Seed balls (also referred to as ‘seed pellets’ or ‘seed bombs’) are structures typically made of clay, compost, water and seed (but can include a huge range of ingredients including soil, rock dust, cat litter, coffee grounds, cayenne pepper, sand, worm castings and mycorrhizal fungi). These structures can ameliorate conditions that contribute to failure in arid land restoration [1]. Seed balls also serve to enhance seed to soil contact and reduce seed redistribution by wind. In theory, seeds are protected in the structure until adequate rainfall removes the surrounding clay and a small pocket of nutrients from the compost component of the seed ball nourishes the seedlings as they emerge. Seed balls are cheap and easy to make and can enhance germination of seeded species [2].
Resources
- Seed ball strategies for gardening and restoration in arid landscapes
- How to Construct A Bicycle-Powered Seed Pelletizer for Use in Gardening and Restoration
- How to make a seedball
- Seedballs 101 - Origin and Ingredients
- Review of seed pelletizing strategies for arid land restoration - Gornish et al 2019 - Restoration Ecology
- Seedballs | The Gornish Lab
- Elise Gornish on Seed Balls - The Urban Farm
- Environment, Habitat, and Seed Modifications as Restoration Techniques to Enhance Dryland Revegetation Success
References
[1] Madsen MD, Davies KW, Boyd CS, Kerby JD, Svejcar TJ. Emerging seed enhancement technologies for overcoming barriers to restoration. Restoration Ecology. 2016 [accessed 2022 Dec 22];24(S2):S77–S84. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/rec.12332. doi:10.1111/rec.12332
[2] Pedrini S, Merritt DJ, Stevens J, Dixon K. Seed coating: science or marketing spin? Trends in Plant Science. 2017 [accessed 2022 Dec 22];22(2):106–116. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1360138516301728. doi:10.1016/j.tplants.2016.11.002