Growing 101
Wheat berries. Soil. Water. And a deep tray to hold them. It was late on a Tuesday afternoon near the dinner hour when I pulled all the things from their places and converged them atop newsprint spread across the table. Here preparing to coax green leaves from hard, tiny, locked-up parcels, my mind blown as always at the thought.
Scoop the potting soil into a heap in the tray, tap the tray on the table to settle it, then pat the soil gently with my open palm so the particles hold together - don't want delicate roots to hit air pockets while reaching through the soil. I take it to the sink, and moisten it with a gentle cold spray. Not soggy, just moist.
Then I scoop the seed, look at it in my open hand. I could grind it and make flour, or I could plant it and make green. Two entirely different things by which to feed the soul. Today, I'll plant, letting the grains fall my past my fingertips onto the moistened soil. I scoop another handful and let those grains pour.*
Shoulder to shoulder, those small seeds settle. Thickly here will make for a abundance there. Then, a fine layer of potting soil falls over top, like a blanket to tuck them in. Just enough to cover, just enough so you can't see what you planted under there, followed by another light mist of water over all. Finally, a clear film of plastic to cover, to create a make-do micro climate inside - warm, humid, light.
That was Tuesday evening.
This was Sunday morning:
Wheat grass, green as green as green, growing there before our very eyes. Spring!
To note:
+ I placed the just-planted tray above the refrigerator cabinet in the kitchen - the warmest, most light-filled spot in the house.
+ As soon as I could see green shoots poking through the soil (late Friday), I removed the plastic cover from the tray.
+ Keeping the soil evenly moist is important - not soggy, but moist.
+ Wheat grass can be cut with scissors, like mowing a tiny lawn. Throw the clippings into your favorite smoothie for an extra nutrition boost.
+ Plant wheat berries in whatever container you have - cup, bowl, tray, pot, anything will do.
*An internet search for growing wheat grass will turn up many sites which instruct growers to soak the wheat berries in water for approximately 12 hours before planting. The idea is to sprout them, giving them a head start on the germination process. I skipped this step with no harm done.