This guide shows you how to grow wheatgrass at home.

 

First, soak around 400g of your wheatgrass seeds in water for 8 hours and continue to soak until the wheat berries start to sprout. Don't leave them too long after this as you will weaken the seeds by over sprouting!!

 

Just before the end of the soaking period prepare a 20 x 10 inch seed tray (of around 2 inches depth) by adding about 11/2 inches of moist compost and potting mix. Try to use an organic growing medium. After soaking, drain the seeds, rinse thoroughly and then drain the seeds again. Once you've done this you may find that having the seeds in water help you get your hand in and get handfuls of seeds for sowing. Just a tip that I find works well.

 

Spread the seeds evenly over the compost mix. Add another half inch of soil and then water the seeds using a watering can with a rose so as to give an even distribution of water. Your compost mix should be moist but not sodden. As long as the tray is kept in the dark, it shouldn't need covering by an empty tray. If light can get in, it's best to cover them to keep them in the dark as they may not come through if you don't.

 

After 3 days the wheatgrass should be a couple of inches in height. Again, don't take them out too soon or leave them in too long as this will affect your wheatgrass . It needs to look like a bed of nails when you take it out of the dark and into the light.

 

You can then remove the cover off the tray and place the tray in a position where the wheatgrass will receive good amounts of indirect sunlight. You should not place the tray in direct sunlight as this can cause drying out of the soil which inhibits growth. The sunlight will produce chlorophyll which will quickly transform the yellow shoots into a vivid green colour.

 

You should harvest the wheatgrass when it's about 7-8 inches in length as this is when it is at its nutritional peak. To harvest your wheatgrass simply trim an a centimeter or two above the soil surface with a pair of scissors or a chefs knife. You should rinse your crop thoroughly before putting it through your juicer, though I put it straight in.

 

The time to harvest after you remove the seed cover is about 4-5 days but this can be increased/decreased by changing the temperature and light levels in your growing micro-climate. 65-68° F is a widely accepted temperature for growing wheatgrass in. If the temperature is too hot or the air is too humid then mould formation can occur. Some people are allergic to mould and it is also bad news for people who suffer from asthma. If mould does form in your wheatgrass then trim the wheatgrass well above the mould to avoid ingesting the mould.

 

If you harvest more wheatgrass then you wish to juice that day then simply transfer the excess wheatgrass into an airtight container and refrigerate. The wheatgrass should keep for a few days.

 

Once you are familiar with

 

• the time cycle associated with growing wheatgrass (which will differ for different climates and seasons)

• how much juice a tray yields

• how much wheatgrass juice you consume each day

 

you will be able to plan when to plant your next tray to ensure that you have a constant supply of fresh grown and harvested, nutritionally packed wheatgrass that has been produced using organic methods. Growing your own wheatgrass is also the most economical way of obtaining a regular intake of the the green wonder juice.

 

 

 

Quick Link to 'Wheatgrass Seeds'

 

 

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