Seed Balls

Trees play a crucial role in maintaining balance in the ecosystem. But, modernisation, urbanisation, population expansion, etc., have led to the rapid decline of the earth’s green cover. To counter this, numerous steps have been taken across the globe. There are various stakeholders including government machinery, institutions, environment groups, environment lovers in the initiatives to protect the environment.

Seed balls, also known as earth balls, 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.

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

The balls are formed between 10mm and 80mm (about 1⁄2" to 3") in diameter. After the seed balls have been formed, they must dry for 24–48 hours before use.

It is a technique of planting trees by embedding organic seed balls in the ground. It is also known as aerial reforestation. Vegetation can be introduced in any land by throwing or dropping seed balls in the ground. The best time to execute this process is raining season. Seeds planted through this procedure have a success rate of 50%.