Seed ball

File:Masanobu-Fukuoka.jpg, throwing the first seedball at the workshop at Navdanya, in October 2002]]

The technique for creating seed balls was rediscovered by Japanese natural farming pioneer Masanobu Fukuoka. The technique was also used, for instance, in ancient Egypt to repair farms after the annual spring flooding of the Nile. Masanobu Fukuoka developed his technique during the period of the Second World War, while working in a Japanese government lab as a plant scientist on the mountainous island of Shikoku. He wanted to find a technique that would increase food production without taking away from the land already allocated for traditional rice production which thrived in the volcanic rich soils of Japan.

File:Activities for making Mud Seed ball in Bhopal (9).jpg

To make a seed ball, generally about five measures of red clay by volume are combined with one measure of seeds. The balls are formed between 10 mm and 80 mm (about {{Fraction|1|2}}" to 3") in diameter. After the seed balls have been formed, they must dry for 24–48 hours before use.

Seed bombing is the practice of introducing vegetation to land by throwing or dropping seed balls. It is used in modern aerial seeding as a way to deter seed predation. It has also been popularized by green movements such as guerrilla gardening as a way to introduce new plants to an environment.

The term "seed green-aide" was first used by Liz Christy in 1973 when she started the Green Guerillas.{{Cite web|url=http://www.greenguerillas.org/history|title=Our History {{!}} Green Guerillas|website=www.greenguerillas.org|access-date=2017-12-31}} The first seed green-aides were made from condoms filled with tomato seeds, and fertilizer.{{cite web | url =http://www.stuffyoushouldknow.com/podcasts/how-guerrilla-gardening-works-transcript.htm | title = How Guerrilla Gardening Works | accessdate = 2017-09-12 | publisher = How Stuff Works}} They were tossed over fences onto empty lots in New York City in order to make the neighborhoods look better. It was the start of the guerrilla gardening movement.{{cite web | url=http://www.latimes.com/local/la-hm-guerrilla29-2008may29-story.html#page=1 | title=Guerrilla gardener movement takes root in L.A. area | publisher=L.A. Times | date=29 May 2008 | accessdate=12 June 2014 | author=Robinson, Joe}}

• The One-Straw Revolution
• Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney, a 1982 children's book emphasizing public seed scattering
• Seed dispersal
• Johnny Appleseed
• Operation Overgrow
• Diggers

{{reflist|refs=

{{cite news|last=Adler|first=Margot|title=Environmentalists Adopt New Weapon: Seed Balls|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103129515|accessdate=November 9, 2011|newspaper=NPR|date=April 15, 2009}}

{{citation

| last = Fukuoka (福岡) | first = Masanobu (正信)

| orig-date = 1st publ. in Japanese September 1975

|translator=Chris Pearce |translator2=Tsune Kurosawa |translator3=Larry Korn

|editor=Larry Korn

| date = May 1978

| title = The One-Straw Revolution An Introduction to Natural Farming

| place = Emmaus, Pennsylvania

| publisher = Rodale Press

| isbn = 0878572201

}}

{{citation

| last=Fukuoka (福岡) |first=Masanobu (正信)

| orig-date = 1st publ. in Japanese December 1975

|translator=Frederic P Metreaud

| date = December 1987

| title = The Natural Way of Farming The Theory and Practice of Green Philosophy

| edition = rev.

| place = Tokyo

| publisher = Japan Publications

| isbn = 978-0-87040-613-3

}}

}}

• Smith, K. (2007). The guerilla art kit. Princeton Architectural Press.
• Huxta, B. (2009). Garden-variety graffiti. Organic gardening, 2009.

