Starting Seeds in the Johnny's 12-Cell Handheld Soil Blocker

Hi, I'm Niki Jabbour and sowing seeds in soil blocks is my favorite way to start vegetable, flower and herb seeds for my garden. Today, I want to introduce you to a heavy duty soil blocker, one that's perfect for making countless soil cubes. It's the Johnny’s Selected Seeds 12-Cell Handheld Soil Blocker.

Soil blocking uses compressed blocks of soil for starting seeds. This blocker was designed to quickly and efficiently create two rows of six soil cubes with 72 of them fitting perfectly in a 1020 tray. The cubes are each 1.5in wide by 1.5in long and two inches deep. Let's make some cubes.

I love starting seeds in soil blocks because it results in vigorous seedlings with robust root systems that are less prone to transplant shock. Plus, it saves money and reduces plastic waste so you don't have to buy sell inserts year after year. It's a very effective way to start a lot of seedlings.

Johnny's 12-Cell Handheld Soil Blocker

As noted, the Johnny's 12-Cell Handheld Soil Blocker is very heavy duty. This is a tool designed to last you for many years. Now, before I show you how to use it, let's take a closer look at its different components. First, you have the stainless steel grid, and this is where you put the growing mix to form the soil blocks. The other part has cast aluminum alloy plungers, which compress the growing mix evenly to pop out perfect soil cubes. The bottom of each plunger is dibbled to create a small hole for your seeds. Each year, I make thousands of soil cubes for seed starting starting in mid to late winter, spring, summer, and even early autumn. The rounded handles are also model to fit in the hand comfortably. All of this means that making cubes with this blocker is less tiring and allows me to work faster.

Supplies

When making soil cubes, you also need to consider the growing mix. It should be a blend of materials like peat, perlite, and compost. You can DIY your own or you can buy a pre-mixed product like Johnny's 512 Mix.

Making soil blocks isn't difficult, but it can be messy, and it's a good idea to gather all of your supplies first so they're close at hand. So what do I need? I have my soil blocker. I have a tray or a work surface so I can make the cubes. I have a flat bottom container of the growing mix, as well as the growing mixed properly hydrated. I have a little extra water in case I need it. I have a 1020 tray where I'm going to put the soil blocks as I make them. I have a butter knife to scrape the bottom of the blocker if necessary. And a tray of water to rinse it clean if soil becomes caked on. When you're ready to use the 12-Cell Soil Blocker, hydrate your growing mix by adding water.

Adding the right amount of water is the key to soil blocks that hold together and stay together. You'll be using more water than when you fill cell packs and pots. For soil blocking, it should be moist enough that it holds together well when you squeeze a handful.

Let's make some soil blocks.

Start by filling the soil blocker. Press the blocker into the growing medium to fill the cells. Really pack it in.

Use the butter knife if you need to scrape off excess soil from the bottom of the blocker. Move it to the tray and grab the plungers.

Place the plungers on top of the soil-filled grid and press down. Then grab the rounded handles and press them into the grid to release the blocks.

Repeat until the tray is filled.

Use the soil blocks to grow vigorous vegetable, herb, and flower seedlings for your garden. Happy growing!

For more detailed information on soil blocking, read our article Soil Blocking: A Better Way to Start Seedlings
View 12 Cell Soil Blocker

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