Chia Pets =]

[DrewsLife727]

I was inspired by an earlier post by regarding Chia. Hopefully this is safe to eat cuz I want to get these for my torts!!! Its soooo cool hehe

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001OD57AA/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

Here is the description:

"Watch it Grow! Easy to Do. . . Fun to Grow! Handmade Decorative Planter Contains: Handmade Pottery Planter Chia Seed Packets for 3 Plantings Convenient Plastic Drip Tray Planting Care & Instruction Sheet The Chia Pet Story Chia Pets are handmade by artisans using techniques passed down from the Indians of ancient Mexico. Each Chia Pet is sculpted from rich terra-cotta clay. The multi-stage process takes several days for shaping, drying, kiln firing and finishing. Chia was popular among the Aztecs. It was eaten as food and included in medicines. Chia seeds were ground into flour and pressed for oil. Reuse your Chia Pet indefinitely. Simply replant with chia or similar herb seeds, such as basil, alfalfa, marjoram or thyme. Full Coat 1-2 Weeks"

 

[ascott]

http://www.arhomeandgarden.org/plantoftheweek/articles/chia_pet_03-02-07.htm

 

[Jacqui]

I thought those would be so much fun.

 

[dannel]

Ya chia is safe. Thats awesome!

 

[Tortus]

Haha!

Yeah, I followed that thread and decided to get a pound of chia seeds instead.

When they're on the "Chia Pet", they'll die quickly since the "substrate" is nothing but cute pottery. If you get the actual chia seeds, you can plant them in soil and feed them to your tort. They'll live much longer.

You can also make chia "gel" from the seeds that some people put in food to get extra nutrients. Just add a couple tablespoons of seeds to water and it turns into the gel. I imagine this gel would be good to add to tortoise food as well.

 

[EKLC]

My torts eat a little bit of it. The plants have an fragrant herby smell and get purple flowers eventually

 

[Jim in Merced CA]

Ch-ch-ch-chia

(There I said it)

 

[Tortus]

Ch-ch-ch-chia

(There I said it)

That jingle still makes me cringe. lol

But really, if you wanna have a little fun, buy a Chia Pet for 20 bucks and go with it. If you're just looking for nutrients, buy a pound of chia seeds for $10 and grow some useful food. I really don't think "Chia Pets" should be the poster child for tortoise care. They're just commercial fluff.

 

[dannel]

Crap! I was just gonna say that! >:[