{{more footnotes needed|date=March 2022}}

{{commons category|Seed balls}}

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• {{Cite web|url=http://www.yokohama-artproject.com/rmp/english/about/claymethod.html|title = 横浜アートプロジェクト}} "What's a clay ball?" and "Clay Ball Method" advice derived directly from Fukuoka Masanobu by The RainMaker Project, a major project in Africa by Yokohama Art Project, Japanese NGO.
• {{Cite web|url=http://www.freepatentsonline.com/EP0885554.pdf|title = Paper/Seed-unified planting seed unit and preparation process thereof}} Masanobu Fukuoka's patent for advanced seedballs
• {{Cite web|url=http://www.seedballs.com/3seedpa.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060411200531/http://www.seedballs.com/3seedpa.html |archive-date=2006-04-11 |title = X1seed~1}} Making Seed Balls, by Jim Bones, he learned personally from Fukuoka Masanobu and from his books.
• {{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWyduWsoy8o|title = Seed Ball Story|website = YouTube| date=4 January 2008 }} The Seed Ball Story, a video by Jim Bones about desert habitat restoration using seed balls in Big Bend National Park, Texas.
• {{Cite web|url=http://www.seedballs.com/tblcon.html|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060107163237/http://www.seedballs.com/tblcon.html|archive-date = 2006-01-07|title = 6seedpa}} The entire "Lost Seed Ball Pages" by Jim Bones, An early overview of seed ball production and uses, including instructions for making a von Bachmayr Rotary Drum.
• [http://www.seedballs.us "Seed Balls R Us" A crossroads website dedicated to sharing seed ball information links and videos.]
• {{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4-bwW8PWI0|title = Masanobu Fukuoka Makes Seed Balls|website = YouTube| date=15 January 2008 }} "Seed Balls by Masanobu Fukuoka 1997" YouTube 18:43 long video, caption: "Natural Farmer Masanobu Fukuoka conducts a workshop for making seed balls at his natural farm and forest in Japan."
• [http://www.tve.org/ho/doc.cfm?aid=1401&lang=English Making Hay with Clay - Greece]
• {{Cite web|url=http://www.seedball.com/|title=How To Make A Seedball|website=www.seedball.com}}
• {{Cite web|url=http://seed-balls.com/how-to/details/how-to-choose-your-seed-balls|title=Which Type of Seed Ball?|date=9 November 2013 }} A discussion of the pros and cons of different seed ball recipes
• {{Cite web|url=http://sites.google.com/site/onseedballs/|title = On Seedballs}} a website dedicated to seedballs
• {{Cite web|url=http://guerrillagardening.org/community/index.php?board=293.0|title = Seed Bomb R&D}}
• {{Cite web|url=http://www.stuffyoushouldknow.com/podcasts/how-guerrilla-gardening-works/|title = Stuff You Should Know}}
• {{Cite web|url=http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Seed-Bomb|title=How to Make a Seed Bomb}} Wikihow.com
• {{Cite web|url=http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-hm.0529.seedbomb-pg,0,4073581.photogallery#axzz2im1rw4UK|title=How to make seed bombs|website=Los Angeles Times|date=16 September 2014 }}
• {{Cite web|url=http://www.gardenista.com/posts/diy-wildflower-seed-bombs|title=DIY: Make Your Own Wildflower Seed Bombs|date=16 May 2019}} Gardenista.com
• [https://archive.today/20131025222837/http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2012-04-14/lifestyle/35454538_1_guerrilla-gardeners-garden-store-social-justice Articles.washingtonpost.com]
• {{Cite web|url=http://www.permanentculturenow.com/guerrilla-gardening/|title = Guerrilla gardening | Permanent Culture Now}}
• {{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/8548005.stm|title = How guerrilla gardening took root|date = 15 March 2010}}
• {{Cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2006/05/29/5435131/tending-defiant-gardens-during-wartime|title = Tending 'Defiant Gardens' During Wartime|website = NPR.org}}
• {{Cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/special_report/1999/02/99/e-cyclopedia/720544.stm|title = BBC News | E-CYCLOPEDIA | Guerrilla gardening: Resistance is fertile}}
• {{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/blog/2011/apr/11/seed-bombs-derelict-land-flowers|title = Seedbombs are weapon of choice in war against wastelands | Leo Hickman|website = TheGuardian.com|date = 11 April 2011}}
• {{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/video/2008/apr/25/seedbombing|title=Video: The guerrilla gardener's seedbomb recipe|newspaper=The Guardian|date=24 April 2008|last1=Domokos|first1=John}}
• {{Cite web|url=http://seed-balls.com/planning-a-seed-bomb-strike|title = Planning a Seed Bomb Strike| date=15 June 2014 }}

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Category:Horticultural techniques

Category:Ecological techniques

Category:Organic gardening

Category:Seeds

Category:Reforestation

Category:Guerrilla gardening