Congratulations! By greening up with our Seebdox boxes, you can give Mother Nature a helping hand in greening up a space by letting her do her work without much effort.
Sowing your plants with a Seedpod means, first and foremost, that you save time when planting or seeding, and also when maintaining them, because to promote growth, you need to let nature do its work on the site for as long as possible, and you won't need to cut the grass that grows to preserve everything you've just planted and subsequent generations.
To enjoy a beautiful ecosystem near you for as long as possible, we recommend that you consult the following information.
NB Please refer to your seeding guide for instructions and advice available for the species contained in your Seedbox.
What you need to know for:
Site selection
Layout
Site preparation
Manual seeding of Seedpods
Watering
Annual maintenance
FAQ
Site selection
Select an area with little or no traffic to avoid crushing new seedlings. Like us, all taller strata such as trees and shrubs need several years to reach adult size and produce new seedlings.
The space is chosen because it will be able to grow undisturbed for years, otherwise, opt for Seedboxes with lower strata for species that will mature more quickly.
Landscaping:
Choose a layout that uses large plants to your advantage for partial protection, and sow shade-preferring species close to their canopy. Group shade-preferring species close to the canopy of existing large trees or shrubs.
Extend the existing canopy by planting shrubs and trees at least 3m from the branch tips of existing trees, and 2m for shrubs.
For a more natural cover in places, don't sow in a linear pattern, be random in your planting, varying the types of species and the concentration of Seedpods.
Important for Seedpods containing tree and shrub species:
Require a clear space with a radius of at least 20 meters around the place where the Seedpods will be planted.
NB a minimum safe planting distance of 10 metres from Hydro-Québec power lines is required for trees, and 7m for shrubs.
Preparing the site for sowing:
Depending on the flora present at the time of sowing, there will be more or less preparation of the soil to promote good contact with the soil during germination.
Remove all waste to be recycled or treated,
Take the opportunity to do some gardening: rake up leaves and dead branches, and do some pruning for your compost heap.
Manual seeding of Seedpods:
Spacing for full coverage:
For large tree Seedpods: in general, per square meter / 9 square feet sow 3 Seedpods spaced 60cm/2ft apart.
For medium shrub Seedpods are used for medium canopy plants measuring between 1.5m and 4m at maturity: in general, per square metre 9 Seedpods are sown spaced 30 cm/1 foot apart.
For small Seedpods for all ground cover plants, herbaceous and graminaceous, in the low canopy and which will generally be less than 1.50m at maturity we sow 18 Seedpods spaced 5 to 15 cm apart.
Broadcast sowing for small Seedpods, to increase the potential for ground contact:
you can sprinkle them in front of you and step on the Seedpods to stick them to the ground.
you can also throw them over your head to make them “rain” in front of you. They'll survive the shock; we deploy them from drones at a height of 30 feet.
Planting: For medium and large Seedpods, for optimum ground contact, we recommend planting them directly in the ground.
You can use a stick with a 1.5 inch / 3cm square base to form a space in the ground for sowing the Seedpod, the hole should be as deep as it is wide. A seed spike or good old-fashioned garden trowel works very well.
Place the Seedpod in the hole, seed side up.
You can also put your foot on it to ensure proper insertion.
Watering:
Pre-sowing: Ideally, moisten Seedpods before sowing with a mixture of water and mycorrhizal inoculant to keep them moist enough for a few days to start germination. You can also use a liquid fertilizer mix with the recommended proportion of water. If these options are not available, 20-30 ml of water per Seedpod will suffice to activate germination.
Sowing: Watering the Seedpods
Important If rainfall fails for a long period, water your seedlings when it fails in the first year:
Every 3 to 5 days on hot days above 35 Celsius,
Every 5 to 7 days between 15 and 35 Celsius,
Every 7 to 10 days else.
Water in case of drought if possible, at least the first year. Increased foliage after the first year will reduce evaporation and the need for water in subsequent years, allowing you to postpone watering by a few days if necessary.
In the city, watering is often more necessary than in the countryside, due to the concentrated heat mass that accelerates evaporation.
NB: Each Seedpod contains a number of water-retaining components, enabling it to remain self-sufficient in water for longer, but watering should be recommended if the plants show signs of dehydration.
Annual maintenance:
Autumn: To protect the root system from future cold spells, leave all dead leaves in place in autumn. You'll be able to remove the dried parts more easily in spring with shears and pruning tools, making it easier to distinguish the growing tree plants from other ground cover or herbaceous species.
Clean-up: To avoid damaging the growing plants, in the first year avoid moving through this regenerating area and use a pole to remove any waste that may have found its way through the plants.
FAQ:
Q: I've sown my Seedpods, how long do I have to wait before I see plants?
A: It all depends on the species: some germinate in a few days, others in a few weeks. Sowing and letting nature take its course is also an exercise in patience.
Q: There are a few clearings in the space, what can I do?
A: Wait until autumn to identify the sparse areas with a small post or marker of some kind. You can selectively seed either late in the fall for the majority of tree Seedpods (shrubs, bushes and trees) whose seedlings tolerate winter cold, or the following spring for ground-cover Seedpods, flowers and sub-shrubs.
Q: It seems that some plants don't survive as well as others on the ground where we've planted.
A: This is a normal result, as so many factors can influence a plant's survival in the first few years that the most adapted ones will survive and green the space. Seedpods allow us to test the adaptability of certain species to a limited ecosystem.
Quantities and average coverage of Seedpods low canopy:
Small: approx. 60 units per 20 sq. ft.
Medium: approx. 150 units for 50 square feet
Large: approx. 600 units for 200 square feet
XLarge: approx. 3000 units for 1000 square feet or linear space
Quantities and average coverage of Seedpods high canopy:
Small: approx. 5 units per 20 square feet
Medium: approx. 15 units per 50 square feet
Large: approx. 60 units per 200 square feet
XLarge: approx. 300 units per 1000 square or linear feet
Calculating the coverage and density of our Seedpods:
NB Coverage is calculated according to the largest size of Seedpods contained in a box.
Large Seedpods are 8 cm cubed and are used for high-canopy tree seedlings. Typical density is 1 to 2 Seedpods per square meter.
Medium Seedpods are 5 cm cubed and are used for medium-canopy plants measuring between 1.5m and 4m at maturity. In general, seeding density will vary between 3 and 10 Seedpods per square metre.
Smaller Seedpods of one cubic centimetre are used for all ground cover plants, herbaceous and grassy, in the low canopy and which will generally be less than 1.50m tall at maturity. In general, seeding density will vary between 10 and 20 Seedpods per square meter.
FAQ:
Q: I've sown my Seedpods, how long do I have to wait before I see plants?
A: It all depends on the species. Some germinate in a few days, others in a few weeks. Sowing and letting nature take its course is also an exercise in patience.
Q: There are a few clearings in the space, what can I do?
A: Wait until autumn to identify the sparse areas with a small post or marker of some kind. You can selectively seed later in the autumn for the majority of tree Seedpods (shrubs, bushes and trees) whose seedlings tolerate winter cold, or in spring for ground-cover Seedpods, flowers and sub-shrubs.
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