Guest guest Posted June 14, 2012 Report Share Posted June 14, 2012 Hi , We live above you in Crescent City, near the Oregon border, and are also on the coast. I also have intermittent problems growing grass indoors. I grow in 10x20 trays, with a holed tray inside a solid tray. What I just started doing this year is start my seeds indoors in the double trays. We stack the trays one on top of the other (about 6 sets high), and mist seeds from above 2 x/day until seed is well rooted in soil and grass is about 1 inch or so high. Then I separate the stack with the double trays still, and water with liquid kelp from under, in the solid tray, still indoors. I make sure the soil gets pretty wet with the kelp/water mix by rocking trays back and forth, so all roots get wet and fed. Then, from then on,(this is where I changed my routine) I take the bottom solid tray off, leaving just the grass and soil in the holed tray, and I take them outside set them in the shade and water them from overhead gently with just the garden hose. Just sprinkle and soak them and let them sit and drain naturally on the ground.We just make they are in indirect light and have good air flow around them. Don't forget to bring them indoors at night, they'll grow ok outside at night, as long as there is no frost, but will grow much slower, so we always bring in at night, and set back out in morning. This seems to wash away any mold that starts while germinating indoors, and then the natural draining outside keeps it away. In the past we did it all indoors from start to harvest, and I always struggled with mold I think, because the bottom tray kept too much moisture in the later stages. Anyways, it is working for us, and maybe since you have really similar weather patterns as us, I could work for you too.Hope so! Good Luck Mike and Anne Annie Mack's Family ProduceCrescent City, CAPh. To: sproutpeople From: dow@... Date: Thu, 14 Jun 2012 17:19:46 +0000 Subject: growing grass Hello! Is anyone growing wheatgrass? I thought this was supposed to be done indoors, but now that I'm getting mold and fungus--I've found some non-specific advice to the contrary. I'm in the San Francisco bay area so temperatures are pretty mild. I'd appreciate any advice or pointers to good sources of information. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 15, 2012 Report Share Posted June 15, 2012 Hi ... I've been growing WG for about 2 years.. I like McAleenan's method mentioned in this thread, but it may be too much work for some... I use and simply love the Sproutman's Soiless Wheatgrass Sprouting Trays system. His Wheatgrass growing system is very well thought out. An excellent system... If you can afford them, get um!!! His three tray system cost about $100 Note: This is how to stop mold for any system you use... The key to getting good Wheatgrass without the mold is to make sure you clean your trays with bleach after harvesting. I let mine soak in a solution of bleach water for about 10 minutes after I harvest. This kills the mold spores and I've had great results after starting this cleaning regime. I actually have NO mold problems with my WG growing now. Also, do not OVER CROWD your seeds, since this will help grow mold. You need some air between the growth and over crowding nurtures mold because it impedes air circulation. You may not want to do this... but I also bought some indoor florescence lights and placed them on a timer. I have them turn on and off when I want them to... These help with growing WG indoors. They're also pretty cheap. Also, be sure to water/mist twice a day and use a sprayer like the one found in the Amazon link below or you'll wear your hands out... Note: I bought mine at BiMart. 1 Liter Pump Plant Spray Bottle --- http://www.amazon.com/Solo-1-Liter-One-Hand-Pressure-418/dp/B000BX4VXI/ref=sr_1_\ fkmr0_2?ie=UTF8 & qid=1288726153 & sr=8-2-fkmr0 I also bought some concentrated Kelp fertilizer off eBay and once each Wheat Grass life cycle spray my WG with this fertilizer. It makes for a sweeter WG... .... and again I cannot over emphasize too much how great the Sproutman Wheatgrass System is... Excellent! --- Adding some growing Tips for using the SproutMan system --- Wash your berries with water before you sprout... Soak your berries 6-8 hours in water in a Mason Quart Jar... Drain, then rinse. After draining, let berries sprout in the jar with a lid and keep in the dark for