Re: Sprout / wheatgrass growing help / lighting ideas

November 26, 2010

n,

This is wonderful!Â Very good help, very good instructions, good detail about

every step, even I should be able to achieve a crop of wheat grass.Â Don't know

why I could not find it on the site, seemed like every aspect of sprouting was

mentioned but this one escaped my old worn out eyes.Â Maybe wheat grass juice

will help in that dept.

First step is to decide which medium to use, vermiculite or soil, buy some

trays, buy some seeds and tell my husband to get busy building the sprout table

or I will have to use his precious pool table in the garage! Â It even has a

florescent light over it. Â Ocean solution and juicer are on the way.Â

You are an angel to send this info and I will be grateful to you every time I

have a swig of the green juice.

Curious... did you get your daughter to try wheat grass juice?Â If so, did she

like it?

Many thanks,

...

From: n Rollings, PhD <drmarionrollings@...>

Subject: Re: Sprout / wheatgrass lighting ideas

Date: Friday, November 26, 2010, 9:10 PM

,From Sproutpeople's website on growing wheatgrass, soil, etc.Hope this

helps

Planting Medium:Â We have grown Grass - onÂ soilÂ - inÂ Trays, for years.Â But,

we now have alternatives: SoillessÂ mediumsÂ Baby Blanket,Â Tencel,

andÂ Vermiculite, and organic liquidÂ Kelp Fertilizer.Baby

BlanketÂ andÂ TencelÂ are thin organic materials that you soak before planting

upon. They holds moisture and are the least messy and compact mediums we know

of.Â VermiculiteÂ is a mineral which holds moisture supremely, dispenses added

nutrients over time and in general acts much like soil. We think you should try

all of them if you can - there are differences and though they are minimal you

may prefer one method over the other and the only way to know for sure is to

try. Instructions are pretty much the same in all cases, but where there is a

difference we include purple text like this.Soil Note:Â Virtually any soil will

do for Grass! We used sterile bagged soil (usually composted cow manure) when we

were professional growers, but any sterile bagged

soil will do. You can find some at your local garden center.Â You can use

expensive soil if you prefer - it is your choice - always. Of course Organic is

best, but it is usually quite costly.Tray Note:Â YourÂ Planting TrayÂ (the one

with the soil ormediumÂ in it) MUST have drainage holes or slits! Nothing will

grow in aÂ mediumÂ that can not drain - that condition is commonly called

" flooded " .Â When usingÂ Baby Blanket,Â TencelorVermiculiteÂ yourÂ Planting

TrayÂ must also have drainage, but we do use theÂ Drip TrayÂ to hold some water

at times in the growing process.**When growing Grass: You really

MUSTÂ Pre-SproutÂ it before planting.Pre-SproutPut seed* into a bowl or

yourÂ Sprouter.

AddÂ 2-3 times as muchÂ cool (60-70 degree) water.

Mix seeds up to assure even water contact for all.

Allow seeds toÂ SoakÂ for 8-12 hours.

Empty the seeds into your sprouter if necessary.

Drain off the soak water.

RinseÂ thoroughly with cool (60-70Â°) water

andÂ DrainÂ thoroughly.

Set anywhere out of direct sunlight and at room temperature (70Â° is optimal)

between Rinses.RinseÂ andÂ DrainÂ again in 8-12 hours.

And,Â perhapsÂ one more...

RinseÂ andÂ DrainÂ in 8-12 hours.

And,Â conceivablyÂ one more...

RinseÂ andÂ DrainÂ in 8-12 hours.

The goal is to have a small root before planting.WhenÂ most of the seeds have

sprouted tiny (1/16-1/8 inch) roots it is time to plant. This is typically after

just 2-3Â RinseÂ andDrainÂ cycles.Planting

Soil Note:

The amount of soil you use is up to you. The reality is this: As your plants

grow they need more and more water. They get their water from the soil. The more

soil you use - the more water it can hold - the less you need to

water.Thoroughly moisten the soil. Allow puddles to dry.

