Back when I ran a market garden I used to use a soil blocker for starting my tomato, pepper, and melon seeds. I'd create flats of 40 2" square blocks each. Then I'd pot-up to a 4" pot when the seedlings began to show root. The result was a healthy, hearty seedling with a great head-start on the season.

The thread about the cardboard centers from TP or PT rolls got me to wondering if anyone uses soil blocks?

Would like to...can't afford a good blocker

I had experimented with pint size milk cartons to form the blocks. Not as clean as the blocker - and a bit large - but not bad for a cheap solution but not economical for a production operation either.

I'd cut the carton to form a block 1-1/2" to 2" tall. I used a piece of lumber cut to the right size to help pack the potting mix and then inverted it onto the flat.

To get the dimple the seed went in I used corks from whiskey bottles. Then I cut a hole in the bottom of the carton to fit the cork through. To change the depth I had a block of wood with a hole drilled in the center - about 1" deep - that would fit over the cap such that I could set the carton on the block and the cap would fit into the hole. Then I used steel washers in the hole to set the depth of the cork. It worked reasonably well.

So happy to have this topic brought up again. I use the mini's and 2" blocks sometimes. Unfortunately the 4" block maker is over $100.00. I love them--only problem is watering them and being available to keep an eye on them. It would be nice to hear from others who use soil blocks.

What is a soil Blocker?

It's a tool that creates blocks of packed potting mix. They literally look like little blocks of soil and have a dimple in the top where the seed rests. Messy process especially when compared with cell-trays and plastic flats.

Been using Ladbroke blockers for about 8 years.

I use the mini and 2" sizes. Don't have much need for the 4" blocker as I like to have my seedlings in the ground long before that size would be needed

I find these do best with bottom watering. Top watering erodes them enough to prevent root pruning.

http://www.ladbroke.com

Interested to know what soil mixture you use for the 2" blocks, When I used them in the past I put a capillary mat beneath the blocks to keep the moisture up.

Is that the right URL as I keep getting an error?

My mistake. it was the wrong URL

here is the correct URL
http://www.ladbrooke.co.uk/