Get your hands dirty with seed ball gardening: a fun, eco-friendly project

Roll the mixture into balls and put on a tray.

Hinterland Homesteading with Racheal Pascoe

This is a super fun project … get your hands dirty while doing good work for the pollinators at the same time!

What are seed balls? Seed balls are small clusters packed with flower seeds that are designed to bring greenery and colourful pollinator habitats to urban landscapes or neglected areas.

Seed balls or seed bombs originate from Japan. They were reintroduced in 1938 by a Japanese microbiologist/farmer Masanobu Fukuoka. Fukuoka led the way into the world of sustainable agriculture by initiating ‘natural farming’. His methods were simple and produced no pollution. You can read more about him if you are interested.

With Christmas on the horizon, a nicely wrapped pack of 6 seed balls could make a really thoughtful gift for someone who appreciates nature, and the effort put into a handmade pressie.

What you will need

• Seeds – a lot of them! • Mud or clay • Water • Trays • An area you can get messy in.

What sorts of seeds

Ideally anything you have grown in the garden would be the most economical way to do this project. I have had success with Australian Straw flower seeds that I have saved and also Mexican Sunflower seeds. I have sat there for ages, de-heading hundreds of flowers to get seeds. It is a time-consuming job, but also so satisfying. If you are stuck for seeds though, you could pop to the Nambour Produce Barn and buy a couple of kilos of sunflower seeds. They would do the job just fine. Sunflowers are just beautiful, and you could save your own seeds for next time.

How to start

Firstly, you need to find a source of clay like mud that will roll into a kind of ball shape and stay in that shape. Play with the mud firstly, see what it does. If it is too sloppy, add more dry dirt. We have a patch in our yard that is red clay when we dig it. So, I pinch a little clay from there and mix other normal dirt into it. When the seed balls are thrown into the garden, you want the rain to break down the ball and spread the seeds. Therefore, you don’t want the balls to be 100% hard clay, the seeds just won’t spread.

Once you have a nice mix of sticky mud/clay, mix your seeds in. The best way forward here is to just get your hands in the mix! Kids just love this part. Mix the seeds through thoroughly.

Roll the seeds balls

You can choose the size of your seed balls, but about the size of a golf ball works well. Roll the mixture into balls and put on a tray. Make sure your seed balls aren’t touching. Let them dry on the tray for a good week of dry weather. Keep them dry, under the carport or on the patio are good spaces for drying.

Packaging up your finished product

Your seeds balls should be dry now and lighter in colour. If so, they are ready to package up. If they are still a bit dark in colour and wet, you might need to leave to dry a little longer. This part of the process is a bit dependent on the weather.

You can use an egg carton cut into 2 pieces, allowing for 6 seed balls or a cute net drawstring bag. There are lots of options at the cheapie shops for making the end product look fabulous.

Write or type up a little tag – for example - Seeds Balls: Ideal to use just before rain - enjoy the bright hues of native Australian Strawflowers in your garden. 

Simply toss the seed balls in a sunny position and keep damp until they get established. Sensational as cut flowers. 6 seed balls loaded with seeds in each bag.

I hope you enjoy this old practice of making seeds balls. I am sure the Japanese farmer Masanobu Fukuoka would be happy to know it is still being practiced, albeit here on the Sunshine Coast! Happy gardening everyone!