How to Make Homemade Seed Tape
What is seed tape?
Have you ever planted small seeds like carrots or radishes? If so, you know they’re hard to see once they hit the soil. Nor are they evenly spaced according to planting directions. As a result, they have to be thinned out when they sprout. Thinning allows the remaining plants to have the room they need to grow to maturity. What a waste of seed and sprouts! Enter Seed Tape! Seed tape is the term used to describe seeds that have been attached to a biodegradable product. It is intended to make planting tiny seeds at the appropriate distance and depth much easier than doing so by hand. It makes a gardener’s life so much easier!
How does seed tape work?
Seed tape takes the guess work and aggravation out of planting tiny seeds. They ensure the spacing between seeds is correct according to best growing recommendations. Plus, they prevent seed waste because you won’t be dropping more than you really need to plant. The biodegradable material eventually dissolves and the seeds will sprout at the appropriate distance and depth. Additionally, this means thinning out young sprouts is no longer necessary. And the amount of time it takes to roll out a seed tape compared to actually planting seeds…game changer! I’m all for less work and less waste!
How do you use seed tape?
Once you’ve created your homemade seed tape, the process is simple. Take your seed tape to the garden (or wherever you intend to plant) and lay it out on the soil. Most seed tapes contain tiny seeds that are planted in only a 1/4 inch of soil. A light blanket of soil is all that is needed to hold it in place. Water and wait for the seeds to sprout. Easy peasy!
What is needed to make seed tape?
This is a simple process and one that even the kids can get in on! You will need:
- Toilet paper
- Ruler or yard stick
- Seeds
- Marker
- “Glue” (aka 2 tbsp of flour and enough water to make a thin paste)
- Toothpick
What kind of seeds can I put in homemade seed tape?
Generally speaking, seed tape is used for tiny seeds that are hard to see and space properly in the soil. Carrot, radish, onion and basil are just a few. Bigger seeds like beans, squash or melon are easier to handle and are easily seen once placed in the soil. Additionally, these larger seeds are planted at different distances and depths, making a seed tape unnecessary or bulky.
The Process for Making Seed Tape:
Step 1:
Lay out the desired length of toilet paper according to the length of your garden row, planter or designated area. I made mine 2 ft long. In a small bowl, mix flour and water together to create the “glue”. Glue consistency should be about the same as bottled glue.
Step 2:
Fold the length of toilet paper in half to find center and to make rolling later a bit easier. Mark the toilet paper at the appropriate intervals according the recommended spacing on the seed packet. Use the ruler and marker to place a dot where each seed should be glued. Disclaimer: Basil is not planted this close together. But for the sake of better understanding and photographic clarity, I chose to place them closer together.
Step 3:
Using the toothpick, dip it in the glue first and then carefully in the seeds. You want to collect no more than 2-3 seeds on the tip of the toothpick. Transfer both glue and seeds to the designated spot on the toilet paper. Hint: you don’t need a big glob of glue on the toothpick. Just enough to get a couple of seeds to stick to it.
Step 4:
Once you have your seeds in place, fold the “tape” in half. The seeds are now enclosed between the layers of toilet paper.
Step 5:
Roll up. Label the tape with the name of the seed and store until ready for planting. If you went easy on the glue, there shouldn’t be an issue with the roll being stuck together. You can always let the tape dry before rolling up. If you’re ready to get your gardening on, you can learn more about seed starting here!
And that’s it! Told ya it was easy peasy!
Final thoughts…
You don’t have to waste the “good” toilet paper to create seed tape. I have found that the cheap, 2-ply works very well and is thin enough that it dissolves pretty quick once it’s planted. I suppose that in a pinch, you could also use individual squares of toilet paper instead of a length of it. Hmmm…I might have to play with that idea!
Have you used seed tape…either a commercial product or one you made? How did you like it? Did it perform as you expected? I’d love to hear from you so leave a comment below! And if you know someone who struggles with getting seeds evenly spaced, feel free to share this post with them!
Until next time,
lisa
LisasSimpleLife is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
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