Monday, April 18, 2011

DIY: Growing Wheatgrass

How Beautiful is this???

I'm officially obsessed with growing wheatgrass now!

It was the strangest thing...my husband asked one day, out of the blue, if we could start adding wheatgrass to our smoothies...I didn't even know he knew what wheatgrass was...and then it seemed like there were a million blog posts on how easy and fast it is to grow at home.

I've been trying to add more live plants around the house, plus, I just looooved the way it looks for Spring and as an Easter decoration.

And it's the easiest thing in the world. A nice break from working on my garden seedlings.

The toughest part might be finding the seeds if you don't have a natural food store nearby. You can also shop around to buy them online though. They probably won't be called wheatgrass seeds...usually it's wheat grain or wheatberries. These were called Hard Red Wheatberries...and they were about $1/POUND. I got a small bag for a dollar (so must have been around a pound), planted a ton, and still have a LOT left.

All you need is some dirt..any dirt will do. You don't need much. You can even grow these on wet paper towels!

And any container will do. I especially love the glass containers so you can see the roots!





I saw a number of ways of planting them...it seems like they will grow no matter what you do as long as you keep them damp. I just kept a spray bottle of water nearby and sprayed whenever I thought of it.

Some people soaked them in water overnight first..I don't have that kind of patience. Some people put a layer of dirt on top, which would probably help to keep them damp. But I loved the idea of just throwing seeds on top of the dirt like this!

And this is what I have 6 days later!! (great planting project for those short on patience like me!)

Does this just take your breath away like mine??

It was like watching a miracle unfold right before my eyes. Even my husband got excited about it and would come home from work and ask how they were doing :)

They grow really fast, so you have to keep trimming them. I think we might actually add some to our smoothies. The rest I'm going to set around the house to add a bit of life to each room!


3 comments:

Brittany Tally said...

What a great idea. I agree I just love having live plants in my home. Makes the space feel so much fresher and lighter. And you are right this plant is prefect for spring/Easter! Would make a really fun Easter gift for someone.. Sometimes I even splurge and buy myself a bouquet of flowers! I can sometimes find a beautiful bouquet of flowers in the spring and summer time at Walmart for $5. To me it is totally worth it once in awhile because it puts a smile on my face every time I see the beautiful flowers.

Tiffany said...

I totally agree B about buying flowers! I usually feel bad about spending the money for something like that for myself that won't last. But what could be better than treating yourself to something that brings so much joy?! I still get happy thinking about some sunflowers I bought for myself at a farmer's market years ago! These simple little wheatgrass plants bring the same kind of joy to me every time I see them. Isn't that crazy..it just looks like grass...that we see out our window every day! It makes me realize how much beauty there is in some of the simplest things and how much we take for granted.

Stephanie said...

Awesome! Great idea! I love the idea of having something green and "alive" in my house. Immanuel and I are SO anti-fake flowers/fake plants. It's amazing how much a real plant can add warm, freshness, and personality to a home. I agree with you guys on splurging for some real flowers. Always brightens my day :)

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