Growing carrot patterns with DIY seed planting sheets

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My daughter likes to plant seeds but when working with smaller seeds it can be difficult to plant these seeds especially the farther the location is from edge of the garden bed.  I have been thinking about solving this problem with a seed strip which can be made using burlap, newspaper, toilet paper, or any sort of paper for that matter.  Next you simply stick the seeds to the paper at the appropriate spacing, let them dry and roll out as far as you want to plant.  This allows you to get your seeds ready in the comfort of your favorite chair to prepare your seeds and not hunched over your garden with an aching back.

I a simple seed planting strip would have done well for what I was planning but I decided to go with the creation of my own carrot seed planting strip template that allows you to grow in the pattern of the vegetable you are growing.  Completely not necessary I know but it kept my daughter occupied working on the “craft” indoors this morning.

Step 1:  Get you materials.  Start by downloading and printing a carrot seed planting strip template.  In the picture below I printed out two copies and glued them together for a few extra carrots.  Next you need some glue, a great option is to mix a little flour and water together to the consistency of toothpaste, but I wanted to keep the mess to a minimum and used good ole school glue stick.

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Step 2: Glue on the seeds.  Take a small dab of your glue and put a drop on each circle on the template.  Drop a 1-2 seeds on each glued circle and allow to dry.  Once dry I give the paper a quick shake to find any seeds that did not stick and reapply if needed.

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Step 3: Plant your seeds.  Make a flat surface with your trowel moving a small layer of soil from your garden bed.  Lay down your paper carefully on the soil.

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Finally over your paper with a small layer of soil that you removed previously.

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Step 4: Water Thoroughly.  You need to hydrate the seed to begin germinating but you also want to start breaking down the paper and glue to not inhibit those young roots from penetrating the paper.

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This was a fun project to do with my daughter, but also considering this is a good way to get some prep work done ahead of time to make the take of planting (here in WA is many times in the rain) a much quicker task.  This can be great for crops you grow multiple times per season.  You can get your seeds out once, make your seed planting sheets with the appropriate planting dates and bring them out to the garden as needed.

13 Responses to “Growing carrot patterns with DIY seed planting sheets”

  1. Suz Says:

    Great idea!


  2. Barry Says:

    Great idea! It looks like an effecient way to plant carrots and spend time with your daughter.


  3. monique Says:

    Great idea. Now I just need a patch of dirt…


  4. Ron Says:

    I like the fact that it eliminates thinning, and the paper probably helps to some extent to keep the weeds down while germinating.

    Great idea! Thanks!


  5. Emma Says:

    What a wonderfully imaginative idea, and a great way to plant some of those smaller seeds. Much cheaper than buying the seed strips from the shops, and a fun activity too. A winner all round!


  6. Janet Says:

    I also think that is a very imaginative ides. I would never have bought the manufactured seed strips but nor would I have thought of making my own. A bit of lateral thinking there.


  7. Arrianne Says:

    I thought this was great as well!
    I tried this earlier in the season (from another gardening blog) with carrots, fennel and lettuce seeds. NOTHING sprouted, so I resowed and those by hand without paper and those seeds came up just fine. My guess is the paper is just too much of a barrier for those tiny seeds to get through to grow properly. I’ve heard of some people using paper towels or toilet paper. Maybe that’s worth a try, if I could get it to work, it would be a great time saver!!

    I hope it works better for someone else.


  8. Alan Moore Says:

    Nice idea!

    I never have any luck with carrots – not sure why but they succumb to a variety of pests and disease.

    This is a great idea and probably helps to keep weeds down as well.

    This is why I love the veg growing community – there’s so much to share.

    Alan


  9. Mikulas Says:

    Nice work, but please let us know if your seed have sprouted. The first picture on Facebook with green spots, sprouting from the ground are photoshoped into the bare soil picture. No cheating please.


  10. The Cheap Vegetable Gardener Says:

    Mikulas, I did document it was a poorly doctored photo in the post 🙂 Actually saw a couple carrot sprouts. Now just have to remember to keep watering now the weather is finally getting nicer. I also had a thought of cutting a small slit at the dots to allow easier root penetration


  11. Kellie Says:

    Genius!


  12. Making your own toilet paper planting strips - The Cheap Vegetable Gardener Says:

    […] previous attempt at making planting strips worked ok, lapsed a bit on the watering, but had a few surviving carrots.  This time around I […]


  13. Milla Says:

    So… how did it go? I’ve had similar projects with great expectations 🙂


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