You Should Try Seed Tape in Your Garden This Spring.
Seeds come in all shapes and sizes. While some are delightfully large and easy to plant, such as peas and sunflowers, planting a row of radishes, lettuce or onions often requires the dexterity and vision of a much younger person than me. This is where seed tape can make a difference. helping you easily plant a row of your favorite crop without worrying about gaps or sorting out tiny seeds. The best part is that you can do it yourself.
What is seed tape?
A biodegradable “tape”, seed tapes are actually just a paper roll with seeds planted at specific intervals, usually the recommended spacing for a particular seed. You simply lay down the tape and close it to the recommended depth for that seed and you’re done. The non-toxic paper will decompose and the seeds will be protected from washing away and will even retain a little extra moisture thanks to the tape to aid germination. Seeding tapes, like seed pellets, are one way seed suppliers have tried to make it easier to quickly sow fast-growing crops and even flowers. The downside (and it’s a small one) is that seeding tapes don’t always fit your favorite varieties, and the spacing between them is pre-set. So if you’re a crowdscaper like me, the spacing between the seed bands may be too much for your liking.
The most common seed belts are for radishes, lettuce, onions, carrots, beets and other tender greens. Most seed stores offer at least a few seed tape options, but this season the best outlets I’ve found are Park Seed , Gurney’s, and Territorial Seed , which have expanded into grass and flower seed stands. Rugs work in the same way, they simply cover more space and allow you to lay out a whole small area of the garden without having to think about it.
Seed capture tapes for easier sowing:
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Bee Feed Mat $22.95
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Spring Garden Seed Mat $15.95
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Spring Beet Color Blend $3.95
How to make your own seed tape
If, like me, you’re too bossy to just use the varieties of vegetables that already come in the seedling strip, or you don’t like the spacing suggested, you can make your own. I spend some of the winter making seed ribbons of my favorite successional crops and then add a calendar item to plant a row every two weeks. This means you’ll have to spend less time bending over in the garden trying to check if the radish seed has landed in the hole.
Get unbleached toilet paper—the cheaper, the better. Make a glue from flour and water: mix them in equal parts, and then bring them to the consistency of a thick paste. Lay out the toilet paper. You’ll be folding it in half, so on the bottom half, use a paintbrush to apply a little glue to each spot where you want to place the seed. Place the seed on the glue, fold the top half of the toilet paper down to seal the seed, and let it dry. (If you have small children at home, this is a fun activity to do together.)
Store the tape in an airtight plastic bag and use it as needed.