The content of this article 'How to make seed bombs using newspaper' was prepared by www.ecoinventos.com and www.bombasdesemillas.cl and has been revised and republished by FreshFruitPortal.com.

Seed bombs are designed to promote the replanting of spaces with native species seeds and today we'll share a very simple and instructive manual by Bruna Pimentel to do it yourself.

On the internet you can find a lot of information and many and effective methods of preparation.

The method we'll share today is one of many that gives good results, and that you can do it yourself. 

Materials for making seed bombs

• Newspaper or other paper shredded or cut into thin strips.
• Bucket of water.
• Substrate (optional).
• Seeds, must be from native species.
• Paper napkins.

How to make seed bombs

You can make it out of newspaper, or any other type of paper. The paper should be coarsely chopped or cut into strips.

Put the shredded paper in a jar and fill it with water to cover it. Wait 2 hours to soften the paper, if you can wait a little longer the better.

The softer it is, the better the result will be. If you prefer, you can shred the paper in a blender.

After softening the paper, take it out of the water and squeeze it well to remove the excess water.

With the amount of paper in the picture, two bombs can be made, one with substrate and the other with just the seeds directly on the paper.

With the paper less soaked, the seeds and the substrate are added inside a ball of paper, which is squeezed well, carefully making a kind of ball.

To give firmness to the bomb, a paper napkin can be used, wrapping it and removing the excess water in order to form a stable ball. The paper can then be used for composting.

Carefully unroll the paper and put the bombs to dry on the balcony.

Pick them up the next day when the bombs are already dry and consistent.

Results

When the seed bombs are dry, put them in a pot and water them every day. In a few days they will both germinate.

Seed bombs are designed to be used as such, dropped into suitable areas for the purpose of reforestation. Because this is their purpose, seeds from native trees or plants must be used.

What are seed bombs? 

Seed bombs or Nendo Dango (Japanese for "clay balls") are a natural seeding technique.

It’s an ancient natural seeding technique rediscovered by Japanese farmer, biologist and philosopher Masanobu Fukuoka, who put it into practice for decades. 

Seed bombs are made up of soil, clay, repellent, and natural fertilizers plus the selected seed species.

With this special mixture, they will be ready to germinate wherever they are thrown or placed, but you must take care that they don’t lack water and that they have enough light (at least 4 sunshine hours a day).

No previous knowledge of gardening is required. It is as simple as throwing and letting it grow.

It’s a technique that can be developed by adults and children anywhere. Everyone and everywhere can fight for a greener world!

Care

The great advantage of the seed bombs is that they already come with a dose of natural fertilizer, plus an insect repellent and the clay that will help retain humidity and protect it against bad weather.

They also have an abundant number of seeds per bomb, which will help ensure germination and crop establishment.

The only disadvantage is that the seeds may take a little longer to germinate, so never give up watering and wait for this explosion of life.

They should not lack water or sunlight. Since we don’t live in a tropical country, we will have to throw them to nature only in rainy seasons, otherwise, they can be left in the garden or the space you want and watered.

As they are made under the principles of natural agriculture, it will be expected that most of the seeds will germinate and then the largest, firmest, and healthiest ones will predominate.

It will be a system of natural selection, however, if we want to take more advantage of the plants, you could carefully transplant some of them to another place where you have more space.

It is important that at the moment of choosing the place to put your "bomb", you study a little about the conditions that each species needs to grow.

Source: www.ecoinventos.com, www.bombasdesemillas.cl