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Projects: Natural Farming With Seed Balls

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Seed balls are very easy to make and are great for seeding waste areas in your yard.

We use a combo of wild flower, mustards, radish seeds and wheat to create a haven for beneficial insects. We sow the balls in winter in our next-door neighbor's yard. They had a long piece of bare ground adjacent to our garden that was full of weeds and bermuda grass *yuck*.

This method has been successful in attracting many beneficial insects into the garden and has transformed the bare and unsightly spot into a beautiful wild garden.

HOW TO MAKE 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. Seed balls are particularly useful in dry and arid areas where rainfall is highly unpredictable. www.primalseeds.org

	STEP ONE: INGREDIENTS A. Dry terracotta clay, finely ground and sifted through a strainer to remove large chunks of clay. Amount: 1 1/4 cup
	B. Dry organic compost. Amount: 3/4 cup C. 1/4 cup assorted seeds. Various wildflower & vegetable seeds can be used.
	STEP TWO: Mix B & C together. (Seed mixed with dry compost.)
	STEP THREE: Add A to B & C mix. Blend everything together well. Next, mist water onto the mixture while stirring. Spray just enough water to allow the mixture to stick/bind together.
	STEP FOUR: Take a pinch of the finished mixture and roll (in the palm of your hand) into penny-sized round balls.
	STEP FIVE: Put seed balls in the sun to dry completely for a day or two.
	STEP SIX: Broadcast seed balls onto dirt area. Water or wait for rain to allow seeds to germinate. *Makes approximately 30-40 balls*
	Seeds are starting to come up... ENJOY THE RESULTS!!!
Suggested seeds to attract beneficial insects: Clover, alfalfa, alyssum, nasturtium, yarrow, carrot, dill, daikon, celery, radish, fennel, caraway, chervil, gypsophila, coriander, calendula, mustard, anise hyssop, phacelia, agastache, and amaranth. Note: Please be advised to check with your local nursery or agriculture agency to determine which beneficial, native plant species would best serve the habitat which you are trying to restore. Nonnative invader species that are proven voracious spreaders should never be used as a tool of ecological restoration. Application rate A minimum of ten seed balls per square metre, a higher density may be required to reclaim derelict land.

Recommended References

� Explore Seed Balls - Jim Bone's seed ball page Highly recommended!

� Masanobu Fukuoka - Greening the Desert

� Fukuoka Farming - Yahoo! Group that discusses Fukuoka's revolution method of organic farming

� Seed Balls - Making clay and humus seed balls saves time and energy preparing the ground, ideal for compacted or dry derelict land

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