Anyone made their own seed tapes?

[Dobby]

It's far too fiddly.

Carrots - just sow a pinch at a time - they push themselves apart.

What a brill idear and the smell of the onions will mask the carrots I'm gona give it a go
Thanks

[HeyWayne]

I made a mix tape once, I think it's still in the loft. Quite easy to do, and much more fun.

With the toilet roll idea, could you just place the seeds along one side - along the length of the roll if you like, then fold the other side over and just mist with water. Allow to dry and I'm sure they'd dry "fused". Et voila!

My own experience of masking tape usually ends up with me and it entangled and choice words being uttered.

[gojiberry]

Trying to make your own just seems to be time wasting. Although you would be able to do it when its chucking it with rain outside. Was thinking of trying parsnip seed between two small squares of kitchen roll, started off in the propagator and then the whole square planted out once they start to germinate.

Ian

[pipscariad]

Hmm, well there are some good ideas here - I think the loo roll one will be given a go in the pipscariad household. Have to say that the picture of me and the masking tape was a lot like HW's!

Got some carrot seeds now, so if we have a wet day in the next couple of weeks I shall have a 'play' and see what happens. I'm only doing it with carrots as they are such tiny fiddly seeds, and my veg plot has a microclimate of its own in that it's always blowing a hooly down there, so the chance of me doing things with finesse are unlikely. I would try the pinch of seeds idea ala Zazen, but I was hoping to minimise carrot fly by no thinning. Might do a bit of both and see how they compare. Thanks for the feedback folks.

[Flummery]

I never got on with seed tapes. I bought a few when they first came out but I wasn't impressed with the germination rates. I wouldn't bother to make them myself.

[toastie]

By the time I read all the threads on this topic, decided I would sow them instead - seems far less time consuming. Last year grew some carrots in a raised bed and some in the allotment - if we have the space this year, plan to grow as many as possible in the raised bed as they were far easier to 'dig' up.

[bazzaboy]

LOL, I’ve only just got round to reading this thread, my loss, one of the funniest and such inventiveness… I don’t think I’m going to do tapes myself (I’m usually on the lookout for shortcuts) but it has made me wonder if anyone has tried the gel method rather than seeds tapes? I’ve tried the gel method with both carrot and radish but not had great results – I must be doing something wrong so any advice appreciated. If you don’t know the gel method I’ll describe it below (but be warned in my experience it doesn’t work as it should…).

In a clear poly bag make up some gel using either flour (traditional paste glue) or the gel crystals you can buy for water retention in hanging baskets. Add your seeds – say carrot – and stir to distribute. Tie the bag and keep in a dark place for a few days inspecting occasionally… The seeds are held in suspension but will germinate. Once germinated (and I get this far no problem) you then snip off a corner of the bag – same principle as an icing bag – squeeze the gel into a furrow on your plot where you want them to grow and Bob’s your uncle! Now years ago as a child I did have an "Uncle Bob" but the poor chap died and that’s what seems to happen to my germinated seeds at this stage oh oh… But I'm sure it should work and doubtless some Grapes are successfully using this method?

Using this method you won’t get evenly spaced crops but at least you should get spaced crops in whatever shape you decide to squirt - or in my case, darn it, no crops at all... I’ll try it again… b.