A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 seed balls

anyone heard of packing a bunch of different seeds into a clay ball and tossing onto a waste area? I heard they sprout because the clay holds the moisture in... have you ever done this?

Lorena

Lorena, I've never heard of doing this, but if it works I'm really in great shape because I've sure got plenty of clay soil to work with. Geesh, I could probably make a ton of balls! :rolleyes:

My clay doesn't stay moist at all. When it is dry it's like hard pack. It has a strong resemblance to brick, especially when I'm trying to turn it for planting in the spring.

clay ball, do you mean like clay for kids or special gardening clay? I remember hearing a farmer explain once (when I was in grade three!) that farmers buy corn seeds that are coated with red clay because once the clay absorbs enough water, it'll stop taking in more and that way the corn seed will not drown or rota s easily...I'm wondering if you're talking about this type of clay? I found this link and from what it says, you should use the type of clay that's used to make pots! This all sounds really weird and new to me!
http://www.rodaleinstitute.org/krrn/discoveries/in_garden/1002/seed_balls.shtml

you can also google up seed balls

Boy, this is all very interesting and informative but I think I'll just stick with making my seed tapes. They are so easy to make and they have always worked great for me!

Gardener\'s Supply has been selling them for the past year or so.

Rosie, I cliked on the link and all I got was information about a kitchen compost container and some other things but nothing about seed balls!

Patti, that's the home page. The main menu is on the left side and the Search option is at the top of the page. I like to shop with them when they are having sales.

Seed Balls at Gardeners Supply

Patches, how do you make seed tapes? I have a large slope I need to plant and that might be just the thing I need.

Joanne

Patches, I am also wondering about the seed tapes. How do you made them and how do they work???

Jessica

Hey Joanne & Jessica!

Here is how I do my seed tapes. I cut old newspaper into one inch long strips and I only use the black & white sections since colored print ink can emit toxins into your soil. Then I will make a glue using 1/4-cup water to one-cup all-purpose flour. Sometimes I will add 1/4 teaspoon of water-soluble fertilizer to each half cup of paste, but I don't do this all the time because I may not feel like mixing any up. Then I take a yardstick and marker to mark where the seeds need to be placed on the strip.

Then I dab each seed with the with the flour-water glue and stick them in the center of the strip. I make sure the seeds are spaced evenly apart, by checking the back of the seed packet or researching the recommended amount of planting space between each seed if the seeds were given to me.

When the glue is dry, I roll up the strips and place in separate sealable plastic bags and add one tablespoon of salt to help keep the seeds dry. I also put name of the plant and the care directions in each bag so I will what to do when I plant them (sun exposure, watering, etc.). Then I store in a cool place, such as a basement until I need them.

When it's time to plant the seed tapes, I lay each strip seed side up in rows and plant it just a tad deeper than recommended. Then I cover the strip with soil and water them. I hope this helps! It's easy to do!

Thanks! I plan to give this a try in the spring when I plant the ground cover on the slope. I'll let you know how it works out.

Joanne

Joannne, I'll be anxious to know how you liked it and how it worked for you! It makes planting seeds (especially the tiny ones) so easy and it cuts down on the time you have to spend in the spring. I've done it in the past for myself, but I've also made some for friends and they loved them.

Thanks Patches! I will definitely be trying this!!! It will give me something to do this winter.