Quick verdict
A hand-held stainless press that compacts wet seed mix into eight 2 inch cubes at a time, each with a seed dimple from one of three interchangeable pin sets. Soil blocks replace pots and cells: roots air-prune at the block edge instead of circling, and transplants go in without root disturbance. Eight cells is twice the output of the classic four-cell blocker at a lower price than the branded tool. The technique needs a wet, fibrous mix and a little practice.
Strengths
- Eight 2 inch blocks per press, double the usual four
- Stainless steel body built to last for years
- Three seed pin types for different seed and plug sizes
- No pots, no cells, no transplant shock
- Roots air-prune naturally at the block surface
Weaknesses
- Needs a specific wet, peat or coir heavy mix to hold together
- Blocks dry faster than pots; bottom watering is essential
- A learning curve for mix consistency and pressing
The overall YardToolLab Score is out of 100. Section scores are out of 10.
Seedlings That Never Meet a Pot
Soil blocking is the nursery technique of pressing wet seed mix into free-standing cubes and sowing into them. No pots, no cell trays, no plastic. Roots reach the edge of the block, meet air and stop, instead of circling a pot wall, and at transplant the whole block goes into the ground without disturbance. BlumWay’s blocker makes eight 2 inch blocks per press, twice the output of the classic four-cell tool, in stainless steel with three interchangeable seed pin sets.
This review is based on the listing specifications and on how 2 inch soil blockers are used in propagation generally. We have not used this tool ourselves.
Making Blocks
Mix a fibrous blocking medium to a thick mud, wetter than seems sensible. Press the blocker into the mix until the chambers fill, scrape the base level, set it on a tray and squeeze the handle so the spring ejector pushes out eight cubes, each with a dimple from the pin. Sow one seed per dimple and cover lightly. A tray of eighty blocks takes a few minutes once the mix is right.
The Mix Matters
This is where beginners struggle. Ordinary potting soil crumbles; blocking needs peat or coir fibre to bind the cube. Commercial blocking mixes exist, or add extra peat and a little compost to a seed mix. Owners describe the first tray as a lesson and the second as routine.
Pins
The small square and cylinder pins make a seed dimple. The long cylinder makes a socket the size of a smaller block, which is how blockers pot on: a three-quarter inch block of a germinated seedling drops into the socket of a 2 inch block and keeps growing with no root disturbance.
Growing On
Blocks on a tray need bottom watering, since overhead watering erodes them; set the tray in water or on a capillary mat. They dry faster than pots, so check daily. In return, seedlings have air-pruned, fibrous roots that establish in days after transplanting.
Build and Value
Stainless steel handles wet mix for years without rust. Eight cells at a price below the branded four-cell blocker makes this the economical entry to the technique, and it saves the recurring cost of cell trays entirely.
Who Should Buy It
- Gardeners who want to stop buying plastic cell trays.
- Market gardeners raising hundreds of transplants.
- Anyone frustrated by transplant shock from root-bound cells.
Common Owner Complaints
Blocks that crumble and blocks that dry out. Both are mix and watering issues that the first tray teaches.
Alternatives to Consider
Ladbrooke is the original soil blocker, four cells per press at a higher price. A 3/4 inch mini blocker starts tiny seeds for potting on into these. Reusable 1020 cell inserts are the plastic alternative.
Verdict
For anyone willing to learn the mix, this eight-cell blocker produces pot-free seedlings fast and cheaply for years. Wet the mix properly, water from below and transplant shock becomes a memory.
Full specifications
BlumWay 8-Cell 2 Inch Stainless Steel Soil Block Maker with 3 Seed Pin Sets FAQs
A fibrous, peat or coir based blocking mix wetted to a thick mud, far wetter than you would fill a pot. Commercial blocking mixes exist, or add extra peat and a little compost to a seed mix.
Press the blocker into the wet mix until it fills, scrape the bottom flat, set it on a tray and squeeze the handle to eject eight blocks. Sow one seed in each dimple.
The small pins make a dimple for a single seed. The larger cylinder makes a socket that accepts a smaller block, so you can pot on by nesting blocks.
From below. Set the tray in water or use a capillary mat. Overhead watering erodes the blocks.