about 2 days. Rinse twice a day... once in the morning and once in the evening. After two days the sprouts should have about a 1/4 or more of rooting. Pour out on the Sproutman soiless tray and spread out evenly. cover with the black lids that comes with the kit, and water twice a day After sprout roots push the black top up, replace with the clear green house tray. .... You'll figure the rest out... and be sure to water/spray twice a day When ready to harvest, harvest all at once and store in a zip lock bag with a couple of paper towels in the bottom of the bag to absorb moisture. Store in the Fridge and use as needed. Clean the tray with bleach, rinse well and start the process all over again. --- Adding some growing Tips for using the SproutMan system --- Anyway I hope this helps... Dennis > > Hello! > > Is anyone growing wheatgrass? I thought this was supposed to be done indoors, but now that I'm getting mold and fungus--I've found some non-specific advice to the contrary. > > I'm in the San Francisco bay area so temperatures are pretty mild. > > I'd appreciate any advice or pointers to good sources of information. > > Thanks! > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 17, 2012 Report Share Posted June 17, 2012 Hi Carolyn,If you were asking me, we do both. We just load up all our trays on market day and juice for people as they order, and some buy the whole trayand bring back the empty next week. I sometimes sell small 4 " size wheatgrass for catgrass. We also grow microgreens indoors, and have 3 small gardens that equal about a 1/2 acre total, that we grow row crops. Fancy salad mixes are our big seller. Mike Annie Mack's Family ProduceCrescent City, CAPh. To: sproutpeople From: carolyn.wilkerson@... Date: Fri, 15 Jun 2012 22:48:48 -0700 Subject: Re: Re: growing grass Do you sell the whole tray at Farmer's Market or do people just buy in ounces or lb and you cut off what they need? Do you have different size trays? I don't think I've ever seen something like that at a Farmer's Market. Do you sell other garden things too or just the wheatgrass? Carolyn Wilkerson ________________________________ To: sproutpeople Sent: Friday, June 15, 2012 2:45 PM Subject: RE: Re: growing grass that to what Dennis said about cleaning trays. Pathogens that cause mold and damping off can be killed with a 10% bleach mix with water in a spray bottle. We soak our trays in a big tub with regular dishwashing liquid and hot water, rinse, and then lay out all the trays and spray with the bleach mix. We then let them air dry, and the bleach evaporates, and the tray is ready for use. I clean all utensils regularly too. It's a lot of work, but we do several trays at a time for sale at farmer's market, so it's worth the effort. If you are just growing for yourself and family, it's less work, you just wash the trays in your sink, but the bleach step, like Dennis said, is very important to prevent mold growth. I also use fluorescent lights to start my seeds indoors, and I grow all my microgreens indoors still, but found that even with fans running in the room, I still got mold growth. Taking my trays outside after initial germination and watering from above, (usually a big no-no), has been a cure for now. Anway, dont mean to overload you with info, or make it harder than it is. The main things to remember like Dennis said, is good air flow, try using a little less seed, and use good hygiene with your growing trays. Good luck and good growingmike Annie Mack's Family ProduceCrescent City, CAPh. To: sproutpeople From: dlt123me@... Date: Fri, 15 Jun 2012 17:15:03 +0000 Subject: Re: growing grass Hi ... I've been growing WG for about 2 years.. I like McAleenan's method mentioned in this thread, but it may be too much work for some... I use and simply love the Sproutman's Soiless Wheatgrass Sprouting Trays system. His Wheatgrass growing system is very well thought out. An excellent system... If you can afford them, get um!!! His three tray system cost about $100 Note: This is how to stop mold for any system you use... The key to getting good Wheatgrass without the mold is to make sure you clean your trays with bleach after harvesting. I let mine soak in a solution of bleach water for about 10 minutes after I harvest. This kills the mold spores and I've had great results after starting this cleaning regime. I actually have NO mold problems with my WG growing now. Also, do not OVER CROWD your seeds, since this will help grow mold. You need some air between the growth and over crowding nurtures mold because it impedes air circulation. You may not want to do this... but I also bought some indoor florescence lights and placed them on a timer. I have them turn on and off when I want them to... These help with growing WG indoors. They're also pretty cheap. Also, be sure to water/mist twice a day and use a sprayer like the one found in the Amazon link below or you'll wear your hands out... Note: I bought mine at BiMart. 