Wonder Wednesday 1: Seed Balls
Wonder Wednesday - Revisited!
Welcome to "Wonder Wednesday - Number 1" - originally written in September, 2013! Now that it's 2025 - and websites (along with my web skills) have come a looong way in the past decade - I'm updating and revising the older Wonder Wednesday posts for you!
Let's make seed balls - aka seed bombs!
I discovered this“seed bomb” dispenser in Los Angeles - a month before I began the Wonder Wednesday blog. I loved the printed carrying envelopes and the clever gum ball machine conversion.
Since I live on the east coast, and these were west coast seeds, I spread my seed bombs in a scrappy little vacant patch in Sliver Lake.This was in 2013 which explains the 3 very low rez photos.)
Have you ever ...
...passed by an area and thought, "This place would look a lot better with some wildflowers growing in it?"
Or, perhaps you'd like to fill an area of your yard with flowers, but it feels like too much to add another responsibility to an overflowing plate?
Or, have you ever been impressed and amazed at how well birds and animal spread seeds through their poop and wish you were a seed spreading vigilante yourself? (Although, maybe not through your poop!)
Well, you can be!
This Wonder Wednesday, we're making seeds balls so you can get out there and spread seeds like the best animals!
Seed Balls to the Rescue!
Seed balls are an easy way to spread seeds in tough areas - by tough areas I mean landscapes that are hard to tend or.... may not technically belong to you. They are great fun to make, and spread, and require only a few supplies.
Before beginning, do a bit of research to decide what type of seeds you would like to spread and that grow best in your area. Take note to focus on spreading native to your area wildflower varieties (or even hardy veggies like peas and beans appropriate for your climate zone).
Choosing the right seeds for the right place is key for the seed balls to be successful. By considering the areas where you want to toss the seed balls, how much water those areas get, the time of year you will be spreading, and variables like foot traffic and public mowing, you'll set your seed balls up for sprouting & growing success!
Wonder Wednesday 1 - Revisited -
Seed Balls!
Materials
A few packets of seeds - wildflowers native to your area or hardy veggies. Try contacting your local Master Gardeners or Native Plant society. They often have native wildflower seeds to donate to schools and children's garden programs.
Self hardening air-dry clay - store bought or if you live in an area with a lot of natural clay dig some up from the ground for free! (ex - "Old Potters Air Dry clay" brand online, or other brands bought at craft stores usually in gray, natural white or terracotta color. *NOT polymer, foam, plasticine, or brightly colored modeling clay*)
Plain Potting or Planting Soil, avoid types with fertilizers premixed in
Optional:
Trays or platters to dry the seed balls on
Disposal aluminum baking pans to place the soil, clay, & seeds into for mixing
A bucket of water to wash hands & an outdoor place to dump the soil/clay water. It is best not to rinse clay down your sink as it can clog pipes.
Preparation
Research which seeds you will be using.
If using trays or baking pans (buckets work too for bigger projects), fill them respectively with potting soil, clay, and seeds.
Plan where hands will be washed and prep accordingly.
Plan where and how children will be working and prep the surface accordingly. Surfaces will get dirty.
The main tip for this project is don't overthink it. The clay/soil ratios don't really matter. The important thing is that the balls stay together as balls. If they are falling apart add more clay. If they are too sticky, add more soil. Have fun getting messy and keep it casual.
Procedure
Pull off a hunk of clay about the size of a ping pong ball.
Flatten the clay out into a pancake, about 1/4 inch or so thick (This are not an exact science, so the thickness and circumference of the pancake can be up to you or dependent on the developmental level of the people making it)
Firmly press a handful of potting soil into the top of the clay pancake.
Knead the soil into the clay so they are mixed well
Reform a pancake from the clay and soil mixture
Sprinkle about 1/2 teaspoon of seeds into the clay pancake
Press them into the surface so they do not fall off when the clay pancake is picked up
Fold the seeds into clay & soil pancake - get the seeds blended well into the mix
Reroll the clay, soil, seed mixture into a ball about the size of a ping pong ball.
I actually don't recommend wearing gloves to make seed balls. It's cumbersome. But if participants have sensory concerns, try well fitting vinyl or latex gloves over gardening gloves.
Repeat until you've made as many balls as you like, or until you run out of clay, soil, & seeds
Place all the seed balls on a tray to dry for a few days (how quickly they dry depends on your climate)
Head out and spread your seeds! Let'e re-wild our cities!
(For best long term results, spread the seed balls in areas that are not mowed regularly)
Extensions:
Have the children research what kind of wildlife will be attracted to the seeds they are spreading
Plant a couple seed balls in pots so the children will be able to identify the sprouts and plants coming from the seeds they spread
After a couple months, retrace your route and see if any seeds have sprouted up yet (It can take longer in the “wild” because of environmental factors such as rainfall)
Make seed balls with decorated envelopes (see Wonder Wednesday 148 below) to sell for school and/or community fundraisers
Seeds to Sprout
(I'm not quite sure how this is going to work link-wise longer term as I delete old posts and add these new updated versions - but we'll see and course correct as we go!)
Wonder Wednesday 148:
SEL Seed Packets
Create seed packets both for your seed balls and for yourself with this socio-emotional learning activity that incorporates art and nature
Wonder Wednesday 63:
Spread Seed Cheer
Another take on seed balls - this time we use upcycled newspaper as the base. These are a bit less messy to prep than the original soil and clay.
Wonder Wednesday 44: Seed Tapes
Yet another unique way to make seeds easily available for planting! This one is great for festival tables.
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I love this! How long do you think you can leave the seed balls after they are dry but before you spread them? I have a weekly class, and I was thinking of combining making seed balls with STEM challenge to design a launcher to catapult the seeds off trail in our nature area.