Permaculture in Practice: Seed Balls!

Seed balls are a no-till method for vegetating an area, especially well suited for disturbed areas, compacted, or barren soils.  Seed balls create a protected venue to keep seeds safe from blowing away, drying out, or being eaten by animals while they germinate and get established.  The clay provides protection and the compost provides beneficial nutrients and microbes to help the seeds thrive.  When seed balls are spread on a site, they don’t need any irrigation, because they wait patiently until the rains come to wash away the clay and germinate the seeds.

You can use seed balls in your driveway, the barren lot next door, construction areas, in your garden, native habitat restoration, or to spread edible plants around the city guerrilla gardening style.  It takes less time, effort, and money than more traditional till-methods of farming.