Garden Hack For Perfectly Spaced Rows

Avoid crowding or wasting plot space with this DIY project you can do now, while waiting for spring!

By Jeff Cox January 5, 2016

http://www.rodalesorganiclife.com/garden/garden-hack-for-perfectly-spaced-rows?cid=soc_Rodale%27s%20Organic%20Life%20-%20RodalesOrganicLife_FBPAGE_Rodale%27s%20Organic%20Life__

What You Need: 
seeds
1 sheet of newspaper
½ cup flour
water
bowl
ruler
toothpick, cotton swab, or teaspoon
powdered milk
ziplock bags
paper towel

Photograph by Robyn Lehr

1. Tear a page of black-and-white newspaper from top to bottom into 1-inch-wide strips. Then make a paste by mixing flour with enough water to get a thick gravy-like consistency.

Photograph by Robyn Lehr

2. Lay the strips on a table and place a single row of seeds along each one. For peas, radishes, and spring onions, place the seeds 1 inch apart; beets, parsley, and carrots need 3 inches; chard, spinach, and leaf lettuce require 6 inches; and collards to best at 12 inches apart.  

Photograph by Robyn Lehr

3. Glue the seeds to the strips by placing a dollop of flour water on top of each seed. You can use a teaspoon, cotton swab, or toothpick to dole out the paste.  

Photograph by Robyn Lehr

4. Let the glue dry; then roll up the strips and put them in a resealable plastic bag. Use a separate bag for each type of seed. Wrap 1 tablespoon of powdered milk in a paper towel, and add it to the bag to keep seeds dry. Label the bags or slide the corresponding seed packet into each bag so you can identify the tapes later. Store in a cool dry place until planting time. Plant by laying tapes in rows and covering with a fine soil to the recommended depth.
Adapted from Jeff Cox's 100 Greatest Garden Ideas.