Alternative to Easter Grass: Plant a Living Easter Basket
Needan alternative to Easter grass? Here's a simple tutorial on how to plant livingEaster basket for a natural Easter basket option.
Equipment
- 1 Easter Basket
- Florist's Foil or Plastic Liner/Bag
Ingredients
- 1/2 - 1 Cup Wheat or Barley Seed
- Potting Soil to Fill Your Basket
- Water
Instructions
- Choose a basket or container at least six inches deep. For this project, you don’t worry about drainage holes in the bottom of the basket because the grass seed will only be in the container for a few weeks while it’s growing and while it’s on display as an Easter decoration.
- Line the container with a florist’s foil or a plastic bag and fill the container with a light potting soil 1”-2” below the rim. Wet the soil so that it’s damp but not sopping. Do a squeeze test by taking a fistful of damp soil and squeezing it hard. If it lumps nicely together when you open your hand, it’s ready. If water runs down your arm, it’s far too wet and you’ll need to mix in more dry soil. Find that sweet spot of “evenly damp.”
- Sprinkle the seed on top of the soil. Each seed will put up one blade of grass, so sprinkle on as many as you like without having the seeds pile on top of each other very often. (Some will and that's ok.)
- Smooth about ¼” of soil over the top of the seed to cover and pat down lightly. Tell your kids that they’re tucking their seeds into bed. Sprinkle a light layer of cinnamon on top of your soil as an anti-bacterial. Place the basket someplace warm and plan to check it regularly.
- Use a spray bottle to keep the topsoil moist. Because there are no drainage holes in your container, it’s important that you do not overwater. Cover the container with plastic wrap and place it in a warm area. If you see any signs of bacteria or mold, uncover the containers to let them air out. Don’t allow the soil to completely dry out, though.
- You should see the seeds start to germinate inside a week. Once they start popping out of the soil, remove the plastic (if you haven’t already), and put the containers in direct light.
- Keep the soil evenly moist throughout the growing process and start making plans on how you’ll decorate your basket once it’s done growing. Sometimes, the grass grows so vigorously that you might have to give it a haircut before Easter with a pair of kitchen scissors.
Notes
Once the kids have made all the Easter decorations they want to place inside the sprouted baskets, display them around the house until the time you put them out for the Easter bunny.
After the festivities, the grass goes to the livestock and the baskets get cleaned out and put away for next year so we can do it again!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!