One of the reasons I love blogging is because you get to learn so many tricks from so many people. This trick was brought to my attention by a reader after I posted about one gardening chore I hate. If you didn’t read the post let me tell you, in short, that thinning seedlings is not one of my favorite things to do. Even though I try to sow seeds in the correct spacing from the start, many times I mess up. Especially when it comes to the tiniest seeds like carrot or lettuce seeds.
So in an effort to avoid thinning, I am going to sow seed tapes. The “tape” is just a strip of toilet paper with seeds “glued” to it in the correct spacing. When planting time comes, you plant the tape, and voilá… your seedlings spaced perfectly.
I started by adding one tablespoon of all purpose flour to a small bowl.
Then, one tablespoon of water….
With a small brush from my girls painting supplies…
I mixed the water and flour…
Until I got a nice paste.
Then I cut a strip of good old Costco toilet paper. Did you know it’s their best seller?? From all the products in the huge warehouse, toilet paper makes them the most amount of money! I watched a show about it once… They showed all the gazillion tests they do to make sure it is soft but not too soft… Thin, but not too thin… And they do a good job too, you should try it if you haven’t yet.
Anyway, seed tapes, yes. So you can measure the length of your row or bed and make the strip of toilet paper the same length.
I folded the paper once…
In order to get a thinner strip.
I started with carrot seeds. I mixed two kinds of carrot seeds here, just for fun. In this picture they are on a glass plate on my very expensive laminate counter tops.
I put a little bit of the paste on the paper…
Then took a seed (you can use tweezers to catch it, I just kinda slide it off the plate)…
And dropped it on the paste. I guess you can put two or three seeds in one spot if you are worried about germination, but then you’ll have to thin if more than one germinates, so I decided to just put one. If it doesn’t germinate I’ll plant another one in its place.
I spaced the carrots 2-3 inches from each other. Check the back of the seed pocket for the correct spacing for whatever you are planting.
Lastly, I rolled the strip of toilet paper loosely and labeled each roll.
Few things I liked about making seed tapes. First, I can do it in the winter ahead of time, second, next time I will probably make these with the girls, it will be a nice activity for them. Of course I like the fact that it will eliminate the need for thinning, one less chore for the busy Spring/Summer months.
My plan is to cut each tape to three equal parts when the time to plant comes. I will plant the three parts of the tape three weeks apart and this way not all my carrots (for example) will be ready for harvest at the same time. I was thinking that I can probably leave the end of the first part of the tape sticking out of the ground a bit so I’ll know where to plant the next part three weeks later.
Did you ever use seed tapes? Was it successful?
I hope you’ll have a great week!
Kristy Gonyer (Nature Nurture Grow) says
January 20, 2014 at 2:59 pmWhat a great idea! How much time did it take for you to finish them up? I look forward to hearing how well they work this year.
Lee says
January 20, 2014 at 6:57 pmMaybe about an hour and a half or so to make the five rolls. I hope it will work. Thanks for stopping by!
Carol says
January 21, 2014 at 12:34 pmI’m just wondering if using paper towels is the best idea? I hear it is processed with all kinds of toxic stuff. Maybe using newspaper would be a better choice: I know about the ink, but they** say if you don’t have clean material, to wrap a baby up in newspaper because it is the best choice for lessening contamination…..? Just a thought. This is a GREAT idea!!!
Lee says
January 21, 2014 at 1:17 pmmmmm… Not sure. I used toilet paper and I know you can put white or brown paper in your compost but you can’t know these days. Almost everything around us is processed with chemicals…
suzyhomemaker says
January 22, 2014 at 7:49 amThis is brilliant. I just always throw in seeds randomly and wonder why my garden sucks. This is amazing. Thanks for the idea.
Lee says
January 22, 2014 at 9:13 pmLOL! I am sure your garden doesn’t suck. But plants do need a certain amount of room to grow properly. Every year I get too excited at planting time and over plant, then I promise myself I won’t do it again and guess what… I do it again!
Lauren Ann says
January 22, 2014 at 9:00 amThis is a great idea, we’ve talked about trying it but haven’t seen it in a step by step. Great tutorial, thanks!
