Growing wheatgrass can be a great way to always have fresh greens available for your bun. Beta-carotene, the B-complex vitamins, vitamins E and K, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, protein, and other minerals are all present in wheatgrass in very high concentrations. Additionally, it has a lot of silicates, which will help wear down a rabbit's teeth. If it is not cleaned before being given to the rabbit, freshly grown wheatgrass also serves as a source of vitamin B12, which is created by bacteria that stick to the grass blades.
Good seed is the first step to consider while growing wheatgrass. Although wheatberries are a common name for wheatgrass seeds, they are firm red winter wheat seeds. You can easily find wheatgrass seeds at health food stores or online. If you intend to eat the grass, you should acquire organic seeds from a seed supplier or agricultural supply store.
While it can be grown in water, most often wheatgrass is cultivated in a container with potting soil. Although seeds can be sown directly in the ground, they receive a head start by initially sprouting in a jar.
Sprouting Wheatgrass
Fill a 1-quart glass container with the wheatgrass seeds. Shake the container to completely rinse the seeds after adding filtered room-temperature water and covering the opening with a lid. Using a strainer or a cap with small holes, slowly drain the water. After filtering, saturate the seeds in clean, fresh water.
Allow the seeds to soak in the water at room temperature for eight to twelve hours. After that, strain and rinse the sprouts. If the seeds aren't exhibiting any indications of little white roots, let them rest in the damp, drained jar for a further eight to twelve hours while washing and draining until the roots appear.
Wheatgrass Planting
In a container with a diameter of 7 inches or numerous smaller pots, one cup of sprouted wheatgrass seeds fills the soil. Pick a container that is between 2-1/2 and 3 inches deep.
Wheatgrass should be grown in light-weight potting soil (garden soil is too dense). With approximately an inch of space remaining between the soil and the top of the pot, add the moistened potting mix there.
Spread a dense layer of sprouting wheatgrass seeds on the soil, one or two seeds deep. Water the soil sparingly with a spray bottle so that it is wet but not drenched.
To prevent moisture from fast evaporating, loosely cover the top of the pot with plastic wrap, a shower cap, or another material. Place the pot away from direct sunshine in a warm area, between 70 and 75 degrees.
Every day, check the wheatgrass seeds. In three to five days, it ought to start developing aggressively. Remove the protective covering and relocate the pot to an indoor position in direct sunshine once the seeds have buried themselves in the potting soil and you can see green shoots emerging.
Use a sprayer to keep the soil just slightly damp. When the earth dries out, the little wheatgrass plants perish.
Within six to eight days, sprouted wheatgrass is suitable for use in crafts or as a pet food.
Wheatgrass Harvest and Consumption
Wheatgrass can be harvested for consumption at any stage but is best harvested when it is around 6 inches tall. The bitterness of the grass increases with age. Simply trim the grass above the seed.
After you cut the wheatgrass, it keeps growing much as your lawn does. Even so, the second cutting reduces the nutritious qualities. Therefore, it is better to just compost the seeds and potting mix before starting a new batch.
Wheatgrass is rich in nutrients and includes amino acids, vitamins, chlorophyll, iron, calcium, and magnesium.
Wheatgrass occasionally causes nausea, rashes, or other unpleasant side effects. Those who cannot have wheat can wish to stay away from it. Although wheatgrass has been promoted as a remedy for several illnesses, there is not much evidence to support those claims.
