Seedballs
5 parts clay soil | 3
parts compost | 1 part seeds
So, for example, 5 C.
clay soil, 3 C. compost, and 1 C. seeds
A little water to make
your seedballs "sculptable" but not squishy
Newspaper for neatness
| cup measure and tablespoon measure
Shoebox or sack to
transport seedballs to the planting site(s)
Quite
often, gardeners end up with extra seeds that they can't plant in their own
gardens. It's a shame for them to go to waste. Meanwhile, there are places all
over our own yards and in our communities that are neglected, weedy or dirt
patches that could really use some TLC.
So
let's make seedballs, and literally "throw a garden" in a place that needs a
little life and color! It's a fun activity for spring, and a great way to use
extra seeds.
IMPORTANT
NOTE: MAKE SURE NOT TO THROW SEEDBALLS ON OTHER PEOPLE'S PROPERTY IF YOU DON'T
HAVE THEIR PERMISSION FIRST. If it's a corner of your school yard, ask your
principal. If it's a busy workplace, ask management first. If it's a city park,
call the city and make sure it's OK. If it's an empty weedlot, have an adult
show you how you find the owner in City Hall to ask permission. It's a good
idea, anyway, because you also need to make sure the property owner doesn't
spray for weed right where you want your seedball flowers to come up.
If you want to grow THIS (hyacinth bean) . . .
. . . you can start by throwing some of THESE.
Note the hyacinth bean seeds at left. Like all bean seeds,
they need to be pre-soaked in water for 24-36 hours
before being made into seed balls.
Here's
the idea: if you or a neighbor or a local business or even your school has a
patch of dirt that is just really neglected and sad, you can throw seedballs
there and let the rain and the sun do the rest! Do this in the month of April
to see flowers by summer.
1.
Select seeds that will
grow into plants that can survive on their own in your area without much water
or pampering, and look pretty together. You could choose to make seedballs with
all the same kind of seeds, or you could choose two or three seeds that will
grow into flowers that will look good together.
2.
You can go with a theme
for your seed selection, such as "red, white and blue" - red poppies, white
Queen Anne's Lace, and blue Bachelor's Buttons. Marigolds are always good, and
you could go with an all-marigold seed ball for a burst of golden color, or
combine them with a couple of other types of seeds.
3.
It's probably a good
idea to soak the seeds in water 24-36 hours in advance, to help them be ready
to germinate, or sprout.
4.
Spread out newspaper to
keep your table surface neat, or do this outside.
5.
In a bucket, mix your
clay soil, compost and seeds. The clay soil will make your seedball sticky
enough to hold together, and the compost has all the nutrients needed to help
the seed sprout and grow into a plant.
6.
If you are using big
seeds, rather than stir the seeds in all at once, you may mix the soil and
compost first, and then tuck three or four seeds into the palm of your hand to
mix into the ball. Add just enough water to make it easy to "sculpt" the
seedballs with your hands.
7.
Take a handful of the
mixture. Roll it into a small ball, about the size of a really, really big
grape, or half the size of a pingpong ball. You can add a little more water. Let
dry, probably at least overnight.
8.
When you are SURE you
have permission from a property owner, go to a patch of neglected ground that
has full sun at least half of the day, and throw your seedball. Don't worry
about watering it. Nature will take care of that.
9.
In a few weeks, come
back to check on your "instant garden." When summer is in full bloom, return
again and take a picture. Share it with friends. Tell them how you had fun
getting your hands dirty . . . and tossed a little color and beauty into your
world with seedballs!
