Soil blockers that start every seedling in a better block.
Give your seedlings air-pruned roots, zero plastic, and no transplant shock — from one tray on the bench to two hundred blocks for the field. Stainless-steel soil blockers, handmade in Michigan.
Trusted by the people who wrote the book on growing
I saw a presentation on the Swift Blocker and realized it was a faster and more efficient system. I immediately became a fan and remain impressed by the simplicity and the quality of the blocks it makes. I highly recommend the Swift Blocker.
Buying a Swift Blocker is one of the best investments we've made on our farm. Swift Blockers are the definition of lean—they increase productivity and profits with less work and waste.
Growers put it to work on camera
Whatever you're growing
Dahlias and zinnias, tomatoes and peppers — whatever fills your rows and raised beds, it starts in a Swift Blocker.
Best sellers
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Swift Blocker 72
Regular price $365.00 USDRegular price -
Swift Blocker 200
Regular price $365.00 USDRegular price -
Swift Blocker 128
Regular price $365.00 USDRegular price -
Nano 16 Cell (1.125" Block - Lavender)
Regular price $116.00 USDRegular price -
Swift Blocker 50
Regular price $365.00 USDRegular price -
Swift Blocker Mini 75
Regular price $210.00 USDRegular price -
Nano 4 Cell (2.25" Blocks - Green)
Regular price $116.00 USDRegular price -
Swift Blocker Mini 27
Regular price $210.00 USDRegular price
Shop by scale
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Commercial
50 to 200-cell soil blockers built for daily market-farm use, plus the...
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Accessories
Scrapers, spacers, and dibbles to fit every Swift Blocker size. Not sure...
Roots that air-prune at the edge
A dense, fibrous rootball instead of a circling, rootbound knot — seedlings started in a soil blocker settle into the garden with no transplant shock.
Real footage from our farm · handmade in Michigan
What growers are saying
4.79 out of 5 · 75 reviews
Easily one of the best purchases I've made for the farm. It blocks really well and saves so much time as compared to conventional blockers. Plus no strain on the hand or wrist!
Absolutely a game changer. I can't wait to stop using winstrip trays. The swift blocker saves us time forming blocks and I am sure it will save us time transplanting those blocks.
So well made! I'm looking forward to many years of use.
Made by growers, in Michigan
Soil blocking, answered
What is soil blocking?
Soil blocking starts seeds in free-standing cubes of compressed mix instead of plastic pots. Roots air-prune at the block's open edge instead of circling, so seedlings grow a dense rootball and transplant with almost no shock.
What is a soil blocker?
A soil blocker is the metal press that makes soil blocking possible: fill it with moist mix, press down, and it stamps out free-standing soil cubes with a dimple ready for the seed. Ours are stainless steel, handmade in Michigan, from a 4-block hand press to a 200-block commercial press.
Is a soil blocker the same as a soil block maker?
Yes — soil blocker, soil block maker, and soil blocking tool are all names for the same tool. Whatever you call it, the job is identical: compress seed-starting mix into firm, free-standing blocks so roots air-prune instead of circling a pot.
Why stainless steel instead of plastic?
A soil blocker gets pressed hard into dense, wet mix hundreds of times a season. Stainless steel doesn't flex, crack, or rust — it presses clean, uniform blocks year after year, and there's no plastic to wear out or end up in your soil.
Which Swift Blocker size should I choose?
0.9" blocks (Nano 25, Mini 75, Commercial 200) suit tiny seeds and most cut flowers; 1.5" blocks (Nano 9, Mini 27, Commercial 72/128) are the workhorse for veg, herbs, and flowers; 2"+ blocks (Nano 4, Commercial 50) handle large seeds like sweet peas and squash. Choose bigger if you can't water often. Not sure? Take the 60-second size quiz and get a recommendation.
What soil mix works best?
A fine seed-starting mix kneaded with warm water to a "mashed potatoes" consistency — fully saturated with no dry pockets. Err on the side of too wet rather than too dry; excess water presses out as you form the blocks.
How do I water soil blocks?
Bottom-water only. Set the block tray in about ¾–1" of water for 1–2 minutes, roughly 2–3 times a week, then drain. Top-watering with force erodes the wall-less blocks.
How long until seedlings are ready to transplant?
72-cell-size blocks are usually ready in about 4 weeks. Well-packed blocks can sit up to roughly 6 weeks before they need potting up or planting out.
Are Swift Blockers made in the USA?
Yes — every blocker is stainless steel, handmade in southeast Michigan. We keep them in stock, so orders ship within 1–2 business days.