People may ask, “Why would you make seed tape?” Garden to Table school Diamond Harbour School is going to tell you!
Tiny seeds, like carrot and radish seeds, are difficult to germinate in the soil. These seeds are so small that they dry out quickly once they have germinated, and they are difficult to sow evenly.
Lucky for you the children at Diamond Harbour School have a solution - homemade seed tape. Seed tape holds moisture around the seeds while they are germinating. It is also a great way to maintain an even distribution of seeds, avoiding unnecessary thinning of seedlings. Best of all seed tape can be made at home or school, using everyday materials.
Materials needed
- Toilet paper
- Small seeds like carrot, lettuce or radish
- Flour and water
- Paint brush
- Cardboard or paper for labels
- String
- Scissors
- Lollipop sticks
What you need to do
- Cut some toilet paper to about 1 metre long. Then cut it in half long ways.
- Mix the flour and water together in a bowl, until it makes a sticky paste. Make sure it is not super thick.
- Dab small amount of flour paste in the middle of the paper. Use a lollipop stick to make sure the glue is placed evenly apart.
- Get two seeds and carefully place them in the flour paste. Continue doing this until you reach the end of the toilet paper.
- Fold the toilet paper in half lengthways to cover the seeds inside the paper.
- Roll the finished seed tape up and tie together with a length of string.
- Next make a label from scrap paper or cardboard, with the names of the seeds inside.
Tui & Garden to Table
We are excited to be supporting Garden To Table as our school programme again this year. Garden to Table is a trust, which runs a gardening and cooking programme in schools across New Zealand. As participants in the Garden to Table programme, seven to 10 year-old children spend time in a productive vege garden and home-style kitchen each week. There they learn skills that will last them a lifetime, and discover just how much fun it is to grow and cook their own seasonal vegetables and fruits.
Tui is providing starter packs to each of the new schools, and seasonal packs during the year.
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How to make seed tape - Diamond Harbour School Comments
Great idea. Well done. Would make a great fundraiser. Can I buy some, please?
Linda Cleary
Thanks for sharing your wonderful idea. Well done Diamond Harbour School!!
Lauren Dick-McCann
Hi Linda, that's a great idea. At the moment they aren't selling their seed tape, however we will pass this feedback on :) Thanks, Tui Team
jenna
great idea well done
Allan
Sounds wonderful and I am going to try this one for a lot of my small seeds
Tricia
Used to do the same thing but using watered down left over wallpaper paste, which usually has an anti mould ingredient and so protects the seeds for a wee while if the weather is a bit cold and wet for germination.
Lesley Emmett
Thank you very much Diamond Harbour School for sharing this great idea with us. Happy gardening, Lyn.
Lyn Wilson
Great idea. I would also be interested in buying seed tapes from the school as well.
Pthere
A great idea, pupils of Diamond Harbour School. Will they keep until warmer weather or do they have to be used straight away?
Colleen Young
Wow what a super idea great that you have created the easy to follow instructions as well as what one needs. Well done.
Patricia
Hi Patricia, thanks for your feedback. We hope you enjoy making the seed tape! Happy gardening from the Tui Team.
jenna
Wonderful idea! Will definately be doing this with the children in our school garden club at St Albans Catholic School. Thanks Diamond Harbour School and Margaret at South Intermediate for recommending this idea!!!
Nicky
Hi Nicky, thanks for your feedback. Sounds great, we hope you enjoy this project at St Albans! Happy gardening from the Tui Team.
jenna
Wow, well done, I have a very small garden and this will help me no end, sowing the seed tapes in between flowers as well, love fresh flowers as well as fresh veges! Guess all those small seeds can be done this way?? Well done guys.
Yvonne Lowe
Thanks for your feedback Yvonne, we hope you enjoy trying it in your own garden! - Tui Team
jenna
Hi Colleen, depending on the amount of flour glue used they should keep. If the kids use too much glue then the moisture may start the seeds sprouting. I'm glad you enjoy this idea.
Lisa Hurry - Diamond Harbour School
Great idea for the schools to have this program. How do we get it at our primary school?
Cori Tipton
Hi Cori, check out the Garden to Table website here for more info on how your school can join: http://www.gardentotable.org.nz/the-programme Thanks, Tui Team
jenna
I use Mel Bartholomew's square foot gardening method so i use paper towels and make a 30cm square to planr in each square. I highly recommend this type of garden specially for elderly and single folk who do not require heaps of vegetables all maturing at once.
Gail Webster
Great work DH school.
Diane McQueen
We are using your great instructions tomorrow to make seed tape with our senior class during our Garden to Table session. We love the easy clear instructions and diagrams, we plan to sell the seed tapes on Ag day as a fundraiser.
Suzy Picard
Awesome work :)
Tui Team
What an awesome idea, would save wasting seeds too, love it. Will have to try it, thanks
Kay
Thank you. Have passed on for a young gardening buddy.
Barbara
Thank you for sharing this wonderful idea. I work in a preschool, this is an awesome idea activity for our under-5's, we are trying to teach sustainability to our tamariki and growing our own food is a great start. Ngā mihi Diamond Harbour School and Tui, you guys rock 😀.
Kathleen Donaldson
Awesome idea for making own seed tape from DIAMOND HARBOUR SCHOOL. Well done
Helen Millen
Such a great idea, thank you Diamond Harbour School pupils.
Sheryll Hanning
I LOVE it! Well done children for thinking of this great idea.
Mary Spencer
Thank you; what a wonderful idea. I've been gardening for more than 60 years, but run into trouble germinating carrots so I'll try it. Just shows you're never too old to learn.
Alan Dawn
Fantastic idea...Great work, Well done.
Kath McKendrick