Ambitious certified black thumb- I’m in over my head SOS pls send help

[Kusanar]

Haven't got all my seeds yet, but was able to make some seed tapes that I will use in the gardens.

What do you use for the seed tape? Is that something you buy or just something you stick the seeds in?

 

[ChickenLady2014]

What do you use for the seed tape? Is that something you buy or just something you stick the seeds in?

I use cheap toilet paper & good ole Elmers glue to attach seeds. You can also use flour paste if you like, but since the Elmers glue is safe it's easier for me to use that. Hope this help, after a day of drying I put all the like seed tapes together & fold them 3 times, then stick them in a plastic container. I then store the container in a cool place until I can plant. Just make sure to mark each tape with what it is & tell depth you need to plant them at. With tiny seeds I usually paste them to the distance they should be after thinning. I hate to thin, so by doing so I don't have to thin. If a seed doesn't come up on the tape I manually plant one in that space.

 

[Kusanar]

I use cheap toilet paper & good ole Elmers glue to attach seeds. You can also use flour paste if you like, but since the Elmers glue is safe it's easier for me to use that. Hope this help, after a day of drying I put all the like seed tapes together & fold them 3 times, then stick them in a plastic container. I then store the container in a cool place until I can plant. Just make sure to mark each tape with what it is & tell depth you need to plant them at. With tiny seeds I usually paste them to the distance they should be after thinning. I hate to thin, so by doing so I don't have to thin. If a seed doesn't come up on the tape I manually plant one in that space.

That is an awesome idea, never thought about doing that or had it mentioned in my 4 years of horticulture classes... Sharpie is also non toxic and would be a good way to label the strips.

 

[ChickenLady2014]

That is an awesome idea, never thought about doing that or had it mentioned in my 4 years of horticulture classes... Sharpie is also non toxic and would be a good way to label the strips.

Yep, that's exactly what I use. When I measure the width between seeds I mark it in pencil. Then drop a glob of glue on the dot, add seeds & then fold toilet paper in half long ways. Make sure you put something down on the surface you are working on. I use parchment papers because I had them already.

 

[lazy gardener]

I use cheap toilet paper & good ole Elmers glue to attach seeds. You can also use flour paste if you like, but since the Elmers glue is safe it's easier for me to use that. Hope this help, after a day of drying I put all the like seed tapes together & fold them 3 times, then stick them in a plastic container. I then store the container in a cool place until I can plant. Just make sure to mark each tape with what it is & tell depth you need to plant them at. With tiny seeds I usually paste them to the distance they should be after thinning. I hate to thin, so by doing so I don't have to thin. If a seed doesn't come up on the tape I manually plant one in that space.

Please tell me what your germination rate is with your home made seed tapes? And what kinds of seeds have you used?

 

[ChickenLady2014]

Please tell me what your germination rate is with your home made seed tapes? And what kinds of seeds have you used?

I couldn't give you a percentage, but I have had good growth with carrots, radishes & beets. Spots where a seed doesn't come up I just stick one in the soil to replace. Only time that I've had a problem is one year after planting the carrot seed tapes we got torrential rain & that washed them out beyond repair. Carrot seeds are planted so shallow. Have read an article about people using wet newspaper over the soil & seed tape for a couple of days. Think I will try that with the carrot seed tapes this year. I'm going to try the seed tapes with my sunflower seeds that I plant the whole length of my chicken runs for shade & possibly my pole beans. Seems to me that it would be much easier to hoe a trough, then cover the seed tape.

 

[lazy gardener]

I get great results putting wet cardboard over my carrot beds.

 

[ChickenLady2014]

I get great results putting wet cardboard over my carrot beds.

How long do you leave it on them?

 

[ChickenLady2014]

I love the seed tape because I don't have all the thinning to do after they start coming up.

 

[lazy gardener]

How long do you leave it on them?

Till they sprout.