Growing seed quilts
A quilted composite sheet containing seeds makes growing microgreens and other crops simple. Each sheet is a layered composite of multiple materials including seed, grow substrate and seed cover. A user can spread a seed quilt over the surface to be planted, water, wait, and harvest.
1. A method of making a seed quilt, the method comprising:
receiving a grow substrate;
adding seeds to the grow substrate;
covering the seeds with a seed cover; and
bonding the grow substrate to the seed cover to create bonding regions at which the grow substrate is attached to the seed cover to form seed cells in which the seeds are confined, the seed quilt comprising a plurality of the seed cells, wherein bonding between the grow substrate and the seed cover is configured such that a force of the seeds as they germinate will cause the grow substrate and the seed cover to separate at the bonding regions.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the seed cells are configured to merge as the seeds germinate and sprout.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising using a vacuum to shape the seed cells.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the seeds are placed in depressions formed by the vacuum and the bonding regions are created at ridges between the depressions.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising attaching the seed quilt to a roll of seed quilt.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the seeds are placed in depressions in the grow substrate and the bonding regions are created at ridges between the depressions.
7. A method of germinating seeds or growing microgreens, the method comprising:
placing a seed quilt in contact with water, the seed quilt including a plurality of seed cells, each of the seed cells including one or more seeds, wherein the seed cells are separated by bonding regions between a grow substrate and a seed cover, the bonding regions being configured such that the grow substrate and the seed cover will separate at the bonding regions in response to a force exerted by the germination of the one or more seeds;
removing the seed cover from the grow substrate after the one or more seeds have germinated; and
harvesting the one or more germinated seeds as sprouts or microgreens.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the seed quilt is disposed in a vertical orientation during germination of the one or more seeds.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the seed quilt is placed in contact with the water by unrolling the seed quilt from a roll.
10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the seed cover is removed from the grow substrate as a single piece.
11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the seed cover is removed from the grow substrate by hand.
12. The method of claim 7 , further comprising providing a mat configured to position the seed quilt, the mat being in contact with the water.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the mat is configured to provide airflow around roots of the one or more germinated seeds.
14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the mat is configured to transport moisture to the seed quilt.
15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising providing a spacer configured to position the seed quilt relative to the water.
16. The method of claim 7 , wherein the seed cells each have an area of at least ½ square inch.
17. The method of claim 7 , wherein placing the seed quilt in contact with water includes using an automated irrigation system.
18. A method of growing sprouts or microgreens, the method comprising: making a seed quit by:
receiving a grow substrate;
adding seeds to the grow substrate;
covering the seeds with a seed cover; and
bonding the grow substrate to the seed cover to create bonding regions at which the grow substrate is attached to the seed cover to form seed cells in which the seeds are confined, the seed quilt comprising a plurality of the seed cells, wherein bonding between the grow substrate and the seed cover is configured such that a force of the seeds as they germinate will cause the grow substrate and the seed cover to separate at the bonding regions;
placing the seed quilt in contact with water;
separating the grow substrate and the seed cover at the bonding regions using the force exerted by germination of the seeds;
removing the seed cover from the grow substrate after the seeds have germinated; and
harvesting the germinated seeds as the sprouts or microgreens.