Chia Seeds 10g

Chia (Salvia hispanica L.) is the true culinary chia, an annual flowering herb of the mint family native to central and southern Mexico and Guatemala, and quite distinct from wild California chia. Its tiny seeds carry a mild, pleasantly nutty flavour and swell into a soft, jelly-like gel when soaked, making them a favourite for puddings, smoothies, fresh drinks and wholesome baking. The plant itself rewards you with slender stems and pretty short-day blooms.

Planting

Direct-sow in spring after the soil has warmed, or start indoors 8-10 weeks earlier and transplant only once any frost risk has fully passed, since chia is frost-tender. Sow shallowly to about 1 cm, keeping the surface moist. Seeds sprout best at 25-35C, fastest near 30C. Thin or space plants roughly 30-45 cm apart once seedlings reach 10-15 cm.

Fertilizing

This is a low-input crop suited to light-to-medium, well-drained, moderately fertile soil, and it grows happily with little or no feeding. If you do add nitrogen, keep it modest. Avoid heavy nitrogen as plants near flowering, because excess simply pushes leafy growth and delays the blooms you want for seed.

Care

Grow in full sun, with partial shade tolerated. Keep soil moist through germination and establishment, then water sparingly, as mature chia dislikes wet, waterlogged ground. Shortening autumn days trigger flowering. The crop matures over about 100-150 days; harvest when 80-90% of heads turn brown, then dry, crush and winnow the seed.