Hello! And welcome to March
- as in time marches on
- as in March 17th for green St. Paddy’s Day
– as in March 20th for the spring equinox.

Get the hint? Did you hear all of those wondrous words – green and spring? Sigh! Gees, maybe March will be the month when we really get to say good-bye to all of this white stuff. (We should be so lucky!)

At any rate, we’ve been talking about problem small seed and how to manage them more easily. We talked about pelletized seed – tiny seed that is encased in a clay coating that is easier to handle, easier to space. A clay coating that splits open on contact with moisture to release the tiny captive seed inside. We talked about seed tape and how to make your own. Has anybody out there tried to make their own?

Come on, now! After all you have had plenty of opportunities to stay indoors when the weather outside was frightful. Plenty of time to glue tiny seeds to toilet paper to make your own seed tape. Hey, it’s good therapy to combat cabin fever. Better than basket weaving!

At any rate, let’s continue with more really innovative ways to deal with problematic tiny seeds. Here is one I have never seen before. This one is from Johnny’s Seeds. Now we have talked about seed tape, well, this one is a seed DISK! Johnny’s Seed catalog lists a 4-inch biodegradable disk with about one million seeds embedded in or glued to the disk.

No – just kidding! There are 46 seeds per disk. If you have ever planted your basic herbs, then you know how tiny some of them can be. Well, they have 46 seeds on a 4-inch round disk. They feature thyme, parsley, arugula, and basil. They have 100 seeds on their chive disk. And they have 46 coriander/cilantro seeds on another one of their disks.

Now correct me if I am wrong, but coriander and cilantro seeds are rather large size seeds, right?? Hmmm……And Johnny’s Seeds even offers a 6-inch pot to grow those 4-inch disks in. Hmmm……. I think I really have a problem with this picture. You have a 4-inch disk impregnated with 46 basil seeds. You put them into a 6 inch pot. All 46 basil seeds germinate. All 46 basil seeds sprout in a 6-inch pot. And then you have 46 basil plants all growing in a 6-inch pot. Now that is not really good spacing! It’s more like cruel and unusual punishment for those 46 basil seeds that had the nerve of all germinating!

So what – now you have to thin them out? You pull them out or yank them out and transplant them into larger quarters? Like – aren’t you going to have some transplant casualties along the way? Yes, I really do have a problem with 46 seeds on one small disk. Wouldn’t it be a whole lot more practical (and more economical and more realistic) if there were only 4 or 6 seeds per disk? Even then, they would have to be thinned out in that 6-inch pot, but at least it would be a whole lot easier to do so.

I thought that the whole reasoning behind seed tapes would be properly spaced seed along a dissolving tape. This way there is no endless thinning involved – less time/less waste. And then they come out with seed disks – with 46 poor, unfortunate seeds all doomed to become 46 over-crowded, spindly, week, sad herb plants. Forty-six doomed overcrowded herb seedlings that you now have to take the time to thin, and to waste. Not too practical, are we?

Hey, maybe you can cut these disks into smaller sections with fewer seeds! Hey, here is one even better!!! Maybe you can make you own toilet paper seed disks!!! Get out that roll of toilet paper, your tweezers, your flour and water librarian glue. Make your own. Simply take one simple toilet paper square and glue your tiny seeds to it. No – not 46 tiny seeds! Just a few!

What a really cool idea! Make your own seed disks. Keep in mind, those catalog disks cost 90 cents apiece – 25 disks for $12.75 – 100 disks for $41.50! Now that’s a lot of toilet paper! Look at all the money you will be saving. How much does one little square of toilet paper cost? Like – aren’t there 1,000 sheets per roll for about 60 cents? Just think how many seed disks you can make for a fraction of the cost of those commercially prepared ones. Hey, that is one to take to the bank!

So when the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is still delightful, stay inside and play with your toilet paper!

Remember – Eat Smart New York!

And – Bye – Talk to you soon!
D