How To Make Seed Balls

Today’s feature tip is from Path To Freedom with their project Making Seed Balls:

Seed balls are a method for distributing seeds by encasing them in a mixture of clay and soil humus. Some native North American tribes used forms of seed balls. More recently natural farmer Masanobu Fukuoka has applied them, as have others inspired by his work.

Seed balls are simply scattered direct onto ground, and not planted. They could be useful for seeding dry, thin and compacted soils and for reclaiming derelict ground. This method takes a fraction of the time or cost of other methods to cover large areas and is also very applicable in small areas.

The clay and humus ball prevents the seeds from the drying out in the sun, getting eaten by predators like mice and birds, or from blowing away. When sufficient rain has permeated the clay and the seeds inside sprout they are protected within the ball that contains nutrients and beneficial soil microbes.

The first part of the project mentions that they used these to seed their next door neighbor’s derelict yard. That made me laugh LOL! Although we have great neighbors that take care of their yards, I could be tempted to toss a few in the backyards of others that live in the neighborhood. But somehow I think you’d need permission first .

Please visit the site above for all the details.

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