FAQs

A: Most of us in North America depend on fresh produce that is transported across half a continent. Though we may garden in the summer, winter stops all but the most dedicated, or most southern, gardeners. Home sprouting can supply delicious fresh food, without the environmental drawbacks of the Mega-farm produced fresh produce, and at a fraction of the cost. Sprouting at home takes only a few seconds a day and can produce a good part of your daily requirements of the nutrients you need from fresh produce. The hassles are minor, the costs are low, and the freshness is wonderful. If you can supply a jar, some screen or netting, and rinse the sprouts twice a day, you can grow delicious organic sprouts in 4 to 6 days.

• A jar, 1 litre to 4 litre (1 qt. to gallon) size, depending on your appetite for sprouts and the size of your family.
• A bowl of the right size and weight to prop up the jar.
• A sprouting lid, or screen or netting and a rubber band.
• Fresh water.
• Seeds with good germination, preferably grown organically. Avoid purchased garden seeds unless you know they aren’t treated. Most natural food stores have the common sprouting seeds; if in doubt, ask if it’s organic. If you know a farmer who grows the seeds you want without chemicals, buy in bulk. Most sees keep for a year in a cool dry place.
• You can also use a home sprouting device, such as the SproutMaster. Follow the directions that come with the device.

A: Let the seeds soak for approximately 2 hours (broccoli family), 6 hours (small seeds) or 12 hours (bigger grains or beans). Mucilaginous seeds cress, arugula, chia, flax, basil – do not soak, just mist to keep moist. These are ideals – if in doubt soak less rather than more. If you do over soak, just carry on, it will probably be OK.

A: Yes, you can still grow sprouts without a window or direct sunlight. Sprouts grow best in indirect light. Direct sunlight can actually harm these fragile baby plants.

Many sprouts such as lentils and chickpeas don’t require any light at all.

Any sprouts with green leaves (alfalfa, red clover, wheatgrass, sunflower shoots, etc) will require a bit of light to green up. Indirect sunlight is great, but if you don’t have access to a window you can also use an indoor light. Any type of light will do, as long as it’s not so close to the sprouts.

Mung beans and popcorn need to be grown in the dark. If they’re exposed to light, the leaves will become bitter.

A: Broccoli naturally has a stronger smell than other sprouts, but if the smell is very strong or offensive, there may have been over soaked or not drained well enough. Broccoli family sprouts are very sensitive to too much water or poor drainage. Try cutting the soak time to 1 or 2 hours. Drain very thoroughly after each rinsing, tilting and tapping to remove the excess water.

A: Your radish sprouts are just fine. Radish and some other related plants will send out fine white root hairs searching for moisture if conditions are a little dry. Try watering a little more. If you see green or black fuzz though, discard that area with a good margin around it.

A: Growing Wheatgrass is fun and easy!

For a 11″x 21″ greenhouse tray you’ll need:

• One greenhouse tray, without drainage. (option – one 11×21 or two 11×11″ trays with drainage to fit inside each undrained tray.)
• Wheat seed (wheatberries) preferably organically grown, about 1.5 cup, 275 g, 10 oz. Spring wheat and winter wheat are both fine, as long as they are healthy seed suited for wheatgrass.
• One of – baby blanket (felted jute matting) or unbleached paper towels (not commercial growing) to fit the tray. (option – you can use soil or compost, but you’ll need a tray with drainage, and something to catch drips)
• Polyethylene sheet large enough to cover the tray. This is used to keep moisture in during the early stages of sprouting.
• Option – spray bottle for moistening seeds.
• Option – Kelpman kelp fertilizer, mixed according to directions.

Day 1
Wash the seeds in clean water, drain, and refill container to soak the seeds for 8 to 12 hours. (option – soak seeds in Kelpman solution) – Line the tray with baby blanket, or a couple of layers of unbleached paper towels. Saturate the liner with water and drain off excess. (not necessary for commercial growing) – Spread the soaked seeds as evenly as you can over the wet liner. It should be approximately one layer of seeds. – Loosely cover with the poly sheet, to keep in moisture.

