Make 4 lbs of seed balls - PEP BB foraging.sand.seedball

gir bot · May 17, 2023 23:32:56

Beginning mix: 1 part compost, 1 part dampened coconut coir, 1 part sloppy clay, 1 part seeds

Seeds including crimson clover, white clover, lupine, carrot, onion, squash, dill, radish, sunflower, marigold, amaranth, cucumber, chard, kale, daikon, dandelion, mint, and a bunch of unlabeled or old seeds
plus 4 perennials: rudbeckia, echinacea, lilac, wild lettuce

PEP Foraging Sand Seedballs - 4 pounds of seed balls/bombs; at least an inch in diameter, 6 species, and at least 4 have to be perennials
May 13: 4 pounds
Total time: about 5 hours, not including choosing seeds.

gir bot · Jun 29, 2023 22:07:38

Here's my submission for this BB. My seed balls included:

field mint
white clover
lambs' quarters
mustard seed mix
Shoshone sainfoin
common vetch
hairy vetch
cherry
apple

I'm including these pictures:
- A picture of the seeds in your mixing container
- The balls/bombs being created
- A picture of the finished balls on a scale showing the weight

gir bot · Nov 02, 2023 12:00:38

Made some seed balls to set free.

My mix is of

nettle, perennial

prairie sage (locally harvested, perennial)

mullein

st john's wort, perennial

garden sage

green onions

quinoa

milkweed (locally harvested, perennial)

salsify, perennial

and the compost is home made, a mix of 9 parts my compost and 1part perlite to keep it airy

gir bot · Dec 11, 2023 09:02:49

I was working on the mini pond from Earthworks this morning and remembered this bb...have clay will pellet! Lol
I made 5-6 lbs. of giant seed pellets with 1/3 seed mix, 1/3 our clay soil and 1/3 compost.
I generally use my 1/2" seed pelleter found here:
Homemade seed pelleters

The seeds I included are:
Black-eyed Peas
White Clover
Red Wheat
Amaranth
Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce
Lambs Quarters
Sunflower

I like mixing up the size of the seeds and when they germinate because I've found they will pop up at different times. The white clover will pop up when something else gives is shade, so all the moisture isn't removed. It is a good nitrogen fixer. Sunflowers and Lambs Quarters grow wild and love it here.

Dec 13, 2023 17:30:37

Ah...I apologize, I treat annuals like perennials by letting them go to seed and just didn't differentiate. Lambs Quarters lose foliage but return here. Sunflowers I let go to seed and new ones grow. Black-eyed peas I let go to seed and they return. Amaranth the same, I let some of it go to seed and it returns. The red wheat I let go to seed. Clover spreads so I consider it a perennial. The lettuce I treat as annual. I'll use technical perennials next time.

Dec 15, 2023 20:36:23

Trying this again! It didn't post earlier!!!

I got fed up with rolling mud balls and just quit it - until the light bulb went on!!!

I have several of the blue plastic ice cube trays, so, I thought why not? I brought those up to my porch where I had been mixing content.

These were extremely easy to do. just pack your mixture into the trays, pack down (I used hands and a small board both), set aside to dry, and when dry just twist the trays and the MUD CUBES pop right out. You can also use the boar to scrape off any excess as you don't want the cubes sticking together while drying.

I had very little breakage from using these trays and they are much quicker to use that sitting rolling a mud ball around until you go to sleep!

NO MORE MUD BALLS FOR ME! I'M MAKING MUD CUBES!

gir bot · May 23, 2024 13:33:51

Seed balls created! I made two batches, because I ran out of seeds before I got to four pounds on the first batch.
Batch # 1: 3 lbs 3 oz. Seeds: Chinese Chives(perennial), Winter Rye(annual), Ramps(p), Rose of Sharon(p), Yarrow(p), False Indigo(p), Alfalfa(p), and dandelion(p)
Batch # 2: 1 lbs 10 oz. Seeds: Winter Rye(a), Quince(p), Alfalfa(p), Apple(p), Dandelion(p), and Broomcorn(a).
The combined weight of both batches was about 4 lbs 10 oz according to my scale. That measurement sounds funny to me considering the above weights but mud is shifty like that I suppose.

gir bot · Jun 11, 2024 20:44:13

To complete this BB, the minimum requirements is to make at least 4 lbs (fresh weight) of seed balls/bombs:
o at least an inch in diameter
o can either be used immediately or quickly dried for storage (before the seeds germinate)
o at least six different species in each ball/bomb
- at least four of the species are perennials

To document your completion of the BB, provide the following:
Attachment 1 - A picture of the seeds in your mixing container
Attachment 2 - The balls/bombs being created
Attachment 3 - A picture of the finished balls on a scale showing the weight
- A listing of the seeds you used

The seeds I used include:
basil, thyme, peppers (anaheim, shishito, bell, jalepeno, poblano, sweet banana, hatch green, serrano, habenero, cayenne), okra, spinach, lettuces, carrot, calendula, pea, parsley, monarda, cilantro, spilanthes, cucumber, ground cherry, eggplant, oregano, tomatoes (peacevine cherry, roma, beefsteak), marigold, chives, celery

Perennials in zone 5 are: thyme, monarda, oregano, and chives

gir bot · Jul 23, 2024 09:38:08

I made a little over four pounds of seed balls today.

Process
- compiled 12 seed types, included 7 perennials
- hand mixed clay and manure
- mixed in seeds
- made balls

Seeds
(P) = perennial

- sage (p)
- service berries (p)
- catnip (p)
- asparagus (p)
- lovage (p)
- walnut (p)
- sunflower
- cherry (p)
- clover
- California poppy
- columbine
- mystery grain

This is what a tiny ad looks like buck naked

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