1 Liter Pump Plant Spray Bottle --- http://www.amazon.com/Solo-1-Liter-One-Hand-Pressure-418/dp/B000BX4VXI/ref=sr_1_\ fkmr0_2?ie=UTF8 & qid=1288726153 & sr=8-2-fkmr0 I also bought some concentrated Kelp fertilizer off eBay and once each Wheat Grass life cycle spray my WG with this fertilizer. It makes for a sweeter WG... .... and again I cannot over emphasize too much how great the Sproutman Wheatgrass System is... Excellent! --- Adding some growing Tips for using the SproutMan system --- Wash your berries with water before you sprout... Soak your berries 6-8 hours in water in a Mason Quart Jar... Drain, then rinse. After draining, let berries sprout in the jar with a lid and keep in the dark for about 2 days. Rinse twice a day... once in the morning and once in the evening. After two days the sprouts should have about a 1/4 or more of rooting. Pour out on the Sproutman soiless tray and spread out evenly. cover with the black lids that comes with the kit, and water twice a day After sprout roots push the black top up, replace with the clear green house tray. .... You'll figure the rest out... and be sure to water/spray twice a day When ready to harvest, harvest all at once and store in a zip lock bag with a couple of paper towels in the bottom of the bag to absorb moisture. Store in the Fridge and use as needed. Clean the tray with bleach, rinse well and start the process all over again. --- Adding some growing Tips for using the SproutMan system --- Anyway I hope this helps... Dennis > > Hello! > > Is anyone growing wheatgrass? I thought this was supposed to be done indoors, but now that I'm getting mold and fungus--I've found some non-specific advice to the contrary. > > I'm in the San Francisco bay area so temperatures are pretty mild. > > I'd appreciate any advice or pointers to good sources of information. > > Thanks! > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 19, 2012 Report Share Posted June 19, 2012 What state are you in? There is a really neat garden in Holland, MI, and they have all kinds of products and also sometimes a chef from a local restaurant using fresh produce, etc. Cooks right there nd I enjoyed that when visiting. Cleveland, OH had a really nice market as did Cincinnti. There ae supposed to be some here but they seem to open on Sun when I am in church. Supposed to be one in Pompano Beach, but I never see anything there where it is suppsed to be. I love town markets where all kinds of things are sold. Carolyn Wilkerson ________________________________ To: sproutpeople Sent: Sunday, June 17, 2012 12:33 PM Subject: RE: Re: growing grass Hi Carolyn,If you were asking me, we do both. We just load up all our trays on market day and juice for people as they order, and some buy the whole trayand bring back the empty next week. I sometimes sell small 4 " size wheatgrass for catgrass. We also grow microgreens indoors, and have 3 small gardens that equal about a 1/2 acre total, that we grow row crops. Fancy salad mixes are our big seller. Mike Annie Mack's Family ProduceCrescent City, CAPh. To: sproutpeople From: carolyn.wilkerson@... Date: Fri, 15 Jun 2012 22:48:48 -0700 Subject: Re: Re: growing grass Do you sell the whole tray at Farmer's Market or do people just buy in ounces or lb and you cut off what they need? Do you have different size trays? I don't think I've ever seen something like that at a Farmer's Market. Do you sell other garden things too or just the wheatgrass? Carolyn Wilkerson ________________________________ To: sproutpeople Sent: Friday, June 15, 2012 2:45 PM Subject: RE: Re: growing grass that to what Dennis said about cleaning trays. Pathogens that cause mold and damping off can be killed with a 10% bleach mix with water in a spray bottle. We soak our trays in a big tub with regular dishwashing liquid and hot water, rinse, and then lay out all the trays and spray