For every fruitful garden experiment, there's inevitably one that doesn't pay off. For me so far this season, that's the make-your-own seed tape that I planted almost a month ago. Guess what's happened with it?
Nada, that's what. Not a sprout, not a seedling.
And here's my working theory as to why. I think I used too much of the flour/water "glue," fastening the seeds to the newspaper strips so effectively that they couldn't germinate themselves out of their rock-solid encasements.
I first had this thought (one of those "Hm, is this going to work?" doubt-y thoughts) when I was cleaning the bowl in which I'd mixed the glue. I had gotten busy and waited a few hours before cleaning it, and let's just say it took a few rounds of dish soap/hot water soaking before I could even chisel the dried glue off of the bowl. What chance did a tiny parsnip seed have against such armor?
To everything there is a season. A time to succeed, a time to fail. It's all good in a garden.
You can also in the future use a dot of Honey. Once this wets the Honey will melt aeay with the TP.
Posted by: Opie | February 12, 2012 at 04:57 PM
I once heard that DIY seed tape could be made with Knox Gelatin for a binder.
Posted by: James | October 02, 2010 at 10:55 PM
Really little seeds like tomatoes dry them on tissue paper and plant the paper at planting time with seeds attached.
Posted by: stewart | January 13, 2010 at 06:56 AM
On a positive note: If we ever have a climate-changing apocalypse, once it abates we could remove the seeds from their protective shell to restore vegetation to the scorched earth. Your "failure" may just save humankind. (Let's hope it doesn't come to that, though.)
Posted by: John | May 06, 2009 at 07:27 PM