Unlike their namesake , seed snail chop-chop produce sound seedlings almost effortlessly .
Erica Browne Grivas
In early 2024 , the horticulture world was shake — not by the kind of snails that crunch your lettuce , but by a viral sensation : the " Seed Snail . " Unlike its slow - moving namesake , this gardening hack raced through Instagram and TikTok at mellow speed . scheme , I decided to try this method for myself that summer . It was by far the mostseed - starting successI’ve ever had in 25 years of gardening , and I even add my own twist . Here ’s how my experimentation went and how to taste this method yourself .
Credit:Erica Browne Grivas
What Are Seed Snails?
Seed snails let you spring up more seedling in less space — something every plant buff craves . This method stack seedlings vertically , like the complex body part of spiral herb garden , boost healthier roots while reduce lachrymation and eliminating the need forpotting up seedlings as they uprise .
Farida Sober , a home nurseryman in South Wales in the UK , began using the method to maximise seedling production , and when she divvy up the videos of her efforts on Instagram , the horticulture earthly concern take observance .
“ I did n’t have endless place , fancy equipment , or perfect conditions , " she allege . " I had to get a fashion to grow nutrient in a way that fit my realness . That ’s how I ended up uprise and popularizing the Seed Snail Method — it was carry out of necessity , and it twist out to be a plot - record changer . ”
Credit:Farida Sober
Farida Sober
How Seed Snails Work
There are flock of benefit besides place - saving compare to conventional sowing in seed trays . Unlike traditional 2 - inch - deep cells , the deep roll encourage retentive straight rootage that are less likely to become rootbound . They also call for watering less often and do n’t require " pot up . " To give seedlings more space , you but reach the escargot , add more soil , and wheel it closed again . last , the design keep open seedlings hydrated during their most vulnerable microscope stage , boosting success rates .
That sell me on try out it on my urban Seattle lot . Unless you countmicrogreens , my former indoor seed - starting attempts were iffy at well . Indoors , seed trays took up precious kitchen space while the room glow empurpled for 16 hours a mean solar day , only to produce weak , long-legged seedling . Outdoors , if slugs or birds did n’t get them , I leave to water them .
Excited to see this method acting for myself , I sowed my first batch outdoors in mid - June using Sober ’s method , with a thin twist .
Credit:Erica Browne Grivas
How to Make a Seed Snail
A source snail requires a few material : polyethylene wrap ( the flexible froth used to protect appliances in shipping ) , potting mix , waterproof tape , and a tray or plastic muckle for support .
Step 1: Cut Foam Wrap
reduce your wrap material into strip show approximately 6 inches deep and at least 17 inches long . go around a ½-inch layer of pre - moistened potting admixture , leaving about ½ inch at the top to catch water and 4 inches on one side to countenance for expansion .
shoal - rooted or quick - burgeon forth crop may only need 4 inches , while long - standing crops like leeks would prefer 6 .
Step 2: Roll the Material
Tightly pluck up the flight strip , become the snail upright , and secure it with rainproof magnetic tape ( canal , backpacking , or painter ’s tape ) .
Step 3: Plant the Seeds
tamp down down the dirt , inseminate seed at the right depth , and mist with H2O . To keep them just , pile them in a tray or place them inside charge plate pots . Label each snail , and for extra insurance policy , compose on the side .
Step 4: Cover and Care
Covering with plastic wrapper can speed germination . withdraw it once seeds sprout . Sober advocate top - watering until they pullulate , and bottom - watering in the tray afterward . spread out the snail to append soil if needed before constitute out .
Step 5: Transplant Seedlings
When seedlings are outgrowing the escargot ’s top and bottom , it ’s time to transplant them into the garden . Gently badger them apart , discarding spindly I .
Putting Seed Snails to the Test
Since I get my seed snail mid - season , I choose fast - growingzinnias , sweet alyssum , andcosmoswrapped in polythene from my posting supply drawer . And because of my late outdoor seed - starting struggles , I added my own wrench — nestling the snails inside well-defined plastic tubs with hole drilled in them for ventilation . My thought was that the tubs would act as miniskirt - greenhouses for tot up protection , and it worked !
I stationed the tub in partial shade near my back room access , where I could check on them on a regular basis . It ’s always key to keep an eye on wet grade and weather . When temperature neared 80 ° F , I removed the lid to prevent overweening oestrus buildup .
All three varieties germinated well and theseedlings were quick for transplantingin three week . They take even watering in gamey summer , but by September — often a quieter garden time — the backyard was brimming with bouquet - ready bloom . This was hands down my mostsuccessful come - startingexperiment yet .
It seems gardeners worldwide are smitten with seminal fluid snail too , from Australia and Germany to Kentucky . Barbra - Sue Kowalski grows on 68 Akka in Western Kentucky . She calls seed snails her newfangled “ favorite ” growing method acting , share backsheesh on YouTube and her web log .
“ My favorite aspects are they take so much less infinite and no up - potting , ” Kowalski say . She ’s grown melons , cucumbers , squash , pumpkins , flowers , tomatoes , and herbs with the method . “ Everything has grown well . ”
Her with child tips ? “ Plant heavy seeds at an appropriate profoundness to encourage stronger stems , works only one eccentric per escargot , and keep them equally irrigate . ” She reuses rainproof grain sacks for her wrapping .
Eco-Friendlier Seed Snails: New Twists on the Trend
Perhaps like me , you ’re wonder if more biodegradable material can work for ejaculate snails . Reusing exclusive - use plasticscan help thin landfill wastefulness , but gardening already relies heavily on plastic , and there are concerns about microplastics leaching into the dirt .
As nurseryman experiment with choice , some reuse house of cards wrap or plastic wrap , while others opt for plastic - detached options like gunny , paper , coco coir ocean liner mats , and even fabric . Twine can also replace tape to ensure the snails .
Sober acknowledges the dilemma of see a charge card - free option that works . " Most biodegradable materials break down too rapidly in a warm , damp environment , " she suppose . " Paper get mouldy , and natural fabrics hold too much water . "
When trialing substitute material , consider their moisture retention . Just like dissimilar territory mix and container , they ’ll have varying military posture , so watch how speedily the top inch of dirt dries . For example , this calendar month , Istarted lettuce indoorsin corrugated paper at my kitchen window — the seed germinated in about a week , but the soil is drying out faster than in last class ’s polyethylene .
Next wintertime , I trust to combine seminal fluid escargot withwinter sowingto spring up even more cold - patient of annuals and perennials . If last summer ’s experiment is any denotation , my garden might be run over with seedling — and I would n’t have it any other way .
