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Can I Grow Chia Seeds From The Grocery Store

Chia plants are popular, but the pre-made kits can become pricey. You might wonder what makes them so expensive and if you can plant chia for cheaper. When you end up at the supermarket, you might wonder: can I grow chia seeds from the grocery store?

Yes, you can grow chia seeds that you can purchase from the grocery store. Grocery store chia seeds are raw so that they can be grown at home like any other seed. 

Chia seeds are raw seeds when you see them in the grocery store so that you can use them as seeds. Stick with me through this article to learn about this topic!

Can You Use Edible Chia Seeds To Grow

You can use edible chia seeds to grow chia.

Next time you go to the grocery store, keep an eye out for chia seeds. Depending on the store, they will be in different spots, but they will most likely be near the rice and quinoa, the baking aisle, or the health and vitamin aisle. You might find different kinds and quantities in your favorite grocery store areas.

Those chia seeds that you purchase from the grocery store are raw. 

Although you wouldn’t head to the home improvement store, rip open a pack of cucumber seeds, and eat them, you can do this with chia seeds.

Just because they’re edible raw doesn’t mean that they lose their value as seeds that can be planted.

Next time you purchase chia for a healthier breakfast and want to grow your own chia, keep a handful to try your hand at planting them. 

How To Grow Chia Seeds At Home

Chia plants are easy enough to grow at home, and you can even grow them in a few different ways.

Check out the different ways that you can grow chia seeds at home.

How To Grow Chia Seeds In Soil

This is the easiest way to grow chia seeds.

If you’re planting the chia seeds outside, loosen the soil to plant them below the surface. Otherwise, sprinkle some extra soil over the seeds you put down. 

Allow the chia seeds to start to sprout, keeping them well watered. You don’t want the seeds to dry out. 

Let your sprouts grow up to about a foot tall and start to move them. Giving your chia sprouts room will allow them to spread beautifully. 

How To Grow Chia Seeds Without Soil

If you want more of an experiment, try growing your chia seeds without soil.

You’ll need:

  • A linen cloth
  • Two plates
  • A mister bottle filled with water
  • Chia seeds

To grow chia seeds without soil, all you need to do is put the linen cloth on a plate, put the seeds on the cloth, and mist them with water. Close up your “garden” with another plate and wait two or three days for your chia to sprout. 

At this point, you’ll need to transfer them to dirt to continue growing properly. 

How To Grow Chia Seeds On A Paper Towel

You can grow chia seeds on a paper towel too.

Although a linen cloth isn’t the most difficult to find, you might wonder if you can use a towel to start your chia seeds.

The answer is absolutely!

Use the same method as we talked about above; swap out the linen cloth for a few paper towel squares.

It will have the same effect and might cut out a few steps for you!

How To Plant Chia Seeds In Water

Skip the linen with this method and grab a terra cotta dish!

You can grow chia seeds with water, a terra cotta bowl, and a plate.

For this method, you will spread the chia seeds on the bottom of the terra cotta plate and set it on a dish that is full of water.

The terra cotta bowl will soak up the water from the plate and keep your chia seeds adequately watered. Surprising, huh?

Let your chia seeds sprout, and then you’ll be ready to harvest!

How Long Does It Take To Grow Chia Seeds

Even those from the grocery store, Chia seeds are quick to grow; you won’t need to wait that long. 

The average germination time for chia seeds is two days to two weeks.

  • Some seeds are going to sprout faster than others for several reasons. Here are a few things that may contribute to how fast your chia seeds sprout:
  • Your seeds are old and may take longer to grow.
  • It is either too warm or too cold for the chia seeds to grow properly.
  • The chia seeds don’t have enough water. Too much water could also flood the seeds and sprouts, so they may not grow as well.
  • As your sprouts get bigger, they will need more room to flourish. Consider moving them if they don’t seem to have enough room. 

Chia seeds are easy seeds to grow, but you still need to care for them to grow correctly properly. 

Does It Matter What Chia Seeds I Buy To Grow

It does not matter what chia seeds you buy to grow them at home. 

When you take a trip to the grocery store to buy chia seeds to grow, you might notice two popular colors of chia seeds: black and white.

Nutritionally speaking, black and white chia seeds are almost identical. There are a few minor differences, but they are nothing worth here.

Chia seeds are only separated by color because farmers separate them by color for packaging.

Since you’re buying the seeds to buy and not eat, you do not need to choose one color over the other. 

Both black and white chia seeds will grow the same, so feel free to choose either color.

Can I Use Grocery Store Chia Seeds For Chia Pets

You can use chia seeds from the grocery store for commercial Chia Pets.

You’re probably excited to start your new Chia Pet when you purchase them, but sometimes the Chia Pet seeds are ruined. Maybe the seeds are old or spilled everywhere. The box could have gotten damp, which ruined the seeds.

Regardless, you might find that you need new seeds!

Well, grocery store chia seeds can come to your rescue with Chia Pets. 

You can replace the seeds in your Chia Pet kit with chia seeds that you can purchase at the grocery store.

Thankfully, your Chia Pet kit won’t go to waste if something happens to your seeds. Good luck with your new pet! 

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