{{Short description|Man-made ball of clay with seeds inside}} thumb|A seed ball thumb|Plants sprouting from seed balls

'''Seed balls''', also known as '''earth balls''' or {{nihongo||粘土団子|nendo dango|lead=yes}}, consist of seeds rolled within a ball of clay and other matter to assist germination. They are then thrown into vacant lots and over fences as a form of guerilla gardening. Matter such as humus and compost are often placed around the seeds to provide microbial inoculants. Cotton-fibres or liquefied paper are sometimes added to further protect the clay ball in particularly harsh habitats. An ancient technique, it was re-discovered by Japanese natural farming pioneer Masanobu Fukuoka.

==History== The technique was used in ancient Egypt to repair farms after the annual spring flooding of the Nile.{{Citation needed|date=March 2026}}

[[File:Masanobu-Fukuoka.jpg|thumb|Masanobu Fukuoka, 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.<ref name="NPR article"/> 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.<ref name="One–Straw Rev 1978"/><ref name="The Natural Way of Farming 1987"/>

In 1973 in New York, Liz Christy, co-founder of the Green Guerillas developed seed bombs she called "seed green-aide".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.greenguerillas.org/history|title=Our History {{!}} Green Guerillas|website=www.greenguerillas.org|access-date=2017-12-31}}</ref> The first seed green-aides were made from condoms filled with tomato seeds, and fertilizer.<ref name=howsw2>{{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 | archive-date = 2017-09-12 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170912160452/http://www.stuffyoushouldknow.com/podcasts/how-guerrilla-gardening-works-transcript.htm | url-status = dead }}</ref> 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.<ref name="LA Times Pancake Poop">{{cite web | url=https://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}}</ref>

==Construction== thumb|Drying seed balls 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&nbsp;mm and 80&nbsp;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== '''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.

==See also== * The One-Straw Revolution *''Miss Rumphius'' by Barbara Cooney, a 1982 children's book emphasizing public seed scattering * Seed dispersal * Johnny Appleseed * Diggers

==References== <references>

<ref name="NPR article"> {{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}} </ref>

<!-- <ref name="patent - advanced"> [https://www.freepatentsonline.com/EP0885554.pdf Mixtures by Fukuoka Masanobu in his patent for advanced seedballs, titled "Paper/seed-unified planting seed unit and preparation process thereof"] </ref> -->

<ref name="One–Straw Rev 1978"> {{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 }} </ref> <ref name="The Natural Way of Farming 1987"> {{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 }} </ref>

</references>

==Further reading== *Smith, K. (2007). ''The guerilla art kit''. Princeton Architectural Press. *Huxta, B. (2009). ''Garden-variety graffiti''. Organic gardening, 2009.

==External links== {{more footnotes needed|date=March 2022}} {{commons category|Seed balls}} {{refbegin}} * {{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.{{deadlink|date=November 2025}} * {{Cite web|url=https://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://guerrillagardening.org/community/index.php?board=293.0|title=Seed Bomb R&D|access-date=2011-02-04|archive-date=2011-01-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110105114807/http://guerrillagardening.org/community/index.php?board=293.0|url-status=dead}} * {{Cite web|url=https://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=https://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 &#124; Permanent Culture Now|access-date=2016-04-18|archive-date=2016-03-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160322194823/http://www.permanentculturenow.com/guerrilla-gardening/|url-status=dead}} * {{Cite news|url = https://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=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/special_report/1999/02/99/e-cyclopedia/720544.stm|title=BBC News &#124; E-CYCLOPEDIA &#124; 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 &#124; 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}} {{refend}}

Category:Horticultural techniques Category:Ecological techniques Category:Organic gardening Category:Seeds Category:Reforestation Category:Guerrilla gardening