Soil blocking mix is easy to make. Following are the recipes Patches of Green has used and sold commercially, using organic compost and other ingredients available from most garden centers.
Mini 4 and 5, Maxi, and Long Handle Soil Blocking Recipe:
- 4 parts (buckets*) Organic Compost, sifted and free of weed seeds and disease
- 2 parts (buckets*) each of Peat Moss, Coco Coir, and Pumice (or perlite or vermiculite)
- 1 quart worm castings (if available)
- 1.5 cups each of Feather Meal (nitrogen), Rock Phosphate (phosphorus), Greensand (potassium).**
*These amounts are based on each ‘1 Part’ above equaling an ‘8 Qt bucket’, or 10 buckets total of bulk soil materials. Adjust nutrients according to the total quantity being made.
**Nitrogen helps plant foliage grow strong. Phosphorous helps roots, flowers, and fruit develop. Potassium is important for overall plant health.
Micro 20 Soil Blocking Recipe:
The soil blocking mix for the Micro 20 (3/4" blocks) needs to be finer and less nutrients as you'll be transplanting sooner:
- 2 parts (buckets) Organic Compost
- 3 parts (buckets) Peat Moss
- 3 parts (buckets) Coco Coir
- 2 parts (buckets) fine Pumice (or perlite or vermiculite)
- 1.5 cups (.36 liter) greensand
It is best to wet your mix some hours before you make blocks to improve penetration of water into the planting medium.
See also:
Ladbrooke's Soil Blocking Recipes