This is what we need most in March when Spring starts stirring in everyone but there's still plenty of cold to come and the backyard is solid ice.
We grew this from whole rye, bought from the bulk section at our local natural food Co-op. You can use almost any grain in it's whole form: rye, oats, wheat, spelt. You can even mix grains to create a variety of grasses and sprouts. Throw in some lentils for texture.
First, soak the grains/beans in water for a day.
This is the rye after soaking and then sitting for a day. See the tiny sprouts?
Drain the grain and sprinkle over potting soil in a container of your choosing. Place plastic wrap lightly over the grain to keep the moisture in, and put the container in a sunny spot. Check it regularly to be sure that the soil and the grains remain moist. After a few days, it will look like this:
And then finally, this:
The kids love the tiny miracle of the sprouting grain. Every day we check to see how it is growing. Even the kitty can't get enough. (Of course she grazes and then leaves us little gooey, grass-filled thank-yous all over the house. I just moved all the grass to where she can't get at it.)
I originally started some years ago by growing grass for Easter baskets, which we learned from our dear friends and neighbors. It's a deliciously Waldorf thing to do.
Our Easter egg hunts are usually conducted over bare ground, or ice and snow (as it will likely be this year). So it's particularly nice to have something green and growing someplace in the garden, even it's only in the children's baskets.
There's still time enough before Easter to start your own.
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