Growing wheatgrass

Wheat grass is so pretty! It’s healthy too; but Tightwad is going to grow some with her kiddos for her Easter table.

What to know, what to do

1) Gather some organic (for better – and edible - results) wheat kernels (hard red winter wheat or wheat berries) or go to your local health food store and tell them what you are looking for.

2) Rinse the kernels and soak in cold water (using a ration of 1:3 seeds to water) overnight or about ten hours to initiate germination. Drain the water and replace with more cold water, again about three times the amount of water to seeds and continue to soak for another ten hours. Repeat process again for a total of three long soaks. By the end of the last soak (within a week), the seeds should have sprouted roots and are ready to plant.

3) Have a seed tray ready. Line the tray with paper towels and spread an even two-inch layer of organic potting soil on it.  A 16” x 16” tray use about two cups of seeds. Equally distribute the seeds over the soil and lightly mix in or press in but don’t cover completely. Obviously use whatever container you want if the wheatgrass is decorative  - such as an oblong glass vase - so pretty!

4) Cover the tray with a few moistened sheets of newspaper for the first four days to protect the seedlings. Mist once daily with a spray bottle to keep soil moist but not waterlogged. Keep your seedlings in partial sunlight so they don’t get burned.

5) Once the shoots mature a second blade will begin growing out of the first shoot. This is called splitting and means that the grass is ready  - at about 6” tall - for harvesting. Cut the wheatgrass above the root and use for juicing or salads.

6) Harvested wheat grass keeps in the refrigerator for about a week but is best when consumed after harvest. Usually good for three harvests, wheatgrass the third time round isn’t as tender as the first batch so it’s time to prepare for another batch of seedlings.