How to grow a Chia seed plant at home in simple steps (no soil or sand needed!)
Published On : 2024-11-16T13:48:59+0530 [ IST ] |
Author : Mayur_Tembhare
Reading Time : mins
Home
Entertainment
None :
Chia seeds have quickly become one of the best superfoods and are ‘oh-so-versatile’. From gut health to bloating and from better hair to better skin people claim that Chia seeds can do it all.
And while most people prefer having Chia seeds in the seed form where they are soaked in water enlarged and then consumed, not many know there is another way to have Chia seeds in the form of microgreens.
It is super easy and budget-friendly to grow the plant and to put a cherry on top you don't need soil, sand or even a pot to grow these microgreens.
So without much ado here we list the perfect steps to grow the chia plant microgreens at home.
Gather the material Gather the material
First gather the materials needed starting with Chia seeds about 20-30 grams. Then get an old jar, bottle or anything tall enough to spread the seeds evenly. Next you need tissues, soft cloth, water spray bottle and a window or balcony where you get atleast 3 hours of direct sunlight.
Starting the plant Starting the plant
To start take 2-3 tablespoons of chia seeds and add them to a glass of water. Keep them aside overnight or for 2-3 hours and let them enlarge and soak as much water as possible.
The next day take a bottle or an old ceramic jar or whatever surface you wish to grow microgreens on. Suppose you take an old jar then clean it nicely making sure there is no dust on the surface.
Once the cleaning is done spread a few tissues over the jar and then spray them with water so that they stick nicely to the ceramic jar.
Make sure the tissues are just damp enough to stick the seeds but not so wet that the tissues start to break apart.
Now it's time to spread the seeds all over. You can either throw some dry, unsoaked chia seeds onto the damp tissues or you can lightly spread the soaked, enlarged seeds on the tissue paper.
If you choose the latter owing to the slimy nature of the chia seeds after being soaked they will stick better to the tissues and not fall apart.
Once the seeds are spread out gently mist them with water. The seeds will absorb the moisture and develop a gel-like coating within a few minutes.
Then put this jar in the balcony or near a window so that it can get about an hour or two of sunlight. Between the 2 hours time, mist the seeds with water again.
Now continue this step for atleast a week. Check on your chia seeds daily and mist them with water as needed to keep the surface damp. But be careful not to overwater as standing water can lead to mold or rotting of the chia seeds which will result in zero microgreens
When will you see the first greens?
In best conditions the seeds should begin to sprout within 3-5 days and once sprouting begins you will notice tiny white roots emerging from the seeds.
Continue the occasional misting and make sure they receive at least 2 hours of sunlight every day. After about 10-15 days the leaves would have grown enough to be plucked just a little to encourage growth. In fact as they are ready to be harvested it is best to cut them just 5-8 centimetres below the leaves so
What if the leaves stop?
If by any chance the leaves stop growing after 2-3 harvests this might be an indication that the chia plant needs extra nutrition. So add some water-soluble fertiliser to the spray bottle mix well and then spray it all over the tissue as well as the
Through the fertiliser the Chia plant will get some extra nutrition and the microgreens will start sprouting again within the next 5-7 days.
Watch: How to make Chia Seeds Coconut Milk Smoothie
Source : Reporters From Sunrise Chronicles
Tags : It , You , microgreensleaves stop ?</ h2 , jarfirst greens ?</ h2 , waterquickly become one , Continue , Between , tissuesmaterial </ h2 , Check , Keep ,
Summary :
Chia seeds have quickly become one of the best superfoods and are ‘oh-so-versatile’. From gut health to bloating and from better hair to better skin people claim that Chia seeds can do it all.
<