It is January 25th. Long Island, New York has mucho snow on the ground with more on the way. Our temperatures here in the northeastern part of the United States has a winter choke hold on our trees, gardens and lawns. So we have snow. So we are cold. It is time to start doing the lawn dance and surround ourselves with green. How do we do this you ask? What music should we be playing in the background LOL.
It is never too early to start thinking green. And I am not talking about recycling (even though that is an important topic as well). The grass is still out there we just won’t see it for a little while longer. I SAY, “that is just not acceptable!” My idea is fun and easy and gives us the oportunity once again to bring the outdoors in. Lift our spirits and create some home grown touch therapy.
The ingredients are simple and the effort is sooooo worth it (planting box, water catch basin, soil, grass seed, fertilizer, water and some light (eastern, southern, western exposures)).
#1 Acquire a small rectangular planting box (could be as small or large as you would like). It would be nice if it could fit onto a window shelf in a kitchen or highly trafficked area in your home.
#2 Fill the box with an enriched potting soil. Best to fill it up a little more than 80%.
#3 Place some grass starter fertilizer, sparingly on the surface of the soil.
#4 Place some seed, sparingly onto the soil (too much seed and there will be excessive competition between the seeds to develop roots).
#5 With a large fork, turned upside-down, rake the seed and fertilizer gently to help the seed make contact with the soil.
#6 Very gently water the box without disturbing the seed environment. Some water can remain in the catch basin.
Note: The type of seed you choose to use will determine how quickly the seed will germinate. If you cover your soil with a paper towel and keep the soil and the towel moist through germination, your results will be even greater (the towel needs to be removed once 50% of the seeded area has germinated because of the light needed for plant growth).
Within 3 to 5 weeks you will need to prune/mow your indoor sod. Touch it, smell it, water it and put and ornament into it. Good luck and have fun.
I did this 8 years ago with my children and again with a classroom a few years ago. The children had the best time throughout the entire process. The school children kept a calendar and logged all the progress (reading, writing, math and science, all in one fun project).
While you are developing your indoor grass garden, consider all the different elements and materials you are going to need to sustain and manage your outside grasses in the springtime. Lime, pre-emergent crabgrass control, gypsum, fertilizers, compost, enriched topsoil, grass seeds (very early springtime before the weeds begin to develop) are just a few of the possibilities. There will be a lot to discuss as it refers to turf management. I will do my best to incorporate these topics within my overall garden and property management articles.
Stay warm, stay dry, stay happy and hopeful.
Enjoy everything and everyone around you.
I send my best wishes to all those who can see beyond the moment they are in.
Until next time, find peace and help someone who is in need.