Seed balls: the easy way to grow your own plants

Little bunches of seeds, clay, and soil or manure are called seed balls. These are old methods of growing plants from seeds without preparing the ground with plows or other farming equipment. Even though seed balls have existed since ancient times, they were revived in the early 19030s by the Guerilla Gardening movement to secretly spread flora by merely throwing them. Japanese organic farmer and philosopher Masanobu Fukuoka is widely credited with the restoration and modern-day popularization of seed balls.

Anybody anywhere in the globe with availability to clay, soil, and seed may make seed balls for next to no investment. With information, talent, and perseverance, they can be just as effective at growing herbs as plow-seeding or drilling. In the center, where seed drills and rippers are challenging due to the steep slopes, existing woods, shallow soil layers, bedrock, and overall rockiness, seed balls have been used to create permanent pastures on borderline-damaged highlands.

Materials required for making seed balls

Here’s what you need to make seed balls in your home:

• Five parts of dry clay
• Organic potting soil
• Seeds
• Mixing bowl
• Sheet for drying the seed balls
• Wax paper
• 1-2 parts water

How to make seed balls at home?

Source: Pinterest 

To remove boulders, obstinate clouds, and plant material from your clay, it may occasionally be necessary to grind and filter it. A container and mattock grip are essential and effective instruments for crushing clay. It doesn’t matter how it’s done as long as the final product is fine, comparatively pure clay. To get the intended result, it might be necessary to sift the manure and the clay. The sieves used to make clay plasters are often suitable for manufacturing seed balls for people who are experienced with that process. After sifting, you can follow the remaining process of making seed balls.

• Grab some moss, compost, seeds, and clay.
• Now combine equal parts of black dirt, compost, and five pieces of red sandy clay.
• Gradually add 1 to 2 parts water until you achieve a thick, dough-like texture. 
• Create golf ball-sized dough out of the mixture.
• Place the selected seed in the center.
• After you’ve positioned your seed, form the remaining dough in your palms into a seed ball the size of a pebble.
• To ensure complete drying, give them 24 to 48 hours to dry.
• The hardened clay shields the seed from rupturing in addition to seed eaters like ants, mice, and birds. The nourishment and nutrients (humus) aid the ball in the seeds’ germination once enough rain has penetrated the clay.
• Seed balls ought to be abandoned after being dispersed on the soil. If there is enough rain, they will begin to sprout.
• It need not be planted because soil, nutrients, and bacteria are already present around them.

Benefits of using seed balls 

Source: Pinterest 

• Easy To Make 

Making seed balls is easy. However, consideration must be given to how much manure and clay will be added to the various seeds. Like most plants, a common rule of thumb that works well is five portions soil to three parts clay. Although the sprouting period varies depending on the plant, spring and summer are the best periods to “blow these bombs.”

• Easy To Spread

Seed balls are incredibly adaptable due to their diminutive size. You can fling them over fences, over deserted fields, or into your backyard. You can scatter seed bombs and completely forget about them, whether after walking paths or bike parking. To summarise, seed bombs can develop in any place on the earth as long as there is soil, the weather is not extreme, and there is not a lot of vegetation present.

• Used As Gift Items

For every individual, household, and event, seed balls are the ideal present. When giving seeds to your beloved, you can never go wrong. A growing number of individuals are exploiting natural resources as new industries emerge. In these circumstances, it is up to us to restore the environment. In that regard, using seed balls to handle the case at hand is the best course of action. This gift can remind one of one’s first duty and an opportunity to live more consciously and compassionately rather than pursuing a mindless, selfish lifestyle.

Uses of Seed Balls

• The elements found in the balls continue to service the surrounding region, improving it more than before, until the seed bursts out of the ball, providing a thriving environment for the seed.
• To develop wildflowers, seed balls can also be utilized. These blooms are essential for bee pollination.
• The ability of seed balls makes it possible to reestablish species of trees that have been entirely or partially removed from their native habitats. You only need to prepare the seeds of certain species into seed balls before releasing these into the surroundings.

Which type of plants are best suited for seed balls?

It is usually best to use seeds from native plants or trees. Native wildflower seeds are excellent since they are climate-adapted and serve as a food source for nearby pollinators. In addition, they are more likely to survive and sprout. The rainy season is optimal for scattering the seed balls because there is a more significant likelihood of sprouting. Red poppies, among other non-native wildflowers, also work nicely in seed balls. Just make sure not to use any invasive weeds in your area.

Key tips

• Cosmos

One of the simplest plants to raise from seed is the cosmos. However, gardening professionals frequently advise trying a different interest if you can’t grow the cosmos.

• Coreopsis

When established, coreopsis plants are particularly resistant to drought because they can grow in various soil types and lighting intensities.

• Milkweed

Milkweed caterpillar food; use seed balls to develop vegetation in which these tireless, migratory insects may deposit their eggs.

What issues that may occur with seed balls?

The common problems that may occur is when there is not good contact between the seed ball and the soil. Proper contact will allow better connection with the moisture reservoir of the earth, and conduit for roots to grow and establish. A thrown seed ball may fall to rest upon leaves or thatch. It may not grow.

When should you throw the seed ball?

Seed balls must be around the size of a quarter, which enables easy throwing. Spring and summer are the idea to use seed balls to increase the chances of sprouting roots.

Are seed bombs better than seeds?

Seed balls are widely preferred for sowing wildflowers compared to the traditional way of planting of seeds. One of the benefits seed bombs offer is that they allow greater control over where and when the seeds must be planted. Hence, it allows planting of flowers in places where it would not be easy to plant seeds directly. Moreover, additional labour is not required to turn the soil, so there is need for any tools. Another benefit of seed bombs is that they protect the seeds from being disturbed until the plants are able to set themselves. Traditional method of seed planting involves soil, compost, and mulch besides the seeds, all of which may be impacted by wildlife and weather.

What are the 7 super seeds?

Super seeds are those containing high levels of nutrients, Including vitamins and minerals. Thus, they are also referred to as nutrient dense. Some examples of super seeds are flax, chia, sunflower, poppy, sesame, pumpkin, hemp seeds and quinoa.

Will grass seed grow if it is just thrown on the ground?

The grass seeds can be spread to start a lawn. Without covering or caring, not all the seeds may grow. The seed embryo can remain dry while being exposed to air and without moisture. Moreover, the germination rate may be slower.

What happens if you bury a seed too deep?

Seeds may grow into weak seedlings or fail to germinate if planted too deep in soil. If they are buried too deep below the soil surface, they may not get the light need for sprouting.

How deep should you bury a seed?

Seeds must be planted at a depth equal to two or three times their width. Planting them too shallow is better than planting them too deep. Some seeds like certain lettuces or snapdragon, require adequate light for germination and must not be covered at all.

FAQs