Lee says
January 22, 2014 at 9:10 pmYou are welcome! It is very simple and actually fun. If you have kids and they are old enough to handle the tiny seeds, I think it might be a nice family project. Thanks for visiting.
Shelle @ PreparednessMama says
January 22, 2014 at 3:23 pmGreat idea! I’ve been looking for things to do inside to get my garden going. This is a perfect cold weather task and will save me a bunch of time in the spring.
Lee says
January 22, 2014 at 9:06 pmIt will definitely save some time and also many seeds. The tips of my fingers start to itch this time of the year…. I am dying to do some gardening but unfortunately I don’t have room in my house for starting seeds indoors and I don’t have a green house, so this calmed me down a little. I felt like I am actually gardening without really gardening… If that makes any sense 😉
Jessica says
January 22, 2014 at 5:03 pmWhat a fabulous idea!! I also love that I could start on it now while it’s still SO cold out! Thanks!
Lee says
January 22, 2014 at 9:01 pmYes, the first thing I was thinking when I heard about it is how great it will be to be able to do something in the dead of Winter that will actually save me lots of time in the busy Summer. Thanks for visiting!
Julie says
January 22, 2014 at 6:05 pmI really like this idea… for me thinning means I’m destroying part of my crop and I just don’t like that waste…
This is completely fabulous. Have you checked your tapes to see if there was / is any affect on the seed by having them sit in the flour paste?
Lee says
January 22, 2014 at 8:58 pmHi Julie, I just checked the tapes. The seeds look completely fine, just like they looked before. The only thing I would do differently will be to let the “paste” dry all the way before rolling the tape. I didn’t have a hiding place for them and knew that if my kids discover them when they wake up from nap they will be gone in no time. So I rolled them when they were still a little wet and now had to peel the tissue off a few seeds. No big deal but still…. Thanks for stopping by.
Carole West says
January 23, 2014 at 8:03 amSeed tape is great – I tried this last year and had great results. This year I’m thinking about trying something new and making my own paper pots. I finally have a greenhouse so I thought why not try something new. Direct seed though will always be my favorite and the seed strips makes that so much easier. -Carole
Lee says
January 23, 2014 at 1:25 pmGreat to hear it worked out. I don’t see a reason why it won’t work. Paper bags are a very nice idea. Will you plant the plants in the garden with the paper bag when the weather is right?
Carole West says
February 1, 2014 at 9:39 amThey will be paper pots made from newspaper not bags but yes I will directly plant them. 🙂
KATY says
January 23, 2014 at 2:00 pmI was worried that sitting in flour gloop might rot the seed; maybe letting it dry prevents that risk?
Lee says
January 23, 2014 at 6:02 pmIt takes some time for the paste to dry but it doesn’t seem like it affected the seed at all. It looks just like it did before I “pasted” it.
Marsha says
January 23, 2014 at 2:15 pmI’ve used commercial seed tapes but didn’t like the spacing. I don’t like to destroy plants to thin them out! I ended up cutting the tape into shorter segments and planting at MY choice of spacing. The grew but I think just scratching out a row and planting loose seeds is just as good in my opinion.
Lee says
January 23, 2014 at 5:58 pmI never used the commercial tapes. I hate destroying young seedlings as well, I always end up replanting them but this takes me a long time. I hope this is going to work. I only did it with the really tiny seeds the other ones I’ll just plant straight in the ground. I will have to wait for the end of the growing season to make a decision of what I like best. Thanks for visiting!
tessa says
January 24, 2014 at 12:50 amThanks for sharing on Green Thumb Thursday! I pinned this one because, any way you slice it, that’s just cool stuff to know!
Lee says
January 24, 2014 at 10:41 pmThanks!
Shirley @ Intelligent Domestications says
January 24, 2014 at 2:22 pmThese is a really clever idea! Thanks for sharing. I’d like to know how well the seeds sprout in the spring. I hope you will update on your Facebook page!
Lee says
January 24, 2014 at 3:18 pmYes, will do.
