What you need:
Powdered pottery clay (available at a hobby or art store) or clay soil (from the local nursery), some potting soil, seeds of the plant you want to grow (make sure these are seeds of native plants otherwise you’ll end up introducing new plants that can starve and kill existing species), a cup, water, a large container, butter paper
What to do:
1. In the container, mix two cups of potting soil, five cups of clay and one cup of seeds.
2. Slowly, add water to the mixture (at least one cup) while kneading it. Leave no lumps.
3. Once you have a soft dough, break off bits and roll them into balls between your palms. The diameter of the balls can be roughly one inch.
4. Leave the balls on a sheet of butter paper for at least a day so they can dry.
5. Once the balls are dry, you can gently toss them into the comers of your garden where you need greenery.
What happens:
Over time, the seeds germinate. Despite not being planted’, the seeds begin to grow into saplings.
Why?
The traditional method of planting seeds leaves a lot to chance. Since the seeds are close to the soil’s surface, they can dry up due to extreme heat, they can be washed away by heavy rains or they can be eaten by birds and animals.
The seed balls are an excellent protection for the seeds. They keep the elements at bay thanks to their dry clay casing. In addition to that the shape of the ball gives shade to the seeds so that they don’t dry up. Once the seeds germinate, the ball breaks and crumbles. This small puddle of soil allows the roots to go somewhere. Thus, seed balls are an amazing way to repopulate dry or barren areas with plants.
Picture Credit : Google
