Job's Tears Seeds,
Job's Tears
Min. 25 seeds
FREE U.S. SHIPPING, 2-YEAR GUARANTEE
Description
Is it an herb, grain, vegetable, or ornamental bead? This easy-to-grow plant is all these things and more! With graceful and flowing miniature corn-type bladed leaves, sturdy stalks, delicate inconspicuous drooping flowers, and ornamental pea-like seeds, Job’s Tears adds a stunning green filler to cut flower displays. A grain-bearing plant useful for food, to make necklaces, rosary beads, and even used traditionally in folk medicine for arthritis! Once the husk has been removed for cooking, the grains look more like oversized pearl barley. Great in brothy dishes and traditional Asian drinks, Job’s Tears provides a chewy, mildly sweet, and earthy flavor that has caught the eye of discerning chefs. It has lovingly been called by cookbook authors “the next cult gluten-free grain” and an “unusual, versatile, and beneficial little weirdo.”
Growing Tips: Direct sow outdoors after last frost or start indoors 4-6 weeks before the last frost. Soaking seeds overnight may improve germination rates. Thin seedlings.
Plant Details
- Botanical Name
- Coix lacryma-jobi
- Life Cycle
- Perennial
- Sun Requirement
- 8–12 hr.
- Days to Germinate
- 14–28
- Days to Maturity
- 100–120
- Planting Depth
- ½ in.
- Plant Spacing
- 10–12 in.
- Ideal Temperature
- 65–95°F
- Frost Hardy
- No
Growing Guide
When to Grow
How to Sow and Plant
How to Grow
How to Save Seeds
FAQ
Do Job's Tears seeds need soaking?
Not strictly, but an overnight soak in warm water may improve germination rates. Either way they are slow, taking 14 to 28 days and sometimes even longer, so keep them evenly moist until germinated.
How large do Job's Tears plants get, and how should they be spaced?
Plants are tall, averaging 4 to 6 feet, with graceful and flowing miniature corn-type bladed leaves and sturdy stalks. Space them 10 to 12 inches apart, and thin seedlings.
What is Job's Tears used for?
It is an herb, a grain, and an ornamental all at once. The ornamental pea-like seeds have traditionally been used to make rosary beads and necklaces, the stalks add a stunning green filler to cut flower displays, and the grain, once the husk has been removed for cooking, looks like oversized pearl barley and is chewy, mildly sweet, and earthy, good in brothy dishes and traditional Asian drinks.