Jeana Cooper says
January 24, 2014 at 9:03 pmWonderful instructions and idea. Just did strips of mixed lettuce seeds. I never like to thin the plants and throw away alive ones, so this is ideal for me. Thinking of Spring on this cold night. Thank you for sharing this info.
Lee says
January 24, 2014 at 10:40 pmOh great! Come back to let me know if everything germinated. Thanks for visiting.
Erin Crary says
January 25, 2014 at 11:20 amCan anyone think of a gluten free way to make these? I don’t think we even have ap flour in the house anymore.
Lee says
January 25, 2014 at 8:56 pmHow about using Almond flour? And I think there are other kinds of gluten free flours….
Stephanie Kay says
January 25, 2014 at 10:48 pmBrilliant idea!! Thanks for sharing via Family Fun Friday.
Kristy @ She Eats says
January 26, 2014 at 2:05 pmI have to admit – I’m intrigued!! I’ve never heard of this before! Can I ask – is there an advantage to this instead of just planting them spaced out in the yard? I love it! I wanna try it! I’m just curious 🙂 Either way, I’m stoked to find out how it all turns out and seeing your garden this Summer!!
Thank you so much for sharing your post with us at Fresh Foods Wednesday! I hope you’ll be back this week with more fresh food posts 🙂 xo, kristy
Lee says
January 26, 2014 at 7:59 pmIt is easier to use this method when dealing with the tiniest seeds like lettuce and carrots. It is just hard to space them correctly when sowing directly in the soil. I will make sure to update when I pant it and when the seeds germinate. Thanks for visiting.
Danielle @ Poor and Gluten Free says
January 26, 2014 at 2:47 pmWhat a neat idea! I’d definitely give this a try (as someone else noted, maybe with newspaper or recycled paper to avoid chemicals if you’re really trying to go “au naturale” 😉 ) and maybe with a gluten free flour like rice flour or something…
Thanks so much for sharing this on Waste Not Want Not Wednesday, I’ve pinned it 🙂
Lee says
January 26, 2014 at 9:46 pmThanks! Yes, newspaper will work just fine and any kind of flour I think.
nena says
January 26, 2014 at 9:32 pmlove this idea. I am 60 yrs old and not able to spend so much time on my knees. and I also hate thining. but once u past ur seeds to the paper, how do u store them ? I mean until it is time to plant them. thank u for the idea. is it ok for me to tell my daughter and grandkids I thought of it….lol thanks
Lee says
January 26, 2014 at 9:46 pmTake all the credit you want Nena! I made the tapes on my dining room table while sitting down. I didn’t realized it until now, but it can really help people who can’t band. I just put the rolled tapes in my seed box, nothing special. Thanks for visiting.
Anna @ Northern Homestead says
January 29, 2014 at 12:25 amWhat a great idea! Thank you for linking up at Green Thumb Thursday, I will be featuring this post this Thursday!
Lee says
January 29, 2014 at 7:34 amThanks!
Janine says
January 29, 2014 at 8:03 amWhat a fantastic idea. Would love you to share this at Real food Fridays at my lamp is full this week. Pinned, and will do this this year. Maybe my carrots will work for once.
Lee says
January 29, 2014 at 1:41 pmWill ‘see’ you there Friday. Thanks for visiting.
Gabriella says
January 29, 2014 at 11:11 amI found your website from the link-up on raisinghomemakers.com. I really like your post – it’s brilliant; I’ll have to try it this year!
I would like to invite you to HomemakingHearts.com on Fridays for a brand new link-up; it would be a delight to have you join us!
Gabriella
Lee says
January 29, 2014 at 1:41 pmI will be happy to join you, Will add it to my list. Thanks.
Mary says
January 29, 2014 at 8:02 pmThis is a fabulous idea and I will definitely be doing this myself to get ready for Spring!! Love it! I’m going to feature you on tomorrow Homeacre Hop over at Homegrown on the Hill! Please join us again soon!
Mary 🙂
Lee says
January 30, 2014 at 7:08 amThanks you so much for sharing!
