A little experiment with planting

When I first joined this forum I read about someone taking a 12"X12" paper towel and gluing the seeds on there for ease of planting. I thought it sounded interesting and like a good kid project. Plus it was March and I had already picked what I wanted to plant in June so I put together a June paper towel garden.

More info from the forums and I decided to add radishes and a nasturtium to each square for its bug repelling properties. Done.

Today I built, filled and planted. I was hoping it would make planting easier and perhaps it did, but not noticeably. In other words, my back still hurt! But that's fine.

Issues: breezy day - but most are here - took a little care to set toels down. What I did was I had the watering can with some fish emulsion water and I lay (laid?) each one down and then watered it for weight. I covered each with MM after I filled four squares.

I had already done one square this when a square opened up and I planted a sheet of carrots. Having the radishes was kind of nice b/c it let me know all was well.

Below are some pictures:

ready to plant:


first four squares:


finished bed:


Bottom line - it was a good way to spend time spacing and adding the extra items - radishes and nasturtiums. I also think it would be fun for kids. Best done in low wind!

Great ideas....Thanks for sharing!!!

Wow, that seems time intensive, although, if we add up all the time charting and plotting...it's all the same at the end of the day.

Nice looking garden and a great kid project!

Wow I love this idea. I'm going to try it with some of my winter veggies. I really don't see it as time intensive. Look at all the time we sit in fromt of the TV doing nothing else.

BTW, what kind of glue did you use?

Great looking gardens. I may have missed it in your post but what did you glue the seeds onto the paper towel with?

I agree with Camprn about it being a fun project with kids.

Also, I was thinking it would actually save you time. It seems like this could be done indoors, maybe the night or two before you plant.

I have received a card on a magazine that had lettuce seeds imbedded in it. I haven't planted it yet, but am curious to see how it does.

I decided to add radishes and a nasturtium to each square for its bug repelling properties.

Thanks for this tip as well.

Side note...I'm new to this forum. I wish there was one thread where good planting tips like this one could be posted.

Ive done this also and used flour/water "glue" Its fun for kids and works pretty well!

I love the flour and water glue idea. I just used elmers.

Time intensive? Usually it was 1 in the morning in front of the tv. LOL. I tend to put too many seeds in a hole when planting - especially the small ones. That was my main thought. Seeds where I want them and in the number I want them

No reason you could not use newspaper instead, if you don't want to use paper towels. Recycle as it were. And when I was done I wrote what it was, of course, and the square number I wanted it in so I did not have to bring a copy of the grid out with me as just waiting for my memory to kick in is not always an option.

ske wrote:

I decided to add radishes and a nasturtium to each square for its bug repelling properties.

Thanks for this tip as well.

Side note...I'm new to this forum. I wish there was one thread where good planting tips like this one could be posted.

That is something you will have to organize yourself. It's ALL about planting tips and they come up in the oddest places. You just have to read the forum every day! Then open a word doc to keep on your desktop and every time a good tip shows itself, cut and paste.

It would be nice if you could just do a search for "tips" but no such luck.

I've heard of this idea but never tried it. I'll be watching to see how it works out for you so please let us know. Anything that makes things easier is a winner as I get older and the back gets weaker.

its a misty day today after being in the high 80's to 90's all week. I just got 3 more boxes done yesterday and lots of seeds I want to plant.

I am thinking of doing this idea to save time and get them in before it really rains.

thanks for sharing.

I already have my grids filled in on paper for existing and imagined boxes. Last night I did this for all of the seeds for the July/August box which is not built yet and for which I have no MM yet. But, this makes me feel prepared.

Very good idea! Especially the tiny seeds that no matter how hard I try to put one or two into a hole. I always get too many.