Seeds bombs to make your city better, greener

Vinu Jehoshapat
Last Updated: 05 Sep, 2019

Lush green patches on earth are quickly shrinking leading to alarming pollution levels and poor air quality across the state. Some are blaming the government while others, the corporate world. However, there are many who have taken it on themselves to seed bomb the barren land to increase the fast-depleting green cover.

What the heck is seed bomb?

I can see the puzzled look on your face. Don't worry, you will know about it in a minute. In fact, it is so amazingly magical that you can grow an entire forest without opening up the soil with cultivation tools such as a plow. The seed bomb is like a ball that encapsulates seeds along with all the nutrition a seed would need to germinate and grow to a small plant. When the seed-bomb is thrown out in the open field, it disintegrates on its own and supplies the sapling nutrition it needs to survive and grow until it makes a successful contact with the surrounding soil. 

Seed bombs are the way forward

The practice of using seed bombs is called seed-bombing and implies aerial reforestation. It’s a technique that is meant to introduce vegetation by throwing seed balls on barren land or places with less vegetation. To ensure high success rate, landscape expert from Delhi, Vinu Jehosapat advices to use the technique during monsoon season. This ensures that the seed contained in the seed-bomb germinate properly and get enough opportunity to absorb moisture from the atmosphere. According to the Forest Survey of India’s State of Forest Report, tree cover in the city went down from 123 sq km in 2009 to 113 sq km in 2017. Vinu Jehosapat added that the Pollution levels have reached an alarming level in Delhi and seed bombs offer an effective solution to curb the pollution and bring the city back to life. 

Why seed balls?

If you are finding it difficult to make sense of seed balls when you can directly throw the seeds on fertile ground, here are some reasons:

• Gardening becomes easy and fun when no ploughing or tilling is involved. You just have to throw or place the balls where you want the plant to grow. 
• Seed bomb keeps the seed protected from wind, birds, squirrels, and other critters.
• They offer a means for easy dispersal means more uniform coverage.
• It’s a fun activity
• Seed bomb are also available for seasonal gardens. This means you can have seed bombs for all year round. 

How to make a seed bomb?

Whether you prefer to call it seed balls or the seed bomb, they are easy to prepare. Here is a quick method:

• To prepare seed bombs you will need 5 parts dry powdered clay, 3 parts compost and 1 part seed mix. 
• Combine all the dry ingredients together in a large tray and thoroughly mix. 
• Slowly pour the water into the mixture, stirring as you pour. 
• Knead with your hands until the mixture is completely absorbed and soft.
• Roll clay out into a thin snake.
• Take off ½-inch sections and roll into balls.
• Place the balls on a tray to dry and harden. 
• Cut fabric into 4-inch squares. 
• Place few seed bombs in the center of the fabric. 
• Gather the ends and tie with the string. 

Team building activities

Team building activities are a great way to move away from competitive work environments to workplaces where collaboration between staff is seen as the key to success. Increasingly more and more companies are recognizing the importance of cooperation among staff and therefore are undertaking regular team building activities. 

There are plenty of activities that can be taken up as team building activity, however the one that channalises the effort to greater human benefit is the best one. Preparing seed bomb as a team activity will not only promote collaboration and cooperation between staff, which is the main goal of any team activity, but will also contribute towards building a greener and better city. 

After the team building activity, the employees can be encouraged to take the seed bomb along with them. They can gift it to their friends or family or can simply throw it on the road side where they always wanted to see a tree. It is an excellent way to promote a sense of responsibility among employees towards greener tomorrow. 

To organise a seed bomb making activity in your company, call us or write to us at info@greencorners.in 

Vinu Jehoshapat