did it and it worked just fine. Fortunately I have soil blocked before so knew what consistency needed to be. The amount of water to add was the only variable here. I ended up adding 6 parts to the overall mixture.

[@Blossomandbranch]

Yes, I think some has to do with how moist your wool pellets are to begin with! Thanks for trying it out! ❤️

[@Mheldz09]

Thank you for sharing your experience! What can you recommend as alternative to wool pallets? Thank you 🙏

[@tinabarton2938]

Im going to use this method now to start seeds for next year. Do you know how many soil blocks you can get out of a bag of coco loco and the mykos? I live so far away from a store that carries this product would like to calculate how many bags I would need to grow everything. I love your channel, very informative and I learned a lot from you. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience, I really appreciate it.

[@rosesgardentime]

do you use anything for fungus gnats?? this is amazing!

[@MahtayCafeLounge]

Does soil blocking allow for a larger outdoor planting window (time wise)? I would think so, with no fear of the plant being root bound. With our unpredictable springs, that would be a real big advantage.

[@HasanBasri-oi9th]

Bsa pesan❤

[@jujubee7351]

What size of sifting pan would i need to make my seedling blocks? 1/4 or 1/8 ? New here , thank you so much for your videos. I’ve learned so much already! I had never ever heard of wool pallets before your video.

[@dawnalbani7887]

I have the same question. DiD you figure out the answer?

[@kevinlt143]

Do you find the soil blocks/seedlings do better with no cover (vs say a vented mini greenhouse type product which sort of top and bottom waters)

[@sarahs4109]

Hi! Is there a benefit of fiberglass trays over plastic polypropylene cafeteria trays? Thanks 🙏🏼 Your videos are so thorough, I’ll be watching every single one! The lisianthus one was incredible ❤

[@dana102083]

Plastic leaching...i think cafeteria trays would warp more as well?

[@bareanite5055]

Hey just subscribed! Great channel. Just have a question, if you cover your soil blocks with Saran Wrap, how do they get good air flow? Can you clarify? Thanks

[@maukaimakai]

Thanks for this Video. Wool pellets are hard to find. What size sifter do u use?

[@sn232]

Do you have a link for the longer fiberglass trays?

[@jayneweeden2319]

Did you get a link to the fibreglass trays?

[@user-ij7gy5qp2e]

I also want a link as I checked on Amazon real quick and the one I found was $30 😢 not practical for the amount of seedlings I need to start.

[@elisewarner963]

Are the trays food safe? I don’t see it listed anywhere, and can’t find any that say they are. I would love to do this (your videos are so helpful!) but am concerned about leaching chemicals in plants we want to eat.

[@AlvinKazu]

I see in all of your videos you mention "peat free" is there a reason you dislike peat? I see that you use coco coir instead of peat. I'm looking at Soil Blocking so I found your videos.. Thank you!

[@roxannemcclintock1495]

I'm new to your channel and love the idea of soil blocking. I like the medium size you used in this video, but is there a method to "potting up" using soil blockers? Do you just set the whole block into a slightly larger container? Tomatoes and peppers, for example. Thank you for the inspiration!

[@karenm5681]

Yes, you can do that if you wish, but you can save time by just starting your tomatoes & peppers in the medium or large soil blocks.

[@SarahShepz]

That’s what I was wondering about too!! I see all the soil block how tos but what’s next? 😅 I’m new and need it spelled out

[@karenm5681]

