A perfect Spring-time project.
As the seasons change and spring arrives, many of us are eager to get outside and start new projects. One simple yet rewarding project is growing wheatgrass. Not only is it a great way to bring some greenery into your home, but it’s also a fun and easy activity for beginners.
This is super easy, even if you’ve never grown wheatgrass before.
Growing wheatgrass is a straightforward process that requires minimal equipment and care. In this article, we’ll walk you through the steps to grow wheatgrass at home, including how to prepare the soil, plant the wheat berries, and keep your wheatgrass healthy and thriving.
Let’s make a wheatgrass centerpiece using some basic things from around the house.
One of the best things about growing wheatgrass is that you can get creative with it. Why not use your wheatgrass as a centerpiece for your Easter dinner or as a fun project to do with kids? With a few basic household items, you can create a beautiful and unique wheatgrass centerpiece that will add a touch of springtime charm to your table.
What you’ll need:
- Wheat berries (hard red winter wheat worked best for me—found in the bulk foods of my local health food store)
- Potting soil
- Mason jar (or something similar to soak wheat in)
- Pie plate, vintage pan, or some other cute kitchenware to use as your “pot”
- Rocks (for drainage)
Step 1: Soak the wheat berries
The first step in growing wheatgrass is to soak the wheat berries. Simply put them in a jar and fill with enough water to cover the wheat berries entirely. Soak for 12 hours, then drain and rinse. 1 cup of berries should be plenty.
Step 2: Prepare the planting space
Next, prepare your planting space. Here we used kitchenware (a deep pie plate) to create a larger planting area to work with. Fill the bottom with rocks, maybe about an inch. Then cover with potting soil. You may need to pick out some of the larger sticks. Also make sure you get a nice smooth top all the way to the edges—you don’t want the berries falling down in the cracks!
Step 3: Plant the wheat berries
If your soil is really dry, you may want to add a little water to help the soil settle and to help keep the wheat berries in place. You can fill the whole container with a “lawn” of wheatgrass. Or you can make shapes — like an initial. You could make an initial for your child using their first initial in a smaller pot or even in their Easter basket.
To make a shape, simply trace your letter in the dirt. Once you trace out your letter, slowly start to fill in your tracing with the wheat berries. You’ll want them in one nice, even layer. You may need to move individual berries around to get it just right.
Step 4: Keep the wheatgrass healthy and thriving
Once you have the berries in place, water lightly or mist with a spray bottle. You’ll want to keep them lightly covered with newspaper for a day or two all the while making sure to keep the berries and soil damp — not wet.
Atomic facts:
- Wheat berries can be found in bulk foods at health food stores.
- Wheat berries should be soaked for 12 hours.
- Use rocks for drainage in the planting space.
- Add a little water to the soil to settle it and keep the wheat berries in place.
- Wheatgrass can be kept lightly covered with newspaper for a day or two.
- Move wheatgrass to a sunny spot once sprouts reach an inch high.
- Trim wheatgrass with kitchen scissors when it becomes unruly.
Step 5: Trim and enjoy
Once you get sprouts about an inch high, move your grass to a sunny spot. You may want to keep growing for a while to get a thicker grass, but it doesn’t take long for the grass to get unruly. Carefully trim it up with your kitchen scissors and you’re good to go!
Experiment with other patterns
Now that you’ve successfully grown your wheatgrass, why not get creative and try making other patterns? You could make a chevron stripe pattern, a polka dot pattern, or even a simple border around the edge of your container.
Decorate with chocolate eggs and turn it into a mini Easter Egg hunt
This might be especially fun for Urban dwellers who don’t have access to a yard for a real Easter egg hunt. Simply hide some chocolate eggs around your wheatgrass centerpiece and let the kids search for them. This is a fun and easy way to add some whimsy to your spring celebrations.
Conclusion
Growing wheatgrass is a fun and easy project that’s perfect for beginners. With these simple steps, you can create a beautiful and unique wheatgrass centerpiece that will add a touch of springtime charm to your table. So why not give it a try? You might just find yourself hooked on growing wheatgrass!
