Starting Tiny Seeds When seeds are very tiny or the colour makes them difficult to see against the soil you can use one of these methods to make it easier: Toilet Paper Method
Make a shallow trench in your garden in the row where you want to plant your tiny seeds. Lay a strip of toilet paper in the trench and drop your seeds onto the paper. Read the seed packet to see how much soil they need to be covered with and gently sprinkle it on top of the seeds. Gently but thoroughly water the row and your seeds will start to grow as the toilet paper rots away. A tip: single ply and recycled toilet papers are cheaper and better for the seeds because they don’t contain dyes or bleaches* Seed Tape Method
Seed tape is available at most nurseries but it’s more expensive than toilet paper and does the same job. Stick the tiny seeds on the sticky side of the tape. Place the tape seed-side up in the shallow trench in the garden and cover it with the correct amount of soil. Water the soil and watch for your seeds to grow. The tape will disintegrate as your seeds grow. Seed Goop Method
You will need: 1 tablespoon (5 ml) corn starch 1 cup (250 ml) cold water 1/8 cup (25 ml) pre-germinated seeds a saucepan and wooden spoon a clear plastic bag and a twist tie a pair of scissors Mix the corn starch and cold water in the saucepan, stirring well to dissolve any lumps.
Carefully bring it to a boil and then let it cool completely until it feels like thick syrup. Gently stir in the seeds and let it cool to the point where you can touch it without burning yourself. Pour the ‘goop’ into the bag and close the top with the twist tie. Prepare your shallow trench in the garden where you want the seeds to grow.
Snip off a small corner of the bag and squeeze out the goop along the trench. Cover the ‘goop’ with the correct amount of soil, water it and wait for your seeds to sprout. Snip off a small corner of the bag and squeeze out the goop along the trench. Cover the ‘goop’ with the correct amount of soil, water it and wait for your seeds to sprout.
Snip off a small corner of the bag and squeeze out the goop along the trench. Cover the ‘goop’ with the correct amount of soil, water it and wait for your seeds to sprout. Snip off a small corner of the bag and squeeze out the goop along the trench. Cover the ‘goop’ with the correct amount of soil, water it and wait for your seeds to sprout. |
