Introduction: Make Your Own Seed Tapes

About: I am 51 and hail from sunny Southern California but originate from back east. I am a Web Designer by trade and own a small Web Design Service and a few online stores around the net and enjoy meeting folks o…

Seed Tapes are an efficient work saver in the garden but they get so expensive sometimes that I have taken to making my own to save money too.

This is a fun project for the whole family to get in on, when my kids were too young to handle garden tools they had fun making them and it made them feel that they were an important part of things around the house.

I also like to do these at my leisure over the winter months to get ready for spring and summer plantings and get a jump on the growing season..

Step 1: Materials

You will need:

Any kind of Seeds
Zip lock Baggies or plastic containers - each one marked for what type of seed tape it is in it
1 Tbl Corn Starch
1 C Cold Water
Paper Towels, cut in 1 1/2 - 2 inch Strips and folded in half
Any squeeze type bottle, (you can wash and use an empty mustard or ketchup bottle)
A drop of food coloring (optional)

Step 2: Prepare Your 'Seed Glue'

Dissolve Cornstarch in Water over a medium heat until it boils and thickens. Mixture should look opaque and cling slightly to a fork before dripping off.

Let it cool and transfer into squeeze bottle add 1 drop of food coloring and shake the bottle to make your 'Glue Dots' easier to see.

Step 3: Prepare Your 'Seed Tape'

Lay out Paper Towel Strips, and place dots across one side of the fold with the cornstarch mixture spacing the dots according to the planting directions of the Seed Packets.

I am using Blanket Flower Seeds for this project.

Step 4: Add Your Seeds

Place seeds on top of the dots, fold other half of paper towel on top and let it dry completely.

Store in a plastic bag or container until you are ready to plant. (I like to keep mine in the bottom drawer of the fridge).

Drop the seed packet with instructions in with your seed tapes for future reference.

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