Knowledgebase

Home-made seed tapes #891474

Asked January 10, 2025, 4:44 PM EST

Do you have any information or advice on how to make seed tapes to bury in garden rows? I'd like to try starting lettuce, carrot, and other small seeds in the garden, but the seeds are hard to space out. An Internet site suggests making seed tapes by cutting fairly thin strips of toilet paper the length of the row, and putting seeds in dots of flour and water paste along the strips spaced as recommended for each type seed. I want to avoid having little clumps of sprouts emerging, as I usually do when i put seeds in the garden plot because they are hard to handle.Thanks very much. Anne

Durham County North Carolina

Expert Response

You are on the right track. I would suggest you find the type of paper towel or toilet paper that is used in public bathrooms where there are no pre tear breaks.

Find someone with a bandsaw that can cut the rolls approximately 2 inches wide across the roll. That way you have a continous strip. Homemade glue with flour and water is perfect.

The paper towel rolls are a little more hardier than the toilet paper rolls. You will be able to pull it tight down the center of the row without of it tearing.

You can use something like a wooden chopstick and dip in flour mix then barely touch a seed then down to the paper at prescribed distances.

Take plenty of photos of your process and show to your friend, neighbors, and extension agent. Make sure you take photos of plants growing in straight lines.

Have fun with it!

Respectfully,

Mart

I hope this helps. Replied January 15, 2025, 11:00 PM EST

You are on the right track. I would suggest you find the type of paper towel or toilet paper that is used in public bathrooms where there are no pre tear breaks.

Find someone with a bandsaw that can cut the rolls approximately 2 inches wide across the roll. That way you have a continous strip. Homemade glue with flour and water is perfect.

The paper towel rolls are a little more hardier than the toilet paper rolls. You will be able to pull it tight down the center of the row without of it tearing.

You can use something like a wooden chopstick and dip in flour mix then barely touch a seed then down to the paper at prescribed distances.

Take plenty of photos of your process and show to your friend, neighbors, and extension agent. Make sure you take photos of plants growing in straight lines.

Have fun with it!

Respectfully,

Mart

I hope this helps. Replied January 17, 2025, 7:22 AM EST

Loading ...