@@SarahShepz You wait till the right time to start your seeds, (because temperature is important) make your soil blocks, drop the seeds on top of the blocks. Tiny seeds like the size of dust don’t need any soil put on top, but for all other seeds, the guideline is to look at how wide the seed is and it should be 2x that deep. Your plant babies will need light, 14- 16 hours a day under bright light. A shop light will work. The plants should be close but not touching it. They need you to check about once a day to give them enough water so they don’t dry out completely, but not so much that they can’t get oxygen to their roots as well. They don’t need fertilizer at the very start when they’re just getting going, but it won’t be too long before they need nutrients, so I give my seedlings a once a week “Fertilizer Friday” with a liquid fertilizer. One gallon of water needs only one tablespoon of the stinky liquid, and don’t overdo it. More is not better. After they grow for about a month or 2 you’ll want to “harden them off” by introducing them over the course of a week to their new environment. Day 1: 2 or 3 hours outside, then bring them back to where they’re used to. Day 2: 3-4 hours outside, Day 3: 4-5 hours and so on until they are used to the wind & sun. After the week is done they should be fully hardened off and ready to go into their new homes. An overcast day or even a little rain is ideal conditions, but in summer, plant seedlings in the evening so that after you water it in, it has the best chance of establishing itself before the sun hits it the next day. If you’d like more gardening support as you’re starting your gardening journey, may I highly recommend a channel called Roots and Refuge Farm? Jess wants to teach gardening to anyone who wants to learn, and newbies are so very welcome and there’s no such thing as a silly question. Besides the videos themselves, if you read the comment section on pretty much any video, you’ll find a bunch of encouragement and support and advice from people who have been gardening for years. It’s a great place on KZbin. Check it out if you’re interested.🌱 Happy gardening!

[@kristasterzenbach3420]

I have my soil blocks all finished and planted, but I must have missed a part. Yikes! I cover them and then when do I put lights on them? Do they need to be in a dark place until they sprout? Or do I put a grow light on them right away. If lighting right away, how many hours on and how many off? Thanks! Loved the video.

[@karie3]

Where would you find wool pellets? I have used so many different recipes, and they all require 5 or 6 different ingredients. So I would love to use this 2 ingredient recipe. But I have no idea where to get wool pellets.

[@laurendobie9257]

Love this! Do you know of any other names for wool pellets? I'm in Australia, and just can't find any. We have a huge sheep industry so surely someone makes them, but maybe undet a different name??

[@Pickle_juice1212]

I’m also in Australia, did you end up having any luck finding some?

[@covertperspective7169]

I have a simple question that I can't find an answer for anywhere online! Can you start soil blocking outdoors? If not, why? Whats the difference? Also, can you use a different potting soil when transplanting to bigger containers? I can't grow in the ground at my house currently. I am using your coco loco and wool pellet recipe but for the amount of plants I have it would be quite expensive to fill 15 10-inch pots with. Thank you in advance!

[@OviHentea]

Thank you for sharing the practices, and avoiding plastics. More gardeners need to account for that. Question: would this work as an alternative to seed bombs? Could I pack the block with a seed mix and leave it out in nature? Would the block provide enough humidity? Probably better than a nut-sized bomb, no?

[@FrancesScottFurryandFree]

What are seed Bombs?

[@ALJ03]

Is it possible to use wool from sheared sheep? A family friend said the 4-H groups shear their sheep and discard the wool. Would love a more cost effective and local work around! Especially since this soil mix is amazing!! I’ve never had such healthy plants and strong roots-thank you!

[@snsnplpl]

I have been using sheared wool for a lot of things. I use it in the bottom of pots- absorbs moisture and prevents dirt from falling out the drain hole, I use it in walkways either plain or under a layer of wood chips, it can be placed in areas that need erosion control (staked or weighted down if needed). A thick layer suppresses weeds, retains moisture, does not attract termites (since is protein based, not cellulose) and breaks down slowly releasing nitrogen. I look forward to her video on how to make wool pellets from sheared wool, but I think a pair of long sharp shears could slice up the wool into small enough pieces to use in soil blocking because, yes, the wool pellets you buy are very expensive.

[@cassieradl8775]

Would you recommend this if the seedlings are for a plant sale? I love the idea of plastic free, but I'm not sure how this would go in terms of selling and transporting. Great video!!

[@Blossomandbranch]

I would purchase cow pots and place the soil blocks in them for transport :)

[@cassieradl8775]

@@Blossomandbranch I love this idea! Thank you!

