Seed balls are a way of distributing seeds by encasing them in a mixture of clay and compost. The seeds are protected from drying out in the sun, being eaten by birds, or from blowing away by the earthen mixture.
Seed balls are not planted, but scattered on the ground. They are most useful for seeding dry, thin and compacted soils and for reclaiming derelict ground, so they are often used in guerrilla gardening.
The seed ball method has been working for centuries. Many ancient cultures used seed balls, and natural farming pioneer Masanobu Fukuoka has experimented with them. Seed bombs (tossed seed balls) were used in New York City in the 1973 revitalization of the Bowery neighborhood. They were also used in the city’s first community garden.
One word of caution: if you make seed balls, use plants native to the areas in which you will toss them. Non-indigenous species can be invasive and wreck environmental havoc when they are introduced into the eco-system.
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Seed Balls
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop new seed ball formulations for different types of challenging environments.
- Guerrilla Gardening
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Create innovative guerrilla gardening tools and techniques to maximize the impact of seed ball distribution.
- Native Species
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop advanced technologies for identifying and using native plant species in seed ball production.
Where This Applies
- Agriculture
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Integrate seed ball distribution methods into large-scale agriculture to improve soil quality and reclaim derelict land.
- Environmental Restoration
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Explore the use of seed balls for restoring damaged ecosystems, such as urban landscapes and post-industrial sites.
- Gardening and Landscaping
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop consumer-friendly seed ball products and DIY kits for individuals to participate in guerrilla gardening and beautify their surroundings.
