How to Grow Wheat Grass for Pets

Most animals, including indoor dogs and cats, instinctively eat grasses to recover from an illness or injury, or to simply maintain health. In fact, in a perfect world, almost any animal could survive on a diet of grass alone. However, in our imperfect modern world, hybridized lawns offer no nutritional value, and are usually chock-full of pesticides and other chemicals.
Indoor pets that don't have access to outdoor grasses may opt to eat houseplants, which are often dangerous if ingested. Fortunately, you can save your houseplants and your dog or cat by growing a tiny indoor garden of highly nutritious organic wheat grass. Wheat grass contains the highest concentration of nutrients of all grass species, and cats and dogs alike love grazing on it.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 1 tbsp, of organic hard wheat berries Clean empty quart size mayonnaise jar Potting soil Peat moss Shallow glass bowl about 2 inches deep, 4-6 inches in diameter Bottled water Cheesecloth or nylon mesh Rubber band Plastic spray bottle

1. 
    

   Put the wheat berries into the mayonnaise jar. Set a piece of cheesecloth or nylon mesh over the mouth of the jar. Secure it in place with a rubber band.

2. Pour in enough bottled water to cover the berries. Swish them around for a minute and drain the water from the jar.

3. Fill the jar half full of bottled water and set it on a warm, sunny windowsill. If there's no sunshine available, just turn on an overhead light. Soak the berries for 8 to 10 hours, beginning the germination process.

4. Drain the water from the jar. Prop the upside down jar open at a 45-degree angle and allow the berries to drain for another 6 to 8 hours.

5. Fill a glass or ceramic bowl to a depth of about 1-inch with a half-and-half mixture of potting soil and peat moss. Pat it gently to level it, but don't firm it. Fill a plastic spray bottle with bottled water, and spritz the soil to dampen it.

6. Sprinkle the sprouting berries over the soil so that they touch each other, but are not stacked on top of one another. Cover them with about 1/4-inch of the soil mixture. Moisten it with the spray bottle.

7. 
    

   Place the dish garden in a bright, warm spot. Keep the soil slightly moist, but not wet. If it's too wet, mold will be encouraged to grow. The wheat grass will grow surprisingly fast, and will be about a half inch tall in just a couple of days. It should be ready for your pet in about 8 to 10 days.

8. 
    

   To maintain a constant wheat grass supply for your pet, just repeat the process every two or three days.

Tips & Warnings

• Wheat grass is very tough, forgiving and easy to grow. Even if you don't follow instructions carefully it will probably grow anyway.
• Allowing the temperature to drop below 60 degrees Fahrenheit will slow the growth of the wheat grass.