Sometimes you may need to use your fingers to make sure the soil is moist all

the way down to the bottom of the tray. Water, mix, water, mix, etc. Sometimes

you don't have to do that.Baby Blanket/Tencel:

Prepare the pad: Cut it to fit your Tray if necessary. Soak it in water or

better yet,Â Kelp FertilizerÂ enriched water (You don't NEED fertilizer for

grass, but we use it when we grow without soil.) until thoroughly saturated

(fold it up and push it into the liquid - use a pot or something similar to hold

it). Unfold it and re-fold differently or do whatever makes sense - the goal is

to get the pad THOROUHGLY soaked. Spread the wet pad across the bottom of

yourÂ Planting Tray. Proceed...Vermiculite:

VermiculiteÂ absorbs liquid so readily and holds it so supremely that you need

little of it. We use 3 Cups for an 11 x 11 inch tray and 6 Cups for an 11 x 22

inch tray. If you're using another tray, make it 1/4 - 1/2 inch deep. Spray

water evenly across the surface then spread it out as evenly as you can. We like

to useKelp FertilizerÂ enriched water (You don't NEED fertilizer for grass, but

we use it when we grow without soil.) so we just pour it on until thoroughly

saturated and then spread it out. The amount of liquid is this: a little more

than one quart for an 11 x 22 inch tray. You don't want more than a little left

in theÂ Drip Tray. Pour off what water remains above the ridges of theÂ Drip

Tray. Proceed...Spread seeds evenly on thoroughly moistened soil or medium.

RinseÂ your seeds one last time and then sprinkle them across the

plantingÂ medium. Spread them out as evenly as you can. We use a lot of grain

and though some literature will tell you that your seeds should not ever lay

atop each other, we have found from years of experience and thousands of Trays

of Grass grown that that is bunk! You will learn for yourself that Grass

produces a plant that takes up less room than the grain did, and so to maximize

your yield your seeds must lay atop each other to some degree. The thing to

watch is this: If you findÂ mold or fungal problemsÂ in your Grass then lessen

the amount of grain you plant. The hotter/more humid your climate is the more of

an issue the mold/fungus is. As always, you need to adapt to your own climate

and seasonal conditions. And learn as you go - this is really easy and fun stuff

to learn!Cover the planted tray

with an inverted tray (theÂ Cover Tray) - to keep light out and moisture in. By

inverted I mean that the lip of the Cover Tray rests directly on the lip of the

Planting Tray - so the bottom of the Cover Tray is facing up.Note:

YourÂ covering trayÂ should have holes or slits in it so that some air

circulation exists. Without this very minimal air flow you might haveÂ mold or

fungal problems.Place in a low-light, room temperature location.

70Â° is always optimal but Grass will grow very well in cooler temperatures

also.Water lightly once or twice a day.

The goal is to keep the sprouts moist until theirÂ rootsÂ bury themselves in the

soil/mediumÂ - at which point your goal is to keep the soil/mediumÂ moist.

Spraying the sprouts is best - whether you use a garden hose sprayer, hand

sprayer or faucet sprayer - just try to make sure that every sprout gets rinsed

and quenched until they bury theirÂ roots. You may also use someÂ Kelp

FertilizerÂ if you like.Water the medium.

Once theÂ rootsÂ are buried all you need to do is keep theÂ mediummoist - the

seeds and subsequent grass will get the moisture they need through theirÂ roots.

Water from the side if possible, to prevent injuring the tender blades.The

Soilless alternative.

Baby BlanketÂ andÂ TencelÂ will dry out more quickly than soil in most

circumstances, so you should either water more often or experiment with our

somewhat risky trick:Use theÂ Drip TrayÂ to hold some water. The roots will

actually sit in this, so don't go crazy - too much can drown your plants and/or

lead to fungal or mold problems. Just leave as much water as the grass can drink

in a day and then add more the following day. The amount is dependant on the

climate (humidity especially) you're growing in, so you'll have to learn this

for yourself. We suggest that you start with 1-2 cups in theDrip Tray. Lift

theÂ Planting TrayÂ to see how much is left after 4, 8 and 12 hours. If

theÂ Drip TrayÂ is dry add more water - if there is still water 24 hours later

then cut back the next time you add water. Pretty simple really, and not as

risky as we make it sound - it is really a time saver and produces happier

healthy grass.Once again, we do recommendÂ Kelp

FertilizerÂ enriched water for soilless growers. Soil growers may use it too of

course, but the soil does have some nutrients already, so it is not nearly as

important for you.VermiculiteÂ holds water better than anything, but the same

method works for it: Use theÂ Drip TrayÂ to hold some water. The roots will

eventually grow into this, so don't go crazy - too much can drown your plants

and/or lead to fungal or mold problems. Just leave as much water as the grass

andVermiculiteÂ can drink in a day and then add more the following day. The

amount is dependant on the climate (humidity especially) you're growing in, so

you'll have to learn this for yourself. We suggest that you start with 1-2 cups

in theÂ Drip Tray. Lift theÂ Planting TrayÂ to see how much is left after 4, 8

and 12 hours. If theÂ Drip TrayÂ is dry add more water - if there is still water

24 hours later then cut back the next time you add water. Pretty simple really,

and not as risky as we

make it sound - it is really a time saver and produces happier healthy grass.

