How to Create Seed Bombs (Guerilla Gardening)

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By Chris Young
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Create Seed Bombs (Guerilla Gardening)

Are there any empty lots or other unsightly fenced-off areas in your neighborhood that could use a little plant life? Throw some of these simple seed bombs into the blighted area and transform it into a lush garden for your whole neighborhood to enjoy.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

paper
seeds
water
plastic tub
optional: food dehydrator

Step 1

This is the paper I used for this project.

Gather some paper. I happened to use some pages from old books I had left over from another project, but newspaper works well too.
Step 2

Shredded paper.

Shred the paper. You can do this by hand, but a paper shredder will make your life much easier.
Step 3

Paper pieces ready to go.

Cut the shredded paper into smaller pieces -- about 1/2-inch long. If you are lucky enough to have a paper shredder that cuts your paper into smaller pieces than mine then you can skip this step.
Step 4

Wet paper.

Put the paper into a plastic tub and cover with water.
Step 5

Pulpy paper.

Blend paper with immersion blender until it is about half pulp. It's good to leave some whole pieces of paper because they will give the seed bombs more structure and help hold it all together.
Step 6

Seeds poured in (before mixing them into the pulp).

Add the seeds. Small seeds tend to work best. I like to use wildflower seeds because they tend to grow well in less than ideal situations. Mix the seeds into the pulp. The seeds in the pulp should be approximately the same concentration as poppy seeds in a lemon poppy seed cake.
Step 7

Reach into the pulpy mixture and grab a small handful. Squeeze it together to get as much water out as possible and form it into a small ball about the size of a marble.
Step 8

Place the damp balls somewhere where they can dry quickly (you don't want the seeds to sprout) but without too much heat. I use a food dehydrator, but if you don't have one then you could try drying them in the sun or near a heater. Use your best judgment. I'm sure you can think of some way to dry them quickly.
Step 9

Seed bombs.

When completely dry, the seed bombs will be leather hard and will retain their shape when squeezed.
Step 10

Now is the fun part! I like to keep a handful of seed bombs in my bag at all times. You never know when you'll see a spot that needs some flowers.

Simply throw the seed bomb where you want flowers to grow. Try to get them to land where there is dirt and sunshine. The paper will act as compost to get the seeds started, but they will need dirt to survive.

Comments

mommierose said

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on 6/15/2009 I thoroughly enjoyed this article! Great idea for making seed bombs- I hadn't heard of this technique before!

evgnspaces said

on 6/15/2009 I love this. I wish it would work in the desert but there just isn't enough rain and can't buy severe weather desert plant seeds. Just be careful not to add invasive weed seeds. Check with your state list.