Many peat pellets come with a ready-made planting hole. Push a bit of the moistened peat from the top of the pellet to cover the seeds. Place in a covered flat, tray, or shallow bowl. A soil block is simply a cube of your own live planting mix, serving as both the medium and container for the seed. Although making soil blocks may require more time at the beginning of the sowing process, you save time later.
Soil blocks are ideal for direct planting into the garden with no potting on.
Soil blocks can be made in various sizes. A graduated series of blocks enables you to begin seeds in a small block, move that block into a larger one, and, when ready, place that larger block directly into the garden. To make the blocks, mix soil in a clean bucket, wheelbarrow, or old dishpan. The mix itself can be as simple as three parts peat moss to one part well-sifted compost. When mixing, water in two or three stages, turning the blend each time until it takes on the consistency of firm mashed potatoes.