It has come to our attention here at PottingBlocks.com that the current recipes listed on our website may not be the best blocking mix for cuttings.  Earlier this summer, we have been taking more and more cuttings of our favorite strains of basil, tomatoes, flowers,  herbs and even peach trees!  Gleaning some info from old text books about flower propagation, we decided to use some vermiculite and make a cutting or propagation recipe specifically for soil blocks.  Remember, soil blocks are compacted into small cubes and must have a specific ratio of ingredients to succeed.  This is not an opinion, but a fact.  You may make blocks with any potting soil or mix, but will they come out to perfection like our site talks about?  As the leading authority on the web for soil block gardening, we like consistency, trials, proof, and finally, recommendations.  We are now recommending that you use this soil block recipe for propagation by cuttings:

1 gallon garden soil                                                                                                                  1 gallon + 3 cups peat moss (screened 1/4")                                                                 1 gallon coarse or medium vermiculite                                                                          5 teaspoons of dolomite or horticulture grade limestone

Remember, good garden soil is a heavy silt loam, free of weed seeds and insects and diseases.  How to tell what type of soil you have?  Try rubbing it in your hands when it is dry.  If it has a gritty feeling between you fingers, it is sandy; if it is floury, it is silty; if the lumpy particles are harsh to the touch, it is clay.  A silt loam becomes somewhat lumpy as it dries, but these lumps break up easily between the fingers.  The higher the clay content of the soil, the more difficult it is to break up the lumps.  In looking for a soil, choose one that, when completely dry, varies in shade from light tan to brownish-black.  The color may vary depending on the amount of humus (organic matter) in the soil.  The slight amount of moisture will greatly change the color tone and make your sample tests worthless.  Avoid red soils and black soils, as red is clay and black will contain too much organic matter and will not work for cuttings.  A heavy silt loam will more than likely be found anywhere water has deposited it, like a creek bank or a river bed.     Readers will notice the new addition of vermiculite into our recipes.  Please be advised to choose an "asbestos free" vermiculite.  We do sell a 3.5 cubic foot bag of vermiculite that has been tested "no asbestos was detected".  It sells for $24.99 plus shipping and handling.  Click here for more details.  Let's propagate on the block!  And, don't forget your 1" dowel pins for cuttings!