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Gardening Hack: DIY Seed Spacer From a Wood Ruler

March 4, 2016

This post was originally published on DIY Network’s blog Made + Remade in March 2014.

How to upcycle a ruler into an easy seed spacer.

Sow, sow, soon the garden will grow. The seed starting season is upon us now (Zone 5, representing!) and soon enough, we’ll be prepping those outdoor beds for our favorite flowers, fruits, and veggies. Setting up a comfortable dwelling for your seeds is the first and most important step to cultivating a healthy, thriving inventory of seedlings, and spacing of the seeds is critical to success since you want them to have enough room to root and develop in the soil.

Get those seeds on the right path by using this simple wooden ruler hack shown below to make those rows immaculately straight and evenly spaced for optimal root growth (and then sit back and wait for your garden to flourish).

Step 1

Start with a ruler, a drill, and several drill bits – 3/32″ and 5/16″ worked well for me.

How to upcycle a ruler into an easy seed spacer.

Step 2

Starting with smaller drill bits helps with precision, and helps a wooden ruler from cracking. Using the rules already imprinted on the ruler, drill a pilot hole using the smaller bit at every 1″ interval. My ruler had a hole drilled by the manufacturer at the 1/2″ mark, so I used that and made additional marks spaced accordingly. Most seed packets ask that you plant between 1″ – 4″ apart for optimum root growth, so this will make it easier to plant at the correct spacing.

How to upcycle a ruler into an easy seed spacer.

Step 3

Follow through with the larger bit to open the holes up wide enough for a standard pencil to fit through.

How to upcycle a ruler into an easy seed spacer.

Step 4

Put your handy new tool to use by simply aligning it over pre-moistened soil, and poking a pencil or dowel down through the holes at the interval your seed directions specify. Drop the seeds into each hole, and don’t forget to water regularly. Happy Spring!

How to upcycle a ruler into an easy seed spacer.

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Emily
I'm a home improvement enthusiast, living a very merry DIY lifestyle. I've been a freelancer writer for 10+ years and you can find my work on popular home and garden sites, like HGTV.com. Follow me on facebook and instagram, or drop me a note.

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  • HI, I’m Emily

    Emily Fazio

    I'm a home improvement enthusiast, living a very merry DIY lifestyle. Follow me on facebook and instagram, or drop me a note if you'd like. I love notes.

    Thanks for visiting!

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    One straggler from #garlic2021 debuted with 7 stal One straggler from #garlic2021 debuted with 7 stalks and 7 scapes, and I can’t wait to see this mammoth looks like when it’s pulled next month. #garlic2022 

Also, fierce springtime performance by parsley, chamomile, and self-seeded cilantro.
    Annual garlic notes #garden2022 ~315 cloves total Annual garlic notes #garden2022
~315 cloves total
50 in new, unfenced garden
Still need thick mulch on everything
Did a terrible job tracking varieties when I harvested, so it’s all a mix of hardneck now 😒
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