By mixing organic matter, clay, and seeds, you can make a potent seed-carrying package. The clay protects the seeds from seed-eating critters, and the compost provides nutrients. When the rains come and conditions are right, your seeds will sprout.

Here’s some links to instructions for making seed balls:

• From Heavy Petal, check out How to make seedballs.
• From Path to Freedom, see Natural Farming With Seed Balls.
• From CarbonSmart.com, see seed bombs for fun and non-profit.

You can often use local clay (if your soil contains it) instead of the red powdered clay recommended by most sites. If you’re looking for the powdered red clay locally, try Creative Ceramics and Glass in Santa Rosa — ask for their “red art clay”.

Seed balls are an important part of the natural farming strategy pioneered by Masanobu Fukuoka, scientist and author of The One-Straw Revolution: An Introduction to Natural Farming; they’re also used by guerrilla gardeners who are reclaiming derelict lots in urban areas.

Have fun!