What are seed balls and how are they made?
Re-vegetation of large areas is very expensive and time consuming. Efforts have been made in the last few years to try a different method of reseeding that is not only relatively inexpensive but has proven to be extremely effective and is low maintenance. This method, referred to as seed balls, is the original creation of Masanobu Fukuoka, a Japanese scientist and farmer, who is considered the founder of natural farming. Seed balls have four components – seed, humus, red clay, and water. A seed mixture of plants that belong together in forest guilds is created. In the correct proportions, the seed mixture, humus, clay and water are mixed, and small (1/2″-1″) clay balls are formed. They are dried for a few days, and then are ready for broadcasting on the forest floor. It takes about ten seed balls per square yard to do the job.
