Seed Tapes/Mats

[SueA]

I've just been reading Suttons' seed catalogue & see they now do a selection of seeds on tapes & mats. Has anyone ever tried these & are they any good? They do 2 kinds of carrot seeds on tapes & I was wondering would this help to keep carrot flies at bay as they are attracted to the scent of carrots when you thin them out & with the tapes you don't need to thin them as they are evenly spaced. Might give these a try next season.

[martini]

Hi SueA - I haven't tried the seed tapes but like you, wondered if they would help ward off carrot fly. In one of my books it tells you how to make your own seed tapes. Strips of paper (they recommend photocopy type paper) and you glue the seeds on with either non-fungicidal wallpaper paste or a paste made from flour and water. If you do use the tapes, let us know how you get on

[sewer rat]

Hi SueA
I bought Suttons Seed tapes last year for my daughter, who was four at the time, to plant - she planted loads of other things as well but these all had bigger seeds. She planted the carrot seed tape - variety Early Nantes 2 and they performed really well - we still have about a 6' row left.
Cannot really comment on the carrot fly aspect, other than to say there were no problems with them, but then my daughters carrots were sown between rows of onions and shallots.

[vicki]

I used seed tape for spring onions this year and they were great. Have bought some herb seed mats for the children for next year (in the wyevale 25p sale!) - I thought they could cut them into shapes before 'planting' them.

[dexterdoglancashire]

I've also heard of the tapes - I thought they sounded a very good idea, especially for carrots, as I'm not very good at thinning out properly!
OH got me loads of (normal) cheap seeds from work earlier this year, so probably have enough to last me for at least the next couple of years! DDL

[Earthbabe]

I had looked at them but wasn't prepared to spend on what I felt was a gimmick. Hadn't thought of buying them for Miss E to use though. She might find things more rewarding if I do. I think there are a number of veg on these tapes now so maybe I will investigate further.

Thanks folks.

[Lesley Jay]

Earthbabe if you are buying them for Miss E. then only buy the ones with very fine seeds like carrots. Beetroot seeds etc are so much larger and Miss E. will be able to handle these easily. I gave Rat the same advice last year!

[Earthbabe]

Thanks LJ. I'll bear that in mind. I'm not sure yet what she will want to plant but she has got some sweetcorn seed left from this year which she was interested in. Those are quite obviously easy enough for her to plant one by one as are peas etc. Although she quite likes the sprinkling thing.

[multiveg]

In another erm magazine a few years ago, there was an article about making your own seed tapes using newspaper and wallpaper paste (or flour & water) - you can then space these as you want - you don't have to have it as a "tape" and can do the whole sheet (ideal for use in bed systems).

[SueA]

I know the tapes & mats work out a lot more expensive than normal packs of seeds but if you don't have a large plot & you don't have to lose so many plants by thinning then maybe they are fairly economical & they do sound great for getting kids into gardening without a lot of fiddling about with tiny seeds.

[Snadger]

Hi SueA - I haven't tried the seed tapes but like you, wondered if they would help ward off carrot fly. In one of my books it tells you how to make your own seed tapes. Strips of paper (they recommend photocopy type paper) and you glue the seeds on with either non-fungicidal wallpaper paste or a paste made from flour and water. If you do use the tapes, let us know how you get on

I like the idea of making my own seed tapes for carrots as it would save on thinning and encouraging the carrot fly with the resultant smell!

I would have thought photocopy type paper would be too strong for the young plants to penetrate though? Possibly newspaper or loo roll might be better?

I usd to get pelleted seed years ago, which because of its size was easier to space in rows. Coated with a substance which breaks down once it gets wet, these worked quite well. Don't know if you can still get them though?

[SueA]

Sounds a bit messy & fiddly to make your own tapes, it would take longer than just picking out the individual seeds & spacing them carefully as you sow them wouldn't it? The only seeds I've come across in a sort of 'pellet' form are beetroot seeds which are clumped together, did you used to get all sorts of veggies this way Snadger?

[dexterdoglancashire]

Talking of seed tapes - how do professional gardeners get all their plants, and veg! into such perfect rows/squares/patterns etc? one of the best veg gardens I've seen is at Burton Agnes Hall in Yorkshire - everything perfectly spaced, and come to think of it, growing perfectly as well! Well worth a visit - and the hall is super as well. There is a lovely shop where you can buy plants and things too. DDL

[Snadger]

Sounds a bit messy & fiddly to make your own tapes, it would take longer than just picking out the individual seeds & spacing them carefully as you sow them wouldn't it? The only seeds I've come across in a sort of 'pellet' form are beetroot seeds which are clumped together, did you used to get all sorts of veggies this way Snadger?

Certainly did SueA, most outdoor sown veggies anyway, I think it was calcined clay the seeds were wrapped in, it also had a fungiside added and they were moisture dependant. If you wern't spot on with the watering your newly shooted plant found itself encased in baked clay! Probably why they were phased out, if they were!

I still think it would be easier to space out the seeds on paper on the kitchen table than on a windy allotment on a rainy day by the way!

[Snadger]

Talking of seed tapes - how do professional gardeners get all their plants, and veg! into such perfect rows/squares/patterns etc? one of the best veg gardens I've seen is at Burton Agnes Hall in Yorkshire - everything perfectly spaced, and come to think of it, growing perfectly as well! Well worth a visit - and the hall is super as well. There is a lovely shop where you can buy plants and things too. DDL

As an aside, I once saw Bob Flowerdews no-dig garden. Everything was grown higgledy piggledy with flowers companion planted between veg and nothing in rows. It looked untidy but it looked very healthy. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder I suppose.
I must admit I am very regimented in my own planting but I sometimes wish I could loosen up a bit and grow things more naturally! I put it down to my early life, working in engineering and being precise about measurement....brainwashing methinks?