Cottage Garden Dreams | How to Start Seeds with Soil Blocks [Part 1]

Today I’m excited to share how to start seeds with soil blocks because they have made seed starting, caring for seedlings, and transplanting much easier!

I’m starting a fun garden series about our NEW cottage garden journey.

The series is going to be called “Cottage Garden Dreams”.

It’ll be a monthly series that I plan to take through harvest time in the Fall.

We did so many things at our old house.

Added a split rail fence, a chicken coop, planted a sweet little rose garden.

So many things that we left behind when we came to our new farm.

We now have an empty rectangle plot and I want to take you along to show you how we transform this space.

You can watch a day of homemaking & seed starting HERE

That transformation starts in the winter as we start seeds with soil blocks.

We’ve been gardening and experimenting with different things since we got married.

Which is crazy to think was almost 13 years ago.

In those 13 years, we’ve gone from a single small raised bed garden to now having a big 25×75 foot plot.

But we didn’t discover seed starting with soil blocks until last year.

I’ve always battled with starting seeds indoors in the potting trays.

I’m the queen of over-watering.

I would also struggle when it was time to pot them up or to transplant them outside.

I feel like I couldn’t ever be gentle enough to not shock the seedlings when I removed them from the potting trays.

I’m not joking, I forever thought the seedlings were dying after I transplanted them outdoors.

Not to mention I was always tearing roots when I pulled them out of the trays.

Then last year while I was planning our new cottage garden I stumbled upon soil blocks.

I kid you not, I didn’t battle with any of those struggles last year.

How to start seeds with soil blocks

What are soil blocks?

It’s exactly what it sounds like.

A compact block of soil to start seedlings.

You put a seed inside of this block of soil and watch the seedling grow and thrive in this unusual environment.

Soil Blocking 101

Supplies

• big plastic tote (what I had on hand – flat on the bottom with high sides would work)
• plastic putty knife
• flat trays (I use these and love them)
• soil (the best soil I’ve ever used for seed starting)
• seed blocker (We used the 2″ blocker)
• seeds
• warm water

Instructions

Step 1.

The first thing I do is put my soil through a “sifter”.

In this case, I just used a plastic colander.

This ensures the soil doesn’t have large chunks.

This is important so that the blocks don’t fall apart.

Saying that I did get a little lazy last year and skipped this step by the end and everything turned out okay.

But I’ve heard of blocks falling apart and it was credited to this step being skipped.

Step 2.

After the soil was sifted I added warm water to the tote of soil.

I do not have an exact recipe.

Just add enough so that when you grab a handful it isn’t dripping, but if you squeeze it water comes out.

I agonized over the exact amount of water last year, but again, none of the soil blocks had any problems.

When I had too much water in the tote the soil fell out of the blocker before I could even put it on the tray.

Remember, I’m an over-watering queen haha!

Step 3.

Once the soil had absorbed the warm water I put the soil blocker into the tote and started pressing it down to fill each cube with a block of soil.

To make sure the soil is nice and compact I would lift the soil blocker and scrap it flat with the putty knife and then press it into the tote full of wet soil a couple of times.

I made sure that I pressed down with a decent amount of pressure to create that compact soil block that I wanted.

Step 4.

Once I had my soil blocks compact, I scrapped any uneven portions off the bottom with the puddy knife one last time, then I transferred the soil to my flat plastic tray.

By pulling up on the bar between the handle and the cubes it pushed the blocks out onto my tray.

I’m not perfect at this yet.

So at this point, if the blocks start to crumble I just pick them up and put them back with the wet soil and try again.

Step 5.

Once I have a tray full of soil blocks, I put seeds into the indents the soil blocker makes.

Then I carefully cover the seed with a small bit of warm soil from the tote.

Step 6.

To create the greenhouse effect and trap the moisture I put a piece of plastic wrap over the soil blocks.

Nothing special.

I didn’t get crazy about tucking in all the sides.

Just laying it over the top and down two sizes was enough to see beads of water forming on the plastic wrap.

Step 7.

The rest is the same as it’s always been.

I put these plastic trays on the shelves my husband built for us with the lights and heat mats.

Once the seedlings begin to emerge we turn the heat mats off and remove the plastic wrap to prevent mold.

How to water seedlings in soil blocks?

Water seedlings in the soil block from the bottom up.

Fill the flat tray with water until the blocks stop absorbing it.

I used a gallon jug last year.

It worked but I think something with a smaller pour spout would do a better job.

I often overfilled my trays and had a water mess to clean up with my gallon jug.

Also, keep in mind that you will need to water more frequently than you would with potting trays.

Do you cover seeds in soil blocks?

Yes!

But once you see a seedling emerge you want to take the cover off to prevent mold from forming.

How long can seedlings stay in soil blocks?

This is a question with many variables.

It depends on the size of the soil block and it depends on the soil mixture you use.

I haven’t done it yet, but have heard that sheep wool is a great way to extend the life of soil blocks.

It’s a slow-release nitrogen source.

(We’re on a waitlist to pick up our sheep this summer so hopefully I can tell you how it goes soon!)

In Ohio, we have to start our peppers in February and then we can’t transplant outside until early-mid May.

That’s quite a long time.

Most people say you must pot up after 6 weeks.

So I was nervous about starting seeds with soil blocks last year.

But we planted 48 pepper seeds in 2″ soil blocks and they did great until May when we planted them outside.

I didn’t pot them up or anything.

Just water.

But I did use high-quality soil.

I am not big on spending money unnecessarily.

But I’ve used cheap soil and now quality soil.

There is a difference.

I think this soil in combination with the soil blocking was why our garden was such a success last year.

We started 90+ tomato plants and 48 pepper plants indoors and all of the seedlings that sprouted made it to May.

What is the best mixture for soil blocks?

There are so many soil mixtures that claim to be the “best”.

I’m not saying that they aren’t right.

I’m sure that these people who make custom soil mixtures probably have much happier plants than I do.

But I am saying, in my beginner experience, just using this quality soil we had great success.

No, I’m not getting paid to say this.

I’m saying this because as long as I can, I will always start seeds with soil blocks and this soil.

We’ve been doing a lot of research about regenerative farming and are hardcore believers in the idea that if the soil is healthy then what comes from it will be also.

We plan to do rotational grazing for our cows and sheep this summer so that we can help heal and restore the piece of earth God has given us to steward.

Thank you so much for stopping by!

I hope that this was an informative post for you and that it helped cut through the cold days of winter.

Pin for Later!

Don’t forget to head over to Facebook or Instagram to see our day-to-day fun!

Also, make sure you follow along on YouTube & Pinterest to check out all the other inspirations I’ve been pinning!

Have a great week! XoXo

Open Your Doors,
Aliya

If you missed it, make sure you head to the top or bottom of this page and sign-up to join Open Doors Open Hearts!

You’ll be the first to find out all that’s going on over here and you’ll get decor and DIY inspiration!