Chia Pedal

[EBK]

The time has come to bid adieux to attempt number two.  Even though I consider this attempt a success, I know I can make it better in multiple ways.  My wife has suggested that warmer weather and more abundant sunshine in late Spring or early Summer would help the seeds grow better and would also hinder mold growth better.

Things I learned in this attempt:

1.  It is definitely possible to over water chia plants.  The ones growing on the side of the enclosure did better than the ones on the top which were in more contact with water during my earlier waterings.

2.  On the topic of watering, the cardboard substrate wicks up plenty of moisture for the plants from a shallow puddle under the enclosure.  There is no need to water from above.

3.  Mold will grow on the enclosure just as easily as the chia plants will.  This can be battled with limited success by rinsing it off and exposing it to more light (but, as suggested above, rinsing would be detrimental in the early stages of chia growth).  A better bet may be exposure to UV.

4.  People who experience Trypophobia cannot stand the sight of a Chia Pedal. 

5.  A green LED is not a good choice. 
I will switch to a yellow LED before the next attempt, I think.  Also, I don't care for the secondary reflected light coming off of the stomp switch, so I will need a bezel of some sort (perhaps something as simple as a ring of JB Weld and filing the LED lens flat).

I will end this post with a pic of the pedal from perhaps its best angle:


Chia Pedal will return!

[p_wats]

I love everything about this. Inspiring stuff

[EBK]

I love everything about this. Inspiring stuff

Thanks.  Inspiring others continues to be a main driving force behind this project.  Of course, a pedal covered in chia sprouts is not terribly practical (I'd call it mostly an art piece, even though the circuit 100% works), but if it inspires someone else to come up with something new and unusual, then that would make me incredibly happy.  There are plenty of untried possibilities out there. 

[somnif]

3.  Mold will grow on the enclosure just as easily as the chia plants will.  This can be battled with limited success by rinsing it off and exposing it to more light (but, as suggested above, rinsing would be detrimental in the early stages of chia growth).  A better bet may be exposure to UV.

If you have a cheesemakers supplier anywhere in your town (my local homebrew shops carry the stuff) you can buy foodgrade mold inhibitor (natamycin based) for fairly cheap. Its not magic, but it does give you a little advantage over the gray and fuzzies.

[EBK]

Very interesting suggestion.  My brother is a chef, so maybe he can hook me up.

[culturejam]

Haha, this is awesome. I sprout mung beans, broccoli, radish, and yes chia seeds as well. But not on pedals.

Cool idea!

I was actually thinking that after the initial sprout you would have hit it with some kind of epoxy clear coat to arrest the development permanently. Maybe next time!

[EBK]

I was actually thinking that after the initial sprout you would have hit it with some kind of epoxy clear coat to arrest the development permanently. Maybe next time!

Would you be willing to conduct an experiment on some of your sprouts to see if such an idea would work?  The plants would certainly die, but what would they look like afterward?  Would the epoxy cure properly around the plants, or would voids be created as the plants react to the resin?  Would green plants stay green?  Interesting questions.