I Left a Seed Paper Card in Water for a Week. It Sprouted Anyway.

The question I hear most about our plantable cards is a fair one. Does seed paper really grow, or is it just a nice idea?

I have an honest answer now, and I got it by accident.

What happened

I wanted to plant one of our cards again, so I tore it into pieces and put them in a tray of water to soak. The plan was to leave it overnight and plant it the next day.

Then life got busy. The tray sat there for more than a week.

When I finally came back to it, I expected a soggy mess. Instead there were tiny green sprouts standing up out of the water. The seeds had not waited for me. They had no soil at all, just wet paper and a bit of light, and they had started growing anyway.

So, does seed paper really grow?

Yes. The seeds pressed into the paper are real, living seeds. Once they get water they wake up, and they do not need much encouragement. If anything, this showed me how little they ask for.

You can see it in the photos. The dark specks in the paper are the seeds, and each little green stem is coming straight out of one.

Getting it into soil

This week I finally planted it. Paper that has soaked this long is very soft and falls apart easily, and the sprouts are delicate, so I kept it simple.

• I filled a pot with damp potting soil.
• I lifted the wet pieces out carefully and laid them on top of the soil, sprouts facing up.
• I sprinkled a little soil around and over the edges to hold the paper down, without burying the sprouts.
• I put the pot by a bright window and I am keeping the soil damp.

It is not the prettiest pot right now. Wet paper and loose soil never are. But the sprouts are upright and green, and that is what matters.

Should you soak yours for a week?

No. Please do not copy my schedule. A few hours or one night in water is enough. Seedlings that sprout in water need soil soon after, and paper left wet for too long can start to break down or go moldy.

The real lesson is the opposite one. If you forget your card for a few days, do not throw it out. Check it first. It may be further along than you think.

If you want the proper method, I wrote it out step by step here: How to Plant Seed Paper Cards.

What comes next

I will share an update once these have grown a bit more. In the meantime, if you would like to send someone a card they can plant, you can browse our plantable cards here.