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Chia Herb Gardens: Endless Variety

A Chia herb garden is not defined by the name of an animal with chive “skin” or any other such misconceptions one might have after seeing the many ads for them over the years.The use of animal shaped containers is not even a requirement, for that matter.What make it Chia is first of all that it is planted within a container, which can be any kind virtually, but more on that later.

Second, it is started by using a special sponge medium (available on the web with all other gardening tools), seeds and a glass or plastic cover of some kind to keep the seedlings humid while allowing some light to get in. This material can be placed within any kind of manageable enclosure, moistened, the seeds added and the entire container placed within the covering, a clear plastic bag or a clear protector to keep it humid.

The light isn’t that important at first, but once those seedlings become plants, it is much more so..

Once we realize that setting up a chia garden gives us much flexibility in terms of space and choice of container, it is no wonder that we see why they are so popular at home and at work. In facat, they are limited only by your imagination and you can come up with dozens of interesting ideas how to add special quality to each room in your house, for example.

If you plan to use your herbs in food or drink (herbal teas, for one idea), then you must consider not using any containers which might, themselves, contain dies, pigments or other chemicals which can be harmful. These harmful materials can leach into the growing medium and then the roots, affecting the plants.. Obviously, this is not a healthy scenario. Be sure these containers you use are food safe. At one time, most containers in the market were labeled with any information that could be useful to know in this application, but such is frequently not the case. Also, avoid brightly colored ones as the dyes used in the coloring can leach into the medium, as well.

Don’t, however, consider this an admonition against having bright colors.You can make it a project some rainy day to find some ecologically safe paints and design them yourself.There are some great acrylics out there and even some glazes which could work just fine.

There are many different ways to begin your chia herb garden.You can begin with seeds, watching and caring for them as they sprout and grow into full grown herb plants, or you can buy a complete herb kit which will provide all you need to quickly be harvesting leaves and other parts for cooking or storing.Remember if you go this route that even though these “pre-started” plants are already growing, they will need your continued care and attention.You need to pay attention to their watering and fertilizing, as recommended in the instructions you should be getting.

When the sponge started chia plants are mature, you will have the opportunity to transplant them into another medium if you so choose; perhaps pellets or regular plant soil.When upsizing your plants’ containers, especially when they are young, don’t increase the diameter of the new pot size by more than an inch. The “pot” you transplant to must allow the roots to expand their network, but still has to offer some familiar containment.You will be able to be a little more assertive about upsizing once the plants have become large.

One of the great points of the chia herb garden plants is that they are only part of the benefit; their containers can be just as attractive and delightful.Your creative decisions will make all the difference. One idea is to create a custom theme for each room in your house, and use specific plants that will add color or fragrance to that particular room.

A key point to remember is that your herb garden will need some good quality light, at least from time to time, so even if there are no windows in ideal lighting positions, bring them outside once in a while so they can bask in the warmth of the sun, just as you undoubtedly enjoy every so often.