Barb @ A Life in Balance says
January 31, 2014 at 1:32 pmI just wanted to let you know we’re featuring your post at Fabulously Frugal Thursday this week. I know a Girl Scout troop that’s using your directions to create seed tapes to hand out to help people start gardens.
Lee says
January 31, 2014 at 6:51 pmOMG! This is a great Idea! If you know her personally please tell her I would love to hear how it worked out. Thank you so much for sharing and featuring!
Chris says
January 31, 2014 at 4:23 pmI used newspaper with my preschool class…it was great -and really worked !
Lee says
January 31, 2014 at 6:53 pmThis is a great classroom activity. I am thinking about doing this with our homeschool friends. Newspaper might be easier for the kids to handle.
Anna D says
February 12, 2014 at 1:38 pmWe sell the seed tape at our store for spinach and carrots, and I knew there was a frugalista way to do it. I am also using tp rolls for seed starting like on this http://theharriedhomemakerpreps.blogspot.com/2013/02/how-to-make-seed-starting-pots-from.html on The Harried Homemaker’s site.
Lee says
February 12, 2014 at 2:48 pmSo cool! I was thinking… can’t you plant the seedlings with the toilet paper roll in the soil? Won’t the paper rolls decompose eventually? I am posting this on my FB page. Thanks for visiting.
Anna D says
February 12, 2014 at 4:22 pmYes they will decompose, similar to Jiffy pots. I’ve been saving tp rolls, paper towel rolls, eggshells and biodegradable egg cartons all year since the last season ended.
J. R. Cooper says
April 10, 2014 at 7:37 pmI followed the directions here. I unrolled and planted the strips 7 days ago and am seeing tiny leaves of lettuce as of yesterday. No thinning needed. This idea is a “keeper”. (zone 5 area). Thank you for this post!
Lee says
April 10, 2014 at 10:53 pmOh I am so happy to hear that! Thanks for coming back to share. I was about to update this post with a photo of my radishes. They are perfectly spaced and growing very well like you lettuces.
Sally at Garden Valley Homestead says
August 4, 2014 at 5:41 pmHow did your seed tape work out? We’re on a septic system here, so we don’t use Costco paper…because it doesn’t dissolve, causing septic problems. How does it work in the garden? I’m going to try your tape idea…but use a different (dissolving) brand.
Lee says
August 4, 2014 at 7:54 pmReally? I didn’t know it doesn’t dissolve. Good to know for when we move to our land. I should have updated… The seed tapes worked great. I had almost all the seeds germinate and I don’t remember ‘meeting’ the paper later, so I assume it just decomposed.
Linda @ Apron Strings says
February 6, 2015 at 4:55 pmpinning this brilliant idea! thanks so much. I’ll put the kids to work right away, so our gardening chores are easier. No one likes thinning the carrots and lettuces.
stopping over via Old-Fashioned Friday!
Lee says
February 6, 2015 at 8:15 pmDefinitely a fun activity for the kids, and will save a lot of time later. Thanks for stopping by!
Kim says
March 4, 2016 at 8:20 pmI tried seed tape once….. I was inside the house after I spent time meticulously planting it only to see the birds pulling them out to use for nesting material ?
Lee says
March 5, 2016 at 7:59 pmOh no. Did you maybe leave the end sticking out of the soil? I wonder how did they find it. I never had a problem with birds but I know some people put deer netting over the bed right after planting until the plants are a few inches tall.
Hannalie says
March 16, 2016 at 8:28 amI am so doing this this year. However how long do you think the tapes will last? It is Autumn here in the southern hemisphere so planting season is still far off 🙁
Lee says
March 16, 2016 at 1:58 pmI don’t think doing this seed tape will affect the seeds. So, when you get new seeds your germination rate will be, let’s say, 95%, but if you are using seeds that are a year old then your germination rate will go down to, let’s say, 80%. This will happen if the seeds are on the tape or not. I made this tape during the winter and planted in the spring. It was fine.
NICOLE Aviles says
September 18, 2016 at 12:48 pmWow! It is SO fun!!!