Learning how to grow different types of plants is always an advantage. Growing plants at home is an easy thing to do and it will also be cheaper compared to buying them. Growing plants in our own pots or backyard is a fun and exciting thing to do at the same time. Plants are grown in different ways depending on the kind of plant we are planning to grow. The Chia plant is a native plant of North America. This plant has been used in the region for hundreds of years already as a source for food, medicine or even for landscaping. Nowadays, the chia plant is also being used as a decoration or as part of figurines known as the chia pet. But before you want to know what to do with the plant you need to grow them first. So how to grow chia seeds?
The Chia Pet
The Chia plant is now very popular due to its use as a chia pet. What is a chia pet? A chia pet is a type of figurine manufactured by Joseph Enterprises Inc. This figurine is unlike any other of its type since it consists of a traditional Mexican clay figures in the form of animals or terra cotta sculpture that are covered with chia. The chia seeds are then grown in order to produce chia sprouts that resemble more like an animal’s fur. Some figures are also sculpted into people’s faces wherein the chia sprouts will grow as its hair.
Food
Aside from using it for decorative purposes, chia plants can also be used as food. The chia seeds are actually great sources of nutrients such as Omega-3. In addition to this, chia seeds also taste good. When these seeds are roasted, their taste exhibits a very nutty flavor. This is why roasted chia seeds can be eaten as it is or it can also be mixed with cereals, yogurts and oatmeal.
Chia Seeds Health Benefits
Another known function of the chia seeds is its medicinal benefits. It is said that these seeds are used in teas that are capable of treating fevers and serve as a poultice for gunshot wounds. Growing this plant may look difficult and complicated at first, but it is actually very simple.
How to Take care for your Chia Seeds?
Chia plants or seeds are considered to be hardy. These plants thrive on low moisture environments, which is why they are commonly seen in some areas in Arizona, California, Nevada and Utah wherein rainfall is not prominent. If truth be told, over watering is actually one of the major no-no in growing chia. That is why growing chia plants in our garden should be done separately from plants that require constant or regular watering.
Planting Chia Seeds
In planting chia seeds, it is best for us to simply scatter the dry seeds on top of a lightly-raked soil. These plants also do well in light and porous soil and should be transplanted to an area that is directly under the sun. In addition, chia plants are also known as fire flowing plants. Ancient cultivators have found out that once the plants are burned after harvest, the next batch of crop is said to be more bountiful. This can be done by sprinkling some of the burned remnants of the chia plant over the fresh planted seeds in order to hasten the germination process. Aside from these, chia plants are also self-sowing since the seeds naturally drop off the plant once it is fully grown. These seeds then start to grow into new plants if not eaten by birds or mice. In order to identify a fully grown chia plant, it should have fully open leaves that are green in color.
How many Seeds do you need?
In case we are using a 5” tray of soil, then we will require at least 1 to 2 tablespoons of chia seeds. 1/3 to half a cup of chia seeds can be used in an 11 inch by 11 inch square tray while 2/3 to a cup of seeds can be utilized in an 11 by 22 inch tray. Following these measurements can be very useful since it avoids overcrowding the soil area thus facilitating a healthy plant growth.
These are just some of the facts about the wonderful chia plant, which includes the simple ways in planting or growing its seeds. Chia plants are definitely fun to grow no matter what we are planning to use it for.
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