7 Reasons To Use Seed Tapes

A large proportion of new gardeners have chosen to grow their own food at home as this gives them total control over where their food comes from and how it’s grown. Many have also chosen to grow their own food because of the environmental benefits it brings such as substantially reducing food miles, an important contribution towards controlling adverse effects on our climate, and it can help to protect and give a helping hand to Nature.

Consider this, it is said that every acre of land that we restore to Nature can capture 30-60 tons of Carbon and that’s the equivalent of driving 500,000 miles. So why not grow your own from home, help the environment, as well as eat healthier, tastier food?

However, some new gardeners may feel a little daunted by the prospect of growing their own tasty veggies at home – “It’s hard work.” “You need lots of gardening knowledge.” “I won’t be successful.” “It costs a lot of money” – these are some of the common comments from those thinking about gardening for the first time.

Growing from seed is easy, most especially when you grow using Pre-sown Seed Tapes & Discs. It offers you a fantastically wide choice of vegetables and great news: it is a very cost-effective way to produce your own, tasty, nutritious food in your own home.

What are Seed Tapes & Discs and why are they so helpful?

1. Pre-sown seed tapes and discs are perfect for all gardeners from beginners to the most experienced. They offer convenience and reduce work in the garden. And seed discs are perfect for growing in containers and in smaller spaces such as balconies and patios.

2. Multi varietal seed tapes offer different varieties that mature at different times and come in a wide choice of crop options.

3. Seed tapes are perfect for direct sow crops – these are crops you sow outside directly into the garden soil.

4. Home gardeners tend to oversow, then they have to thin out the seedlings. Seed tapes are pre-spaced and eliminate over sowing, avoiding overcrowded seedlings, resulting in healthier, stronger crops.

5. Seed tapes & discs are fun for kids. Kits are available that include everything you need – just add water and sunshine and let the kids take over the gardening!

6. Retailers choose their bestselling, best performing high-quality seed varieties to put in their seed tapes so you can be sure of outstanding results.

7. Pre-sown seed tapes & discs are a real help for those gardeners who may have a sight impairment or who find handling small seeds difficult.

For the ultimate low work, convenient way to grow vegetables, pre-sown seed tapes, discs, and mats are the most brilliant way to grow from seed – easily and successfully.

Now, if you ask, “What should I grow?”, instead, ask yourself, “What do I like to eat?” This is surely the best place to start when planning what to grow at home – why grow something you don’t really like? Nothing beats the taste and nutritional benefits of home-grown veggies so it’s up to you to choose what will tickle your taste buds – there’s a huge selection out there so you’re sure to find what you are looking for.

 Seed Tapes are the easy way to grow your veggies!

• Chose a warm, sunny spot in your garden to grow your vegetables
• It is a good idea to improve your garden soil by digging in some organic compost.
• Rake over your garden soil to produce a fine texture, removing any larger stones and weeds
• Next, use a garden hoe, or even just a stick, to make a shallow groove in the soil about 1” deep
• Separate a single row of seed tape along the easy-to-use perforations and lay it into the bottom of the groove in the soil, then cover it with a light layer of soil ensuring the tape is completely covered
• Lightly water where you have sown your seed tape and keep it moist but not saturated. Do not allow your seedbed to dry out completely
• After a week or so, your seedlings will start to appear
• Remember to keep your crops well-watered, especially in areas where little rain falls. Remove any weeds that emerge as they will compete with your veggies for the nutrients in the soil.
• Then…. enjoy the tastiest and most nutritious vegetables you’ve ever tasted!

How to use Seed Discs in Containers

If you love the thought of using fresh, aromatic, and flavorsome herbs in your home cooking, try pre-sown seed discs. Grow these in pots or containers on windowsills, patios, and balconies. You’ll soon be adding fantastic flavors to your cooking straight from your own garden.

• Choose a container to suit the size of disc you’ve bought (usually between 12 – 16”). If your disc is slightly too large for your container, simply cut it to size with ordinary household scissors.
• Fill your container with good quality potting soil, retaining a little for covering the seed disc
• Firm down the potting soil, leaving the surface about 2” from the top of the rim
• Lay your seed disc on top of the potting soil and cover it with the remaining soil
• Lightly water and keep the surface moist but not saturated at all times
• Place the container in a warm, sunny, sheltered spot in your garden or on your patio or balcony
• In just a few weeks you’ll have strong, healthy seedlings pushing through. Then in a few weeks later you’ll be enjoying your crop!

Look to these NGB members for seed tapes and discs.

• Burpee
• Ferry-Morse 
• Gardens Alive!
• Jung Seed
• McKenzie Seeds
• Park Seed

Written by David Arnold, Seed Developments

“This post is provided as an educational/inspirational service of the National Garden Bureau and our members. Please credit and link to National Garden Bureau and author member when using all or parts of this article.”