When a friend advised me that 2oz of wheatgrass juice contains a nutrient density equivalent to 2.5lbs of vegetables, I was intrigued. I love vegetables, but I also love efficiency. So I’ve decided to try to grow my own, thanks to a handy all-in-one kit from Progress Earth. Happily, my wheatgrass kit is even comprised of organic ingredients!

Day 1

As soon as my wheatgrass kit arrives, I open up the package and get down to business. The clearly-written instructions are excellent and, while Progress Earth is a U.S. company, they’ve kindly included metric measurements as well as Imperial. Very thoughtful.

My first step is to double-check that everything is included in the kit. Check. I’m pleased to see that there are double the required wheat “berries” (seeds) and a second coir fiber disc, so I have enough supplies to do at least two batches – there’s even a second set of flats. Yay!

Included in the kit is a bottle of Tonic, a “biodynamic micronutrient and sprout fertilizer.” The comprehensive FAQ sheet included in my kit says that Tonic “can even be ingested on its own as a liquid vitamin.” I’m tempted to drink a shot . . . maybe later. For now, I mix 5ml (1 teaspoon) in a quart (4 cups) of water. The instructions specify that “quality of water directly affects quality of juice,” which makes sense. We are on well water, so hopefully that’ll do. At least there’s no chlorine or chloramine.

Next, I empty one of the bags of wheat berries into the bowl of water. I’m pleasantly surprised to see that the plastic bags are compostable. A nice touch from Progress Earth.

I’m eager to continue my exciting adventure of growing wheatgrass, but I’m supposed to let the wheat berries soak for 12-24 hours, so I’ll have to wait for Day 2.

Then I notice my sad little Genovese basil plant: a two-year-old triumph for someone like myself, who has a hard time remembering to water house plants. My basil plant isn’t looking so hot: I think it’s the lack of sun, the high humidity and poor air-flow of the kitchen sink area, and possibly a disease of some sort. I dilute another teaspoon of Tonic into 4 cups well water, and drench the sad creature. Kind of like giving a leper a Vicks cough lozenge, but no harm, no foul.

Sickly Genovese basil plant, before a Tonic dose.

What happens on Day 2? Read on …