Spring planting doesn’t start when the air feels warm, It...Read More
Hard Red Winter Wheat is more commonly known as “Wheatgrass” or “Cat Grass” and when harvested in its early grass stage, is the main component of trendy Wheatgrass shots. In just 10 days, this quick growing wheat variety will produce grass that your cat will love to munch on or you can juice and turn into a nutrient dense super food shot. There are many other varieties of “Cat Grass” sold in stores, but this wheat variety is easy to grow and cat friendly. You can also grow this crop to maturity and harvest to wheat berries for processing into flour or using as a bean-like ingredient in chili or salads.
NAME: Wheat (Triticum aestivum)
VARIETY: Hard Red Winter
DAYS TO MATURITY: Variable
POLLINATION: Open Pollinated
TYPE: Annual
HARDINESS ZONE: Zones 3 – 10
SUNLIGHT: Full Sun
SOIL: Fertile, loam soil with a pH 6.0 – 7.0
PLANT HEIGHT: Variable
SPACING: Variable
TEMP: 55 – 85ºF
These seeds do not required stratification.
To learn more about Stratification, click here!
Choose a shallow container with drainage holes, such as a seed tray or a small pot. Ensure that the container is at least 2-3 inches deep.
Fill the container with a sterile potting mix or seed-starting mix, leaving about 1 inch of space at the top.
Moisten the potting mix with water until it is evenly damp but not waterlogged.
Sprinkle the wheatgrass seeds evenly over the surface of the potting mix. Aim for a dense but not overcrowded planting.
Lightly press the seeds into the soil with your fingertips to ensure good seed-to-soil contact.
Cover the seeds with a thin layer of potting mix or vermiculite, about 1/4 inch deep.
Mist the surface of the soil with water to settle the seeds in place.
Place the container in a warm, bright location with indirect sunlight. A sunny windowsill or under grow lights are suitable options.
Keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged by watering gently whenever the surface feels dry to the touch.
Germination typically occurs within 7-14 days, but it may vary depending on temperature and other factors.
Prepare the planting area by tilling the soil to a depth of 4-6 inches and removing any weeds or debris.
Broadcast the wheatgrass seeds evenly over the prepared soil at a rate of approximately 1 pound per 200 square feet.
Lightly rake the seeds into the soil to ensure good seed-to-soil contact.
Water the area thoroughly immediately after planting to settle the seeds into the soil.
Hard Red Winter Wheat is commonly sold under the names Wheatgrass or Catgrass for different marketing aims; this plant can be grown and harvested for its early grass stages for most popular uses and applications.
Your seedling tray should be 1 to 2 inches deep but can be any size from 5 by 5 inches, 10 by 20 inches, or small pots.
When your grass grows to be 5 to 6 inches tall, harvest it by cutting it one inch above the soil, which will allow it to regrow continuously.
You can also grow this grass in a pot to keep indoors for cats to enjoy at their leisure.
If you see a white, cotton-like substance on your seeds or seedlings as they grow, that is mold; the tray can be salvaged, but the seeds and seedlings with mold contamination must be picked out and removed.
For indoor wheatgrass grown as cat grass, harvest by trimming the grass with scissors when it reaches a height of 4-6 inches. Trim just above the soil level to encourage regrowth.
Replace the wheatgrass every 1-2 weeks to provide a fresh supply of cat grass for your pets.
To harvest wheatgrass for grain production, allow the plants to grow until they reach maturity, typically around 90-120 days after planting.
Cut the wheatgrass stalks at the base using a sharp knife or sickle when the seeds have fully developed and the plants have begun to dry out.
Bundle the harvested wheatgrass stalks together and hang them upside down in a dry, well-ventilated area to finish drying.
Once completely dry, thresh the wheatgrass by beating or rubbing the seed heads to remove the grains from the stalks.
Winnow the harvested grains to separate them from the chaff, then store them in a cool, dry place in airtight containers for future use.
