Seed balls are a seed distribution method that works by encapsulating seeds within a mixture of mud and compost. This protects the seeds by preventing them from drying out in the sun, being eaten by birds, or blown away by the wind.
Ball seeds are placed directly on the ground and not buried. This method is very useful for planting seeds in dry, thin, and compacted soil, as well as abandoned soil (which makes it very useful for guerilla gardening). Seed balls are especially useful in dry, arid areas where rainfall is too unpredictable. They are also easy to throw over fences into vacant lots.
You can "harvest" your seed balls on a sunny day and leave them there. When there is enough rain to permeate the clay, the seed will sprout with the help of the nutrients and bacteria that coat it. I put one in my garden to track its progress and show my readers that these seed balls really do work.
In fact, this method has been used for centuries. It is believed that some people originating from the First Nations of North America used this method. More recently, agricultural pioneer Masanobu Fukuoka experimented with them and recommended them. [1] In New York, seed bombs were used for the 1973 revitalization of the Bowery area and the development of the city's first community garden.
- ↑ Seed balls - Permaculture Reflections blog