How To Start Seeds In Soil Blocks For Healthier Plants
Making soil blocks, which is the process of molding potting soil into cubes for the purpose of starting seeds, is an easy and efficient way to start your vegetable and flower seeds. It promotes vigorous root growth and healthier seedlings that won’t experience transplant shock when planted out into the garden. It also reduces plastic waste, because you don’t have to use any of those disposable plastic trays traditionally used for starting seeds.
Cost: 1
Equipment
- Soil Blockers (I recommend getting the 2 inch soil blocker for sure, the others are optional)
- Heavy duty propagation trays with drainage holes (these will last you for many years)
- Heavy duty propagation trays without drainage holes (for bottom watering)
Materials
- Seeds
- Soil-Blocking Mix Ingredients:
- Peat Moss – from local hardware store
- Compost – you can use your own homemade compost or purchase from your local hardware store
- Course Perlite
- Fertilizer
Instructions
- Mix up a batch of our potting mix in a large container.
- Add water until the mixture is fairly wet. When you squeeze a handful of soil, you want a bit of water to squeeze out. I like to use warm water as it makes the soil warm which helps the seeds to germinate faster.
- Mix potting soil ingredients together and keep adding water until you get the right consistency. I find this easiest to do with my hands.
- Press your soil blocker down into the soil and move it back and forth until all the cells in the soil blocker are filled. I like to pick it up and look in it to make sure they are full. You can also grab a handful of soil in the palm of your hand and push it into the cells to make sure they are packed nice and tight.
- Scrape the soil blocker on the edge of your container to level off the bottom so your soil blocks will sit flat.
- Place the soil blocker in the tray, and press down firmly on the top of the soil blocker. While pushing down, gently pull up on the handle to lift the sides of the soil blocker. Carefully let the handle down part way while gently pulling up on the whole soil blocker. This will loosen the soil from the soil blocker so it will release the blocks cleanly into the tray. See my video tutorial below for demonstration.
- Repeat steps 2 – 5 until your tray is full of blocks. Place tray with blocks into shallow tray without holes. Place your seeds in the soil blocks as desired. Stack trays in a warm dark place until seeds germinate. Then put them on seed starting rack to grow. Bottom water every 1 to 2 days.
Notes
The key to succes is having the right consistency of moisture in your soil mixture. Make sure you have enough water in your potting mix so that you can squeeze some out of when you grab a handful of mix. Sometimes it helps to leave the potting mix and water sit for a few minutes so the soil can really soak up the water.