UseÂ Kelp FertilizerÂ too. We probably give more water than is necessary, but we

end up with great crops and the grass keeps growing even after we cut it - even

if we don't add water daily.Â VermiculiteÂ is great stuff!Uncover your Grass

Wait 3-4 days until it is 1-2 inches tall or until it pushes theÂ covering

trayÂ up (it really will do that - it is cool!)Move to a well lit location

toÂ Green your Grass

(If you use direct sunlight (a very good idea for grass) be prepared to do more

watering).Â Keep it moistÂ by watering the soil/mediumdaily. Watch it grow.Â It

takes about 10 days to get to....Harvest

By cutting just above the soil/mediumÂ when the Grass is 6 or more inches tall

(actually height is just a matter of yield - you can cut it any time you want

to).Note:

We believe that you will get the best flavor and nutrition from freshly cut

Grass. We cut JUST prior to juicing and we feel the difference! But, you are

better off juicing week old Grass than no Grass at all, so do what you must!

Drink More Juice!If you are going to store your crop: During the final 8-12

hours minimize the surface moisture of your Grass - it willÂ storeÂ best in your

refrigerator if they are dry to the touch. So if you water try to keep the water

off the plants - just water the soil/medium.Transfer your crop to a plastic bag

or the sealed container of your choice - glass is good - and put them in your

refrigerator.Note:

GrassÂ can produce a 2nd and even 3rd crop so you may continue to water the Tray

after you cut your first crop. The 2nd and more so the 3rd crop is not as tender

nor usually as big, but it is good to try growing at least a 2nd crop. Decide

for yourself if it is worth it!Â VermiculiteÂ is the bestÂ mediumÂ if you want

to go for multiple cuttings!

*Â Notes:

If usingÂ Single Harvest PackÂ use the whole bag on our 5 inch tray (or

similar).Or Use:

1/4-1/3 Cups Dry Grain for a 4-5 inch square Tray.

1-2 Cups dry grain for an 11 inch square Tray.

2-4 Cups dry grain for for an 11 inch x 22 inch Tray.The surest way to know what

amount of seed to use:

Spread dry seed on the bottom of your sprouter so that the seed is spread evenly

but densely.**As I've said elsewhere on the site, we hate dogma, so take my

dogma with a grain of salt. You can grow in trays without drainage, but you do

have to be able to drain excess water away. Tipping is a possibility, but we

think it risky indeed, hence my dogma.Once again:Â The more densely you plant

the seed the lessÂ air circulatesÂ around the individual blades of grass. This

can cause some fungal growth - we call it â€œfuzziesâ€. This is not a problem,

except that it is unattractive. If you are consuming this as juice - just rinse

it off when you harvest the grass. If you hate it - increaseÂ air flowÂ by

planting less seed. Additionally, you may move your grass to a better ventilated

area. In summer we grow our grass outside (from the point when we uncover the

tray) for optimalÂ air circulation.

Printable Sprouting Instructions

Â

Â Â Â

November 26, 2010

Hi ,

So glad the info helped. On the Sproutpeople website, I normally just put in a

search term for what I am looking for--there seems to be hundreds of pages and I

can get side-tracked so easily.I laughed when you joked about using your

husband's pool table. :)I actually don't have a daughter, but a younger sister

and her daughter, my niece, who didn't try the wheatgrass juice yet, but

interestingly, as part of the Sprouting Christmas Gift, my sister wanted me to

get her a sprout mix that contains a few grains (the 10 seed mix from Handy

Pantry). So I think they are interested in trying grasses at least in the sprout

form where they intend to mix the sprouts with brown rice.In fact, we all just

had a late night snack--a generous bowl of mixed sprouts doused with balsamic,

some oil, and I believe my niece put some soy sauce in her (yuck!). But as long

as she is eating sprouts, I don't care what she puts on them.In the spirit of

Melody, I packed up 2 large

ziplock bags of sprouts for them to take home. Funny thing is, when I was

watching Melody's youtube videos with my sister, she wanted to watch the one on

the storage containers (OXO or OSO, I forget what they are called).

, what juicer are you getting? I really enjoy using mine. I used the Omega

today to make Wheatgrass juice, and then an apple carrot juice. Great stuff.

n

November 27, 2010

n:

OSO FRESH CONTAINERS.

Here is the website where I got the whole set. BEST THING I EVER DID and a great

price.

http://www.100cookwares.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD & Product_Code=15971\

0

Melody

>

> Hi ,

>

> So glad the info helped. On the Sproutpeople website, I normally just put in a