I ran across this on The G-FILES, a site that's still under construction.

"In a small pan, dissolve 1 tablespoon of cornstarch in 1 cup of cold water. Cook over a medium flame, stirring constantly to prevent the mixture from getting lumpy. Once it starts to boil and turns into a translucent gel-like mixture, remove it from the stove and let it cool to room temperature.

Get some paper towels, leaving the sheets attached, and tear off a section of about 5 feet. Cut the length of the towels into long strips that are about 1/2 to 3/4 inches wide." {My own note: I'm going to try this with newspaper strips.}

From the seed package, determine spacing. LABEL each tape. Put a few spoonfuls of the cornstarch mixture into a small plastic bag. Work the mixture to one corner of the bag, squeezing out as much air as possible; seal the bag. Clip off a small corner- small seeds will only need a little tiny bit of the gel. Put a dab of gel for each seed at the correct spacing. They don't say how to store this but I would think it would keep for a few days in the frig. Hope someone else can use this too.

-- Peg (wildwoodfarms@hushmail.com), February 16, 2001

Answers

just getting it up where it can be seen

-- Peg (wildwoodfarms@hushmail.com), February 16, 2001.

Peg: I have some similar instructions from a book I borrowed from a friend, but they advised using newspaper strips and flour and water paste. Same otherwise. Roll the paper up and store in a cool dark place til planting time. Said it was a good winter project, so I assume they would keep quite a while. Jan

-- Jan in CO (Janice12@aol.com), February 16, 2001.

Sounds like something that would work nicely in a Square Foot Garden raised bed. Thanks.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), February 17, 2001.

Thanks, Thats a saver! Good project for winter (and kids that are bored from being inside all the time.)

-- Nancy in CA (sonflower35@icqmail.com), February 17, 2001.

I did this with carrot seed one year (much easier than dealing with it outside in the wind!). Used strips of papertoweling and elmer's waterbased glue. Worked just fine.

-- Soni (thomkilroy@hotmail.com), February 19, 2001.

Now this is a keeper gardening tip!! Thanks so much for posting it! My carrots are always planted too thick..and lettuces etc. This would be fabulous for ease in square foot intensive gardening!!! I am going to start this right away to prepare for this spring!

-- Alison in Nova Scotia (aproteau@istar.ca), February 19, 2001.

I thought I answered Jan (suggested flour and water paste) but I must have emailed her instead. My experience with the flour and water paste was mold. But just this morning on tv Jeff Cox said after putting the seeds on the flour and water dots, let dry, and roll up the tapes. The secret is putting powdered milk into a paper napkin and putting that in the bottom of a jar, then storing the tapes in the jar. The powdered milk will absorb any moisture and keep the seeds from sprouting or molding. You can keep the jars in the basement quite a long time.

-- Peg (NW WI) (wildwoodfarms@hushmail.com), February 19, 2001.

Thanks Peg - great idea!

Hey Jay - I'm thinking of using squares of newspaper ( 1 fot sq.) rather than strips for my square foot garden - whadda ya think??

-- Polly (tigger@moultrie.com), February 19, 2001.

Response to Peg at Wildwood Farms. I have made seed tapes for several years now, spinach, lettuce, carrots, turnips, beets etc. I use toilet paper with the length cut at about a yard. You can set this amount down on the wet soil with accuracy, then quickly cover with a very small depth of garden soil and tamp down with a short piece of 2x4. I use Elmers liquid non-toxic school glue with a tooth pick, stick it in the glue and then on a seed and then to the paper. Repeat. Space according to directions on seed packet. Let the strips dry completely and then roll up in plastic bags well marked, they begin to look just alike so don't assume you will recognize them 2 months from now. I do this in the Spring and plant according to our weather. Maureen at Ravens Roost in Alaska

-- Maureen Stevenson (maureen@mtaonline.net), February 21, 2001.