How to make a seed bomb

Gardening


How to make a seed bomb
Seed bombs are the basic weapon of choice for guerrilla gardeners who want to transform a disused, neglected area of land into a colourful oasis. Guerrilla gardeners will usually work a piece of land with the tools of the average gardener if access to the land is easy, but there are occassions when access is either difficult or may incur legal action if disturbed. To overcome this, seed bombs, which will contain everything needed for the seeds to germinate and thrive, can be thrown onto the land. The basic method for creating a seed bomb is to encase seeds, compost and nutrients in a ball of clay soil, although there are variations on this. For example, the seeds and compost can be inserted into condoms, empty egg shells, or water bombs. The problem with a number of these methods however is that the casing is not always biodegradable, so not very eco-friendly. This guide will show you how to make a seed bomb that is entirely eco-friendly because the shell is made of papier mache. The added advantage of using papier mache is that the seed bombs can be made ahead of time and stored indefinitely. Papier mache seeds bombs can also be any shape or size you like, allowing you to take either a practical approach by making a basic seed bomb, or a more creative approach. If you wish, your seed bombs can be any imaginative shape, and can be painted with water based paints - a fun way to involve kids of all ages, and turn seed bomb attacks into an event.
Instructions
Step 1 Pour some water into the bowl , add some of the wallpaper paste and mix. Leave to stand for a while. The mixture should be a little more fluid than usual or the seed bomb shell will be thick with paste. Remember, it only needs to be strong enough to hold the compost and seeds until thrown. Step 2 Line the moulds with the petroleum jelly to stop the paper sticking to them. If you don't have petroleum jelly then washing up liquid can be used, or the moulds can be lined with cling film. Step 3 Shred the newspaper into small pieces. Add dry paper as a first layer to the mould to help ensure it doesn't stick. Step 4 Brush paste onto a piece of newspaper and place it firmly and gently into the mould. Keep building up the layers of paper in this way until you judge there to be enough layers. Use the brush to remove any excess paste. Brushing the paste onto the paper ensures it doesn't become too engorged in paste. The idea is to create shells that are strong enough to hold the contents but will hopefully break after being thrown, and quickly disintegrate further in rain. Step 5 Leave in a warm dry place. Once the papier mache is fully dry, remove from the moulds. Cut a hole in one part of the shell so the seeds and compost can be added. Step 6 Join two sections of the papier mache parts together to form a shell. Use either more newspaper and paste to join them (especially if you intend to paint them), or gummed paper parcel tape. Once they are dry the shells can be stored. Step 7 To fill the shells, roll a piece of paper into a funnel and place into the hole in the shell. Pour in moist peat free compost and the seeds. Add some nutrients for the seeds too. So long as the compost is moist there is no need to add more water - if it doesn't rain the seedlings won't last anyway. Once the shell is full, seal the hole with with a little more papier mache or gummed parcel tape. Now you are ready to go! Step 8 When you reach the location for throwing the seed bombs, weaken the shell by running a key edge along parts of the seal and a few other places. This will help the seed bomb to break up, and the weather to do its work. Don't worry if the seed bomb doesn't fall apart when it lands, rain should quickly break it up.	Things Needed Newspaper Wallpaper adhesive Water Bowl petroleum jelly Scissors Paintbrush Moulds for the papier mache Tips & Warnings Each mould will form half of the seed bomb and be joined to another. So, the more moulds you have the more seed bombs you can make in one go. Typical moulds to use include a deep muffin baking tray, deep paint trays, such as a child's pallette, or concave spheres. A concave mould is preferable because the papier mache will be easier to remove, although the outer surface of an object will be fine at a push. A seed bomb can be any shape and size you like so many different household objects can be used as moulds.

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A W Drake
Helium member since Feb 26, 09
Number of Guides: 6

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Green Up with Seed Bombs!

Green up your neighborhood. Is there an empty lot or area near you that needs some green? Use this basic method to make a seed bomb, or make papier mache seed bombs that can be stored for when the time is right to use.

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