How to Grow Cat Grass without Soil — Let’s See!

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Plants are an amazing way to add color to our gardens and homes, but sometimes our green friends and our pets don’t go together very well.

Cat grass is a variety of grass that is grown and produced specifically for cats, and it is usually grown from oat grass or barley grass seeds. 

It has many benefits, from helping your cat’s digestion to freshening up their breath. 

Cat grass can be grown in many different ways, including without the use of soil. 

In this text, let’s talk all about cat grass and how to grow it without soil.

 

How to grow cat grass without soil

To grow cat grass soil-less, use a jug filled with horticultural stones and place a piece of paper towel on the top. Place the seeds on the paper towel before filling water below this. Sprouting should happen within a few days, and the seeds are fully grown within 10 days.

 

Growing cat grass without soil: The basics

Before you start with the process, you will need:

• Horticultural gravel or grow stones
• Cat grass seed mix 
• An unbleached paper towel or clean coffee filter
• Room temperature water
• A bowl or jar (glass or plastic)

Start by arranging the stones in the bottom of your glass jar. I would suggest filling the jar around 3/4 of the way up. 

Although there are many planters specifically designed for growing cat grass without soil, I much prefer to use a jar as I think that this method is much cheaper and looks much more pleasing amongst the rest of my houseplants. 

Next, lay your clean coffee filter or sheet of paper towel on top of the stones. 

If you are choosing to use a paper towel, I found that I got better results by using two sheets and folding them over. 

You can then start to place the seeds on that two-sheet layer of paper towel. Arrange a thin layer of seeds on the top, but don’t worry about the seeds overlapping each other. 

I also found that soaking my cat grass seeds in water overnight before planting them sped up the germination process. 

Next, use room temperature water and fill your jar up to where the paper towel is. Over the course of your cat grass growing, you will need to top up the jar with more water to ensure that you maintain this water level. 

I would suggest keeping the jar away from your cat until the cat grass has begun to grow. Depending on how mischievous your cat is, having a jar of water out in the open could cause a messy situation!

If you live in a hard-water area like me, I would suggest filtering the water beforehand to get the best results. 

You should only take a few days for your seeds to sprout shoots, and within 10 days they should be ready for your cat to enjoy!

Once the roots have fully formed and your cat grass growing, you no longer need to maintain a high level of water. Simply ensuring that the roots are always moist will be sufficient. 

I would suggest placing your jar on a windowsill but don’t worry if you are struggling to find a sunny spot. 

Cat grass will grow no matter what the light levels are – you could even place it in a shady location and still get results!

 

Benefits of growing cat grass without soil

There are lots of benefits to growing cat grass, and even more to growing cat grass without the use of soil. 

Cats often use plants not only for added nutrients when they are feeling under the weather, but also to clean and brush their teeth. 

The taste is also quite appealing to them, and some even go as far as to purchase cat grass flavored treats for their pets!

For me, placing cat grass in my home and garden created a distraction for my cat, and stopped them from taking nibbles out of my beloved plants. 

This is crucial if you own lots of houseplants.

Some plant parents are unaware that even plants such as the ever-popular Monstera and the Peace Lily are actually highly dangerous to pets if consumed. 

You can find out the toxicity levels in your plants by visiting the ASCPA website. 

A specific benefit of growing cat grass without soil is that it is much more mess-free.

If you are the owner of a quite troublesome cat, you may wake up some mornings to find your plants knocked over and soil spilled all over the place. 

Growing cat grass in water means that this problem is much easier to clean up – just be sure to place the jar away from any electronics, just in case!

 

Frequently Asked Questions Related to Growing Cat Grass Without Soil

 

Can I grow cat grass even if I don’t have a cat?

Cat grass can still be used for decorative and landscaping purposes, even if you don’t own a cat. Who knows, you might even attract some friendly neighborhood felines in the process!

 

Will the cat grass grown without soil regrow after being cut?

Once trimmed or nibbled by your cat, the plant should continue to grow for around 2-3 weeks. After this, it will be time to dispose of your cat grass and start again.

 

What is the difference between cat grass seeds and wheatgrass seeds?

There’s no absolute difference between cat grass and wheatgrass! Typically, cat grass is made up of a mixture of seeds, including wheatgrass, oat grass, barley grass, ryegrass, and much more!