Ladbrooke Authentic Soil Block Maker Mini 4 Hand Held - Most Popular Soil Blocking Tool, Made in England

Bought this for a first attempt at soil blocking after reviewing the options. I was expecting the Ladbrooke to be nice based on reviews, but was still happy to see how well made it is. After a little bit of tweaking the soil mix I was churning out perfect soil blocks with ease. 2" size was perfect for my needs starting a variety of seeds.Update: after using this for hundreds of seed starts this year I am still very satisfied with this product.

Starting seeds in soil blocks is the best method for the majority of what I grow and this soil block maker is the one to get for the job. The 2x2" blocks are the perfect size for starting indoors in trays and can easily be planted up into pots or directly transplanted into the ground outdoors. This block maker is built solidly making it easy to use, easy to maintain and the ideal size for home gardeners. I've been using mine for 9 years and it works as well as the day that I got it. Also makes a great gift for the gardeners you have in your life!

I like to start seeds for my vegetable garden in the Winter, so they are ready to plant out in the Spring. Got tired of all the plastic pots and trays, so I thought I would give this a try. I love it. You have to plan ahead a bit to get the soil mixed just right, but once you do it's easy to make these soil blocks. I think the mix is about 50/50 ratio of water to seed starting soil, and you let it sit awhile until the water is soaked in pretty good. I put the blocks on a grid tray and they are ready for seeds. The cool thing, is when you are ready to plant outside, you just plant the whole block. Worked out well in my garden.

The product itself is solid and easy to use. However, the plastic inserts that create the dimples for planting seeds into are flimsy and will get lost easily (out of the 4 inserts provided, one arrived broken so was completely unusable). Strongly suggest replacing the plastic inserts with a 1/4" x 3/4" stainless steel bolt, with washers on each side and a nut on the soil block side. Gives the same dimple roughly and will not rust. So, main body of product is good. However, not a solid 5 star due to cheap and brittle inserts- I've seen other posts of people losing them in thier potting mix and such. If they improve their finished product, would give a higher rating.

I love this and have been busy making my soil blocks for my veggies, flowers, and herbs! You won't regret buying this product! It might seem a little pricey, but it will soon pay for itself!

Soil blocks are amazing, and I wish I'd just pulled the trigger on this device when I first heard of them. Last year, I made a cheap "soil blocker" out of an old Crystal Light container. I didn't want to spend money on this contraption before I was sure soil blocks would work. Well heck yes they work! My seedlings love them. I'm not sure if it's the dense soil (recipe below) or the even moisture or what, but my plants consistently grow better in blocks than inserts. Plus transplanting is simplified (just put it straight in the ground) and easier on the plants roots.You do need to use special soil to get the blocks to stay together, but it's easy to make:Soil Recipe:- 1 part peat moss or coco coir- 1 part pearlite or vermiculite- 1 part finished compostMix it all up dry, then put on some rubber gloves (the kind you'd wash dishes in) and start mixing in water. Better too much water then too little, but ideally you want to be able to squeeze a handful, open your hand, and have it hold its shape. It's a messy affair, like making mud pies. Don't make my mistake of running straight to the garden after work without changing into grungy clothes - apparently mud stains :/I can fit 50 of these 2-inch blocks in a standard 1020 tray, and it makes bottom-watering easy. I can get away without humidity domes because these hold so much water. These are more work upfront than inserts or pots, but less work at transplant time, and less seedlings lost to shock.I also bought the "micro" blocker (the one with 20 tiny blocks) and I would say don't bother with it. It's too hard to keep the tiny blocks moist. They are really only good for germination, and it is way easier to just germinate in a tray of soil and prick out the baby seedlings than go thru the hassle of the itsy bitsy blocks.

I learned about this wonderful tool in our community garden club class. I absolutely love it! It's easy to use. Easy to clean. I bought used covered aluminum pans and used these squares to start seeds inside this winter. SO much nicer than using any other tool or method I've tried for seed planting. There are many online videos that show how to use and types of healthier soil ideas. Enjoy!!!

The product functions as advertised. However, it arrived with the plastic bag opened and was missing four plastic inserts designed to create dimples on the top of the blocks for seed placement. I contacted the vendor and left a message. Within five minutes, Linda, the owner of Patches of Green, returned my call. She was polite and promptly sent replacement inserts, which I received within four days.