Tui Spring Times Magazine 2017 Tui Spring Times 2017 | Page 11

HOW TO 
MAKE 
SEED TAPE
People may ask, “Why would you make seed tape?” Garden to
Table school Diamond Harbour School is going to tell you! Tiny
seeds, like carrot and radish seeds, are difficult to germinate in
the soil. These seeds are so small that they dry out quickly once
they have germinated, and they are difficult to sow evenly.
Working to
gether to c
reate
the tape!
Lucky for you the children at Diamond Harbour School have a solution – homemade
seed tape. Seed tape holds moisture around the seeds while they are germinating. It
is also a great way to maintain an even distribution of seeds, avoiding unnecessary
thinning of seedlings. Best of all seed tape can be made at home or school, using
everyday materials.
Materials needed
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Toilet paper
Small seeds like carrot, lettuce or radish
Flour and water
Paint brush
Cardboard or paper for labels
String
Scissors
for
Easy step by step guide
homemade seed tape
• Lollipop sticks
What you need to do
1. Cut some toilet paper to about 1 metre long.
Then cut it in half lengthways.
All ready to shar
2. Mix the flour and water together in a bowl,
e!
until it makes a sticky paste. Make sure it is
not super thick.
3. Dab small amount of flour paste in
the middle of each sheet of paper. Use a lollipop stick to make sure the glue
is placed evenly apart.
4. Get two seeds and carefully place them in the flour paste.
Continue doing this until you reach the end of the toilet paper.
5. Fold the toilet paper in half lengthways to cover the seeds inside the paper.
6. Roll the finished seed tape up and tie together with a length of string.
7. Next make a label from scrap paper or cardboard, with the names of the
seeds inside.

We are excited to be supporting Garden To
Table as our school programme again this
year. Garden to Table is a trust, which runs a
gardening and cooking programme in schools
across New Zealand. As participants in the
Garden to Table programme, seven to 10
year-old children spend time in a productive
vege garden and home-style kitchen each
week. They learn skills that will last a lifetime,
and discover just how much fun it is to grow
and cook their own seasonal fruit and veges.
Tui provides starter packs to each of the new
schools, and seasonal packs during the year.
To become a Garden to Table school find
out more at gardentotable.org.nz
TUIPRODUCTS.CO.NZ
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