Soil blockers: Simplify your cultivation

Soil compactor/soil blockers - What to use it for?

The soil ball or soil blockers is a press that you can use to create small soil balls/soil pots for cultivation. This saves you growing pots or growing pallets and therefore plastic waste. You may already be familiar with these cubes from seedlings bought from the market. Many gardeners swear by this simple and practical method. And with a little practice, creating the soil pots is no more time-consuming than using growing pots! On the contrary - the soil blocker offers a number of advantages!

Advantages of the soil compactor

Time, space and cost savings with pots in the ground

If you fill normal plastic pots or growing pallets, it may seem less time-consuming than using a soil blocker to produce lots of soil balls. However, you will save time later on because you can simply plant the soil balls and don't have to remove your plants from the pots first. What's more, you only have to buy the soil blocker once, whereas most plastic pots and growing plates break quickly. The procurement of new containers alone takes a lot of time and effort. A good potting press will last you a long time with the right care. The only other thing you will need to buy is a base plate or box on which you can place your soil balls. As the pressed pots of soil can be placed directly next to each other, you save an enormous amount of space compared to pots. And who doesn't know that there is ALWAYS a lack of space when growing plants?

Less plastic and waste with potless cultivation

If you use a soil blocker, plastic pots will soon be superfluous. This means you use less plastic and generate less waste. You also avoid microplastics from the growing pots getting into your soil and your vegetable plants. You can read more tips for sustainable growing here in the article.

No transmission of diseases between the young plants

If you use plastic pots or growing pallets, you should wash them out regularly after use and at best disinfect them so that no diseases are transferred between the seedlings. The soil blocker makes growing containers superfluous. Diseases cannot be transmitted so easily here. The only thing that needs to be cleaned is your saucer container and the soil press itself!

Soil bales: gentle cultivation for your seedlings

Your plants will thank you for the soil blocker, as their roots can spread out much better and don't bump into the outside of the plastic walls. This prevents roots from growing around themselves due to a lack of space and "strangling" themselves in the process. In addition, you can always keep an eye on how well the roots of your seedlings are developing and when they should be planted out! Your seedlings are also protected when they are planted out, as you don't have to remove their roots from the growing pots first, but can simply place the root balls in the soil.

Earth-mud fun - for children too!

The final advantage of the potting press is the fun of filling the press with moist potting soil with your hands. This is not only fun for older gardeners, but also for younger ones. Find out more about this topic in our article on gardening with children.

Our tip: Buy a soil compactor

If you fancy making your own earth pots, we have something for you: In our store you will find a high-quality, handmade soil blocker made in a small family business.

Soil baler: The right potting soil

To fill the chambers of the soil blocker, you first need sufficiently moist potting compost. Some people buy extra professional growing substrate from the nursery, but this is not absolutely necessary. If you would prefer to use professional substrate, simply ask your nursery what kind of growing medium they use and whether you can buy it. It is important that the potting compost is fine and rich in humus so that it holds together well. If your potting compost is a little older or quite dry, moisten it in a large bucket with a spray bottle. To see if it is moist enough, take a handful of soil and press it together firmly with the palm of your hand. If it holds well, you can use it for your soil blocker.

Our tip: add sound for better cohesion

Some experienced gardeners also mix bentonite into their potting compost so that the root balls stick together better. This is a clay mineral that ensures that the soil particles can stick together better. You can also add one cup of betonite to 10-20 liters of soil.

Instructions: How to use soil blockers

Step 1: Filling the soil compactor

Fill the potting press by pressing it firmly into the potting soil. Then press it down once more on the floor or table and remove the rest with a shovel or knife.

Step 2: Pressing the soil pots

Then press the cuboid pots of soil into a box that will serve as a base. Ordinary hard plastic boxes, which are also available in (Swedish) furniture stores, are suitable for this. A 60 x 80 x 18 cm box can hold approx. 90 to 100 soil balls with a diameter of 5 cm. If the boxes have a lid, this is all the better, as it keeps the moisture in the pots of soil. However, you should ventilate several times a day until germination to prevent mold from forming!

Step 3: Sowing

Place the seeds in the small hollow and press down/cover with soil.

Step 4: Water the seeds

Otherwise, use a spray bottle to moisten your soil balls 1-3 times a day, depending on the humidity and cover situation.

If the roots of the seedlings have grown deeper into the root ball, you can also water the blocks from below. This allows them to soak up water.

Step 4: Fertilize heavy growers

Approx. 2 weeks after germination, you can feed your vigorous plants with a little liquid fertilizer (preferably organic fertilizer). However, only give half the specified amount.

I hope I have been able to help you with your questions about the soil pot press/soil baler and make you want to give it a try! If you have any questions or comments, please write to us at magazin@fryd.app.

Would you like to receive helpful gardening tips all year round and plan your own beds optimally? Then register here or download the Fryd app for Android or iOS.

Fryd - your digital bed planner