Do we really need to mix our own?
In our professional experience, the answer is an unquestionable "Yes".  Allow us to explain.  You could very well go to
the store and pick up a bag of your normal potting soil.  You could wet it down into the "slur" and begin making blocks.  
However, the results you need, the results you expect from a tool that you've just spent good money on, will be
compromised.  You've heard, "your only as good as your weakest link".  Potting soil can be your weakest link.  Store
bought potting soils are never meant to be turned into a bucket of oatmeal.  Nor are they capable of withstanding three
to one compression.  They aren't designed to hold their shape without any container and then be fogged down with
water.  This is the point where so many people say:  "Those soil blockers just don't work very well."  They broke the
weakest link as their blocks fall apart,and wear away from moisture.  Or maybe, they couldn't even get the potting soil to
make a block at all.  And, all other potting soils are sterilized, so would you still call it "organic"?
We recommend the following ingredients and ratios because they work and have worked on over one million
blocks on our farm.  This is the fastest way to get excellent results with soil blockers.  We have used these exact
ingredients with super results.  

Blocking Soil recipe (our favorite)
Use a 10 quart bucket for measuring.  A standard mop and bucket is normally 10 quarts.  Use a measuring cup for the
fertilizer.  
Makes 2 bushels.  Mix in an over sized wheel barrow, Vermont Cart, or lay down a tarp and mix with a rake.  When
mixing by hand, use long sleeved gloves if you don't want dirt under your fingernails.  A children's shovel works great.  
Follow the directions in the order given.  Make base fertilizer first:

Base Fertilizer
  • 1cup blood meal or feather meal or cotton seed meal or shrimp or crab meal or alfalfa meal.
  • 1 cup colloidal phosphate(soft rock phosphate)
  • 1 cup greensand
  • 1 cup glacial rock dust or mined rock dust
  • Mix together thoroughly.

Blocking Soil
  • 3 buckets brown peat or half peat moss and half coco peat.
  • 1/2 cup lime.  MIX
  • 2 buckets coarse perlite, pumice stones, or diatomite rock(all screened to <1/4")
  • 4 cups base fertilizer.  MIX
  • 1 bucket good garden soil.
  • 2 buckets compost, thoroughly decomposed.
Mix all ingredients thoroughly.  Make sure to blend the lime in with the peat really well.  Use a
powdered lime.  Blending the fertilizer in with the peat first helps distribute it evenly.

Storing mix is just fine as it mellows out the ingredients.  And, you'll want to have some around for
over watered slurs, so you can "fluff them up".


A different recipe is used for the micro blocker.  The idea is to "get 'em up and pot 'em on".  No nitrogen
meals are used because they are not needed and you'll be "potting on" in a few days anyway.  Note, no
limestone is needed either.  Screen compost and peat moss with a 1/4" mesh screen, first.

Micro Block Soil Recipe(our favorite)
  • 4 gallons peat, or half peat moss and half coco peat
  • 1 cup colloidal phosphate(soft rock phosphate)
  • 1 cup greensand.  MIX
  • 1 gallon well decomposed compost
Recipes for Block Making
THE LADBROOKE COMPANY RECIPE
  • Very simple, extremely effective mix.  Always mix the peat and limestone first.

  • 4 parts peat moss, or half peat moss and half coco peat
  • 1 part compost
  • 1/8 part sand
  • handful of limestone or rock powder


Here is the simplest method of getting great results with store bought potting soils:  Buy a bale of Pro Mix
and use it as the ingredient for peat moss.  Pro Mix should be available at any garden center, nursery or
greenhouse business.  Mix it 4 to 1 with compost.  Click here for an understanding of what type of compost
you should be buying or making.





Propagation by Cutting-Soil Block Recipe.
  • Cuttings are best rooted in this soil block recipe.  Simple and effective.  Soil sterilization is not recommended, but
    if you don't have disease-free, weed free, seed free, silty loam-like garden soil, then you'd better use a "soil-less
    mix" and rooting hormones.  Always mix the peat and limestone first.
  • 1 gallon garden soil
  • 1 1/2 gallon peat moss
  • 1 gallon coarse grade perlite, pumice, or diatomite rock
  • 7 1/2 teaspoons dolomite or horticulture grade limestone

                               
A journey of 1,000 miles must begin with one step.
-ANCIENT CHINESE PROVERB
Success starts with soil.
-Potting Block Guru