with the bleach mix. We then let them air dry, and the bleach evaporates, and the tray is ready for use. I clean all utensils regularly too. It's a lot of work, but we do several trays at a time for sale at farmer's market, so it's worth the effort. If you are just growing for yourself and family, it's less work, you just wash the trays in your sink, but the bleach step, like Dennis said, is very important to prevent mold growth. I also use fluorescent lights to start my seeds indoors, and I grow all my microgreens indoors still, but found that even with fans running in the room, I still got mold growth. Taking my trays outside after initial germination and watering from above, (usually a big no-no), has been a cure for now. Anway, dont mean to overload you with info, or make it harder than it is. The main things to remember like Dennis said, is good air flow, try using a little less seed, and use good hygiene with your growing trays. Good luck and good growingmike Annie Mack's Family ProduceCrescent City, CAPh. To: sproutpeople From: dlt123me@... Date: Fri, 15 Jun 2012 17:15:03 +0000 Subject: Re: growing grass Hi ... I've been growing WG for about 2 years.. I like McAleenan's method mentioned in this thread, but it may be too much work for some... I use and simply love the Sproutman's Soiless Wheatgrass Sprouting Trays system. His Wheatgrass growing system is very well thought out. An excellent system... If you can afford them, get um!!! His three tray system cost about $100 Note: This is how to stop mold for any system you use... The key to getting good Wheatgrass without the mold is to make sure you clean your trays with bleach after harvesting. I let mine soak in a solution of bleach water for about 10 minutes after I harvest. This kills the mold spores and I've had great results after starting this cleaning regime. I actually have NO mold problems with my WG growing now. Also, do not OVER CROWD your seeds, since this will help grow mold. You need some air between the growth and over crowding nurtures mold because it impedes air circulation. You may not want to do this... but I also bought some indoor florescence lights and placed them on a timer. I have them turn on and off when I want them to... These help with growing WG indoors. They're also pretty cheap. Also, be sure to water/mist twice a day and use a sprayer like the one found in the Amazon link below or you'll wear your hands out... Note: I bought mine at BiMart. 1 Liter Pump Plant Spray Bottle --- http://www.amazon.com/Solo-1-Liter-One-Hand-Pressure-418/dp/B000BX4VXI/ref=sr_1_\ fkmr0_2?ie=UTF8 & qid=1288726153 & sr=8-2-fkmr0 I also bought some concentrated Kelp fertilizer off eBay and once each Wheat Grass life cycle spray my WG with this fertilizer. It makes for a sweeter WG... .... and again I cannot over emphasize too much how great the Sproutman Wheatgrass System is... Excellent! --- Adding some growing Tips for using the SproutMan system --- Wash your berries with water before you sprout... Soak your berries 6-8 hours in water in a Mason Quart Jar... Drain, then rinse. After draining, let berries sprout in the jar with a lid and keep in the dark for about 2 days. Rinse twice a day... once in the morning and once in the evening. After two days the sprouts should have about a 1/4 or more of rooting. Pour out on the Sproutman soiless tray and spread out evenly. cover with the black lids that comes with the kit, and water twice a day After sprout roots push the black top up, replace with the clear green house tray. .... You'll figure the rest out... and be sure to water/spray twice a day When ready to harvest, harvest all at once and store in a zip lock bag with a couple of paper towels in the bottom of the bag to absorb moisture. Store in the Fridge and use as needed. Clean the tray with bleach, rinse well and start the process all over again. --- Adding some growing Tips for using the SproutMan system --- Anyway I hope this helps... Dennis > > Hello! > > Is anyone growing wheatgrass? I thought this was supposed to be done indoors, but now that I'm getting mold and fungus--I've found some non-specific advice to the contrary. > > I'm in the San Francisco bay area so temperatures are pretty mild. > > I'd appreciate any advice or pointers to good sources of information. > > Thanks! > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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