Tuesday, May 1, 2012

How Tuesday: DIY Seed Tape

April showers bring May flowers, so now that it is May--bring on the garden!
There are times when I really enjoy getting my hands down in the earth and planting seeds and bulbs.
There are other times when I just want to get things in the ground.

I love the idea of seed tape, especially for tiny seeds like lettuce. The problem is that commercially-produced tapes are so expensive. This handmade tape is simple and inexpensive--a great craft to do with the kids!


Supplies: Cornstarch, water, crepe paper, seeds, paint brush

Combine 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 cup of water and heat over medium heat.
Stir frequently until a gel forms. This is your seed glue! 

Lay out you crepe paper--use white or kraft paper so
the colors don't bleed.

Dot the paper at intervals (as indicated by your seed packet)
with the cornstarch glue. Place your seed on top.

In the case of lettuce seeds, I just sprinkled them on top.

Fold the paper over to enclose the seed.
After the glue dries, roll them to prepare for planting.

Dig a furrow and you are ready to go!

1 comment:

  1. How did those germinate for you? I used crepe paper, toilet paper (cheap single ply) and dollar store paper towels to make seed tape and sq ft seed tape squares. It's been nearly a week and the crepe paper doesn't seem to be disolving even with twice daily soaking. Will the seeds be able to push through?

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