[@jeffmarx5657]

Starting with a 12 quart bag of Coco Loco and using the 3 part Coco Loco to 1/2 part wool ratio and, putting the pellets through a processor first, how many ounces of wool would I need for the 12 quarts of Coco Loco?

[@TheMusicbabe101]

Whats the difference between the fiberglass tray and the bottom tray from Epic Gardening’s store?

[@TRUFIVE50]

It looks like Epic Gardening no longer carries fiberglass trays. Do you know of any other sources?

[@catherineemerson99]

What size mesh do you recommend on the screen? I went to the Amazon link but it shows several sizes. Thanks for all the tips!

[@Blossomandbranch]

1/4”!

[@scrubbymcgee2]

Tell me more about that "magic apricot"!🤭

[@trinawilliams1395]

I purchased some tiny lisianthus plugs and they are a bit root bound. If I pot them up to the larger soil blocks will the roots spread out and continue to grow? Thanks!!

[@Blossomandbranch]

Unfortunately you can’t pot up a plug into a soil block easily but you can put them into a bigger tray or go ahead and plant if possible!

[@bethdavis6629]

Are you grinding the wool pellets a bit to make them finer? Think I’m going to try this mix. Thank you.

[@Blossomandbranch]

We are not, you can watch the video to see how we incorporate them

[@careycannon1698]

What is the “dirt premix” that you are adding to the mix of wool pellets and coco logo?

[@cindylotzmann9844]

This is my first time starting seeds. When you cover with plastic wrap, do you simply lay it on the top?

[@weeg91]

Peghy blumquist teaches soil blocking

[@user-ii7ry2lj5j]

Does it work to use self-watering trays?

[@bernadetteblack1772]

What type of seed do you start in the really small soil block (4x6, 12 very small blocks)?

[@loriakers4952]

Do you hydrate the pellets first?

[@biblicalprepping]

Awesome video! Thank you - quick question - you mention wool pellets - are they actually made of WOOL? Sounds weird, I know - but I am allergic to wool!! LOL Can you recommend an alternative?

[@Blossomandbranch]

Yes they are made of wool. We have another recipe on our channel using coconut coir.

[@biblicalprepping]

@@Blossomandbranch Thank you for your fast response. I truly appreciate it! LOVE your videos - especially the one about how much you can grow and pros/cons of the small-ish greenhouse. You answered a lot of questions for me. Will look for the other video right now! Have a great week - glad I found your channel!

[@shaneseeley9641]

We are thinking about starting soil blocking. What size block maker would you recommend if you only want to use one size? We don't really have the area to continually size up and not sure if the mini 5 or the mini 4 that you have in your store would be better. Any advise??

[@Blossomandbranch]

Medium! We have a separate video on which side to choose. The medium is the 1-1/2” that makes 5 blocks at a time

[@kpwaterfield]

Thanks for the Video. Do you have any numbers on the cost per block? It seems like it would be expensive to use the Fox Farm product and Wool Pellets.

[@Blossomandbranch]

Watch our latest video :) you can skip it if it’s cost prohibitive

[@laurabethhudson4951]

When you fertilize with the fish emulsion and water mix, do you bottom water with in the same way you would do a regular watering?

[@karenm5681]

Yes

[@Blossomandbranch]

Correct!

[@cassiecasey8752]

Do you have an organic recommendation for soil?

[@Blossomandbranch]

Anything OMRI certified will be good!

[@francesherman9083]

How many inches is your big soil blocker. The one at the beginning of the video. Thanks

[@StevenfromTX]

Would this be too wet for cactus seeds?

[@wildvalleyfarms4789]

Have you seen a need for any other fertilizer when using wool pellets?

[@Blossomandbranch]

So far we haven’t fertilized. I will let you know!!

[@whistlinghenfarms5665]

How do you label or identify all of the seedlings in your greenhouse when you are soil blocking?

[@Blossomandbranch]

Blue painters tape on the side :)

[@buckybosun]

Where did you get the5 soil blocker and what is its size?

