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seed balls

Gardening Reference » Gardening in 2006
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by Lorena on September 07, 2006 10:07 AM
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

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"My Treasures do not clink
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by patches1414 on September 07, 2006 03:44 PM
Lorena, I've never heard of doing this, [dunno] but if it works I'm really in great shape because I've sure got plenty of clay soil to work with. [Big Grin] [Big Grin] [Big Grin] Geesh, I could probably make a ton of balls! [Roll Eyes]

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"Lord, I love you and I need you, come into my heart, and bless me, my family, my home, and my friends, in Jesus' name. Amen!"
by tkhooper on September 08, 2006 03:17 AM
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.

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by kennyso on September 08, 2006 03:56 AM
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

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Blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the earth
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by kennyso on September 08, 2006 03:58 AM
you can also google up seed balls

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Blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the earth
My Website My Blog
by patches1414 on September 08, 2006 05:17 AM
Boy, this is all very interesting and informative but I think I'll just stick with making my seed tapes. [Wink] They are so easy to make and they have always worked great for me! [thumb]

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"Lord, I love you and I need you, come into my heart, and bless me, my family, my home, and my friends, in Jesus' name. Amen!"
by TulsaRose on September 08, 2006 06:07 AM
Gardener's Supply has been selling them for the past year or so.

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Rosie z7a
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by patches1414 on September 08, 2006 04:58 PM
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! [dunno]

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"Lord, I love you and I need you, come into my heart, and bless me, my family, my home, and my friends, in Jesus' name. Amen!"
by TulsaRose on September 08, 2006 06:46 PM
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. [Wink]

Seed Balls at Gardeners Supply

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Rosie z7a
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by netwiz on September 08, 2006 11:15 PM
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
by plantqueen on September 09, 2006 01:30 AM
Patches, I am also wondering about the seed tapes. How do you made them and how do they work???

Jessica

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All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention to criticism.
by patches1414 on September 09, 2006 06:22 AM
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. [Frown] [Eek!] 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. [Big Grin] 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. [Wink]

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!

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"Lord, I love you and I need you, come into my heart, and bless me, my family, my home, and my friends, in Jesus' name. Amen!"
by netwiz on September 09, 2006 12:22 PM
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. [thumb]

Joanne
by patches1414 on September 09, 2006 12:31 PM
Joannne, I'll be anxious to know how you liked it and how it worked for you! [Smile] It makes planting seeds (especially the tiny ones) so easy and it cuts down on the time you have to spend in the spring. [Wink] I've done it in the past for myself, but I've also made some for friends and they loved [Love] them.

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"Lord, I love you and I need you, come into my heart, and bless me, my family, my home, and my friends, in Jesus' name. Amen!"
by plantqueen on September 12, 2006 12:43 AM
Thanks Patches! I will definitely be trying this!!! It will give me something to do this winter.

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All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention to criticism.

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