Day 2 and 3
Lift plastic and spray or sprinkle seeds to keep moist. They should be moist but not standing in any water.

Day 4
Wheat should be starting to grip the towel or baby blanket. If firmly attached, you may be able to lift the matting and pour 1/2 cup water into the tray.

Day 5
Add approximately 1/2 cup water daily. Adjust to your conditions, more water if it seems too dry, less if too wet. You can allow the leaves to lift the loose polyethylene cover, in dry conditions. Remove if conditions are moist or mould is noted.

Day 6 to 9
Continue adding water every day. (option – you can use Kelpman solution for some of the watering) You may need to increase the water quantity a bit as the wheatgrass gets taller.

Day 10 and beyond
Cut the wheatgrass as needed, with a scissors or sharp knife. Cut close to the roots, but above any traces of mould that might be evident at the root level. Rinse and juice with a wheatgrass juicer, or grind in a blender with water and strain.

If you continue to water the wheatgrass, the remainder will continue to grow for 5 or 10 more days as you use it. (mostly in soil only you will get a second crop)

HINTS

• Grows OK between 60F and 75F, ideal temperature is 67F.
• Pre-sprout the wheat for a day or two in a jar or sprout bag to shorten the growing time in the tray. (not for commercial growing)
• Avoid direct sunlight, bright indirect light is OK. Fluorescent light is OK as well. -Dry air is preferable to humid, if mould is a problem.
• A fan to move air might also be useful if mould is a problem. -Wheatgrass can be cut as short as 3.5″ tall, may get 7 or 8 inches tall.
• An 11x22inch tray can produce about 8 to 20 oz. of juice when harvested and juiced. Quantity depends on the juicer used and the growth stage.

A: Some hints to reduce mold on wheatgrass.

• Air movement helps.
• Remove any tray cover.
• Plant a bit thinner.
• Don’t over or under water.

Please get in touch with us if the problem persists.

A: Dampen an unglazed clay pot bottom or tray lined with Baby Blanket, unbleached paper towel or coffee filter, or soil. Sprinkle lightly with dry seeds, leaving space between the seeds. Spray lightly with water until damp but not too wet. Preserve moisture by loosely covering seeds with clear plastic.

Spray lightly with water twice a day. Keep damp, but not too wet. When established, sprouts can be rinsed under a slow flowing tap.

Enjoy! Readyin 4-8 days.

Gelatinous seed can also be added to regular sprouting seeds ( alfalfa, lentils, etc.) in a jar or sprouter. Don’t add too much, around 5 or 10% should be just right.

A: Tap water is very convenient for routine rinsing. If you’re comfortable drinking your tap water, then it will be just fine for sprouting.

A simple trick to improve city tap water is to fill a big open container of cold water at night, and in the morning you’ll have dechlorinated tap water, since most of the chlorine evaporates overnight. If you have a water filter, it’s even better!

A: One trick is to put your sprouters on top of the fridge where the warm air circulates, and the sprouts behave like it’s summer. You can also put them in the oven with the oven light on and the door slightly open. Don’t turn on your oven!

A: Rinse your sprouts with colder water. Give them and extra rinse per day if they are very hot in the jar. Make sure to stir the sprouts if they are clumping to get the cold water into the centre. If you are absent all day, choose an area of the house where it is cooler. If the temperature in your house is around 30 C or more, it might be difficult to sprout the leafy varieties, especially mustard and broccoli. Beans and grains don’t seem to mind.

A: For those who want to add a touch of enhanced nutritional value, you can add liquid kelp to your soak water. The seeds, while swelling, absorb some of the minerals from the kelp dissolved in the water, and deliver them to you, ready for absorption. This can become a regular source of some rare trace minerals often missing in our diet, like iodine, which help the body ward off degenerative diseases.

Aboslutely. If you have to leave home for a few days, simply put a lid on your jar or tray and pop it in the fridge. When you return, rinse and continue sprouting as usual.