[@cathydorner]

When hardening off, is there any extra consideration with the plants? I wonder if any exposed roots would be damaged?

[@Blossomandbranch]

Nope, because any exposed roots are already air pruned. :)

[@user-xe4ei6hu9j]

Which wool pellets do you use?

[@expeditionanactonacademy1953]

If we cannot easily find, nor afford the online prices of wool pellets, do you still recommend your original soil block recipe using Coco-loco soil, coco coir, and green sand? Thank you.

[@Blossomandbranch]

Yes, absolutely!!

[@wildvalleyfarms4789]

The 16 oz Wool Pellets are on sale right now. The amazing growth of the seedlings in the video are because of the Wool pellets.

[@user-tv7cw7tk7k]

Can you please explain why to use peat-free?

[@christinacooper8731]

I have been soil blocking for about a year now and I am having a constant issue with algae growing on top. Do you have this issue and how do you remedy it? I have an indoor shelf/light setup.

[@Blossomandbranch]

Your blocks are too wet! Let them dry out between watering and keep a fan on.

[@Razned]

Has the block of soil ever fell apart??

[@pattywarne9190]

can you soil block everything in the small cubes? I have limited space

[@Blossomandbranch]

We do, everything except sweet peas and native grasses!

[@happytrailshomestead]

Where do you get your wool pellets from?

[@anneg8319]

Can tomato cloning be done in soil blocks? Thank you in advance.

[@FrancesScottFurryandFree]

I don’t know but be sure to look up videos on how to make a “homemade cloning machine.” I have made several and they work SO well!

[@weeg91]

it would appear Peggy blumquist moved onto gardening to help put the past behind her

[@dawnalbani7887]

What size Sifter and what size mesh on the sifter? Thanks!

[@Blossomandbranch]

1/4” mesh

[@janicesatterwhite8540]

Which brand of wool pellets do you use? Those things are expensive.

[@Blossomandbranch]

Stay tuned!! You might not need them…

[@janicesatterwhite8540]

@@Blossomandbranch Okayyyy, intriguing.

[@joannthompson765]

where can i find wool pellets

[@nicolerosenbaum5731]

Where did you get your trays from?(:

[@elisabetk2595]

Those look like Epic Gardening trays. I use cafeteria-style trays I'd gotten from a restaurant supply store years ago - at the time they were very cheap.

[@Avemarianow]

I got everything you recommended and my blocks are falling apart :/

[@Blossomandbranch]

It’s likely moisture level!! They need to be much wetter than traditional trays. Send me a message over on instagram with a photo and I’ll talk you thru!

[@MilliePat]

Seeds not coming up, 60 Zinnias and 1 germinated. Don’t know whether to try again with wool pellets or try another recipe 😢

[@FrancesScottFurryandFree]

Did you provide heat below the trays? My germination rate went way up when I put heat under my trays. I used incandescent Christmas light strings, but I don’t know if that’s safe. It worked for years though.

[@MilliePat]

@@FrancesScottFurryandFree I used heat mat and domes and got the same low germ rate.

[@MilliePat]

@@FrancesScottFurryandFree I was using heat mats made for plant trays, and they were under the trays

[@56243G]

What's wrong with peat? It's completely natural and immense quantities are readily available in North America.

[@Blossomandbranch]

It’s being banned for use in garden products in the UK starting next year and with good reason. Biologists actually say that peat bogs take thousands of years to regrow after draining and harvesting. Peat bogs are the planet’s number one carbon sequesterer, and the harvest of peat results in the release of tons of atmospheric carbon, leading to increases in greenhouse gasses that hasten climate change. You’re welcome to do your own research. Just don’t be biased by the peat industry websites ;)

[@56243G]

@@Blossomandbranch Alrighty then, let's use something from the tropics that rides thousands of miles on a ship that burns bunker fuel. Putting peat in my garden doesn't release any carbon. It's just in my garden instead of in the bog.