Toilet paper
seed tape
If you plan to build an in-the-ground garden bed with children, let them help with the whole process. Provide appropriate tools for turning soil, fertilizing, and watering; containers for
weeds and other garden wastes; and systems for sowing
seeds.
Large
seeds—beans and pumpkin, for example—can easily be spaced in the soil with fingers. Smaller
seeds—like tomatoes, radishes, and lettuce—are hard to control. You can buy
seed tape at gardening stores with
seeds appropriately spaced on biodegradable tape. But making
seed tape works just as well—and it"s fun.
Here"s what you need:
packets of gelatin (like knox gelatin)
mixing bowl and spoon
water
seeds white, unscented toilet paper
ruler
scissors
cardboard scrap
marker
cotton swab or small paintbrush
1. Cover the work area with newspaper if it needs to be protected.
2. Measure the garden plot and determine the row length for the vegetable or
flower you are planting.
3. Examine the
seed packet to determine the appropriate spacing for that
plant. Cut the cardboard to the length of the space recommended.
4. Unroll the toilet paper to the length of the garden row.
5. Using the cardboard spacer, make evenly spaced marks along the center of the toilet paper roll.
6. Mix the gelatin with enough water to make a soupy paste.
7. Dip the cotton swab or paintbrush into the gelatin and dab each spot on the toilet paper.
8. Place a
seed onto each of the gelatin paste dots. Let the paste dry.
9. When it"s time to
plant, make a trench in the soil at the recommended depth for the
seed—1/2 inch for carrots, for example.
10. Set the toilet paper
seed tape in the trench and cover with fine soil. A neat row of
plants will sprout.