Make seed bombs yourself: instructions for home

Already looking for Christmas presents? We'll show you how easy it is to make your own seed bombs that will make gardeners' hearts beat faster.

When the days are getting shorter and the reading on the thermometer drops towards zero, it's that time again: the Christmas season is just around the corner. One or the other punch has already been drunk, one or the other light has been placed in the window, but you still have a big topic ahead of you: preparing Christmas presents for your loved ones.

History of Seed Bombs

Never heard of Seedbombs? In fact, they've been around for a really long time. Seed bombs are small balls (or clumps) of soil, clay, and seeds. Since the seed is well embedded in the hard mix of soil and clay, it does not need to be planted. Instead, you can simply toss, roll, lay, or slingshot the entire seedball to its destination. The next rain softens the ball and activates the seed, which then begins to germinate.

There are different opinions as to how, when and where the concept of seedballs was invented. Most people believe the idea came from the ancient Egyptians, who used seed bombs to quickly till the fertile farmland left behind by the annual Nile floods. Much later, the idea was picked up by the Japanese, who cultivated large fields with seed bombs dropped from airplanes while large parts of the (male) population fought in the Second World War.

The seedballs really became popular in the 1970s, when more and more people started throwing these small balls to protest against concrete deserts, air pollution and the development of urban green spaces. To this day, seedballs are used for exactly that purpose: to create colorful islands in dreary inner cities, to beautify one's neighborhood, and to grow one's own food. Seed bombs are also ideal for planting in balcony tubs, for a quick change in the garden orjust to grow some herbs in his kitchen.

Make seed bombs yourself: A special gift

A great gift doesn't always have to be something bought. It is much nicer to present homemade gifts on Christmas Day, which have been made with a lot of love and passion and which are particularly appreciated by loved ones. That's why we would like to give you a little look behind the scenes of the city gardeners today and tell you how you can easily make the little green gifts, the so-called seed bombs, yourself at home.

Make seed bombs yourself: Instructions

When selecting the seeds, all options are open to you. However, you should make sure not to select any poisonous plants and ideally only use native species. For example, daisies, poppies, corn radishes, small sunflowers, marigolds or cornflowers are well suited. Hobby gardeners will also be happy about vegetable seeds from pumpkins and co.

You need:

• 1 Part Seeds (Wildflowers/Herbs/Grasses/Vegetables)
• 5 parts good peat-free potting soil (to protect the bogs; it is best to dry the soil first and then sift it)
• 3 parts clay (brown, red, or ocher clay is available at building supply stores)
• 1 part water
• a container to mix the ingredients and a mat to dry the seed bombs

How to make the seed bombs:

1. Sieve soil into a bowl.
2. Add clay powder and mix well.
3. Slowly add water until you get a sticky mass that is easy to shape. If the dough is too watery, simply add the dry ingredients and the seeds afterwards until it has the right consistency. The dough should now be processed relatively quickly as it hardens quickly.
4. Now the actual "rolling" of the seed bombs begins. Depending on the size you want (no bigger than a walnut, otherwise the seeds will germinate before the seedball has dried), break off the appropriate amount of dough and gently roll it back and forth between your palms until you get a smooth, round ball.
5. Then place the balls on an old newspaper to dry, for example, and let them dry for 1 - 2 days.
6. The finished seed bombs can then be stored in apacked in a small jute bag and tied with a nice bow. After drying, the seed bombs can be used for two years.

Buy Seed Bombs: Seedbombs from the City Gardeners

You don't have time to make your own, but you like the idea of giving away seed bombs? The city gardeners can help! The walnut-sized seed bombs from the city gardeners, which are a hit as a gift, are available either as a pack of eight in a jute bag or as a single set of cardboard cubes. They consist exclusively of local seeds, clay and soil - a gift with added value, because between April and August the seed bombs can then be thrown out together with loved ones. There is also a starter set for rolling seed bombs yourself.

Note: There is a special discount campaign for Plantura readers. With the discount code "plantura" you get a 15% discount on the range of city gardeners!

If you have any questions about making seed bombs, the city gardeners will be happy to help you.