[forestdale]

This is a tutorial on how to grow wheatgrass for juicing. I'm a novice at this so I figure that if I can do it, everyone can. Just 30 mls of wheatgrass juice is the same in terms of vitamins and minerals as a kilogram of vegetables. That, my friends, is the average daily requirement for vitamins. So, are we going to start growing our own vitamins or are we going to continue buying them? I know what I'll do if this works out how I think it will.

I've photographed the steps I took along the way.

Go to your health food shop and buy some organic wheat grain. If wheat grain is not available, buy organic barley grain. I bought 5 kilos for $5, that should do me for a long time.

STEPS:
1. Wash 1/2 cup of the grain and place it in a container and cover it with water.

2. Leave it overnight or for 12 hours. Wash the grain in a sieve and replace it in the container, with NO water, to sprout.

 

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3. It will depend on how cool or hot your weather is as to when the grain will sprout. Mine took about 14 hours.

 

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4. Wash the grain after it has sprouted and take it outside for planting.

 

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5. In a growing tray, place premium quality potting soil and scatter the sprouted grain over the top of the soil. Saturate the soil and grain with a gentle sprinkle of water. I used rain water.

 

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6. Cover the tray with an old towel or burlap and leave it in a warm dry place. If your outside overnight temp is below 15c, take the tray inside and let it grow in your home.

7. My printout from the health shop tells me that mice love sprouted wheat. Be careful.

8. After a day or so, water the tray again so it doesn't dry out. Keep the tray in a protected area, not complete darkness.

When the wheat starts growing I'll take more photos.

 

[QuilterMom]

Thank you! I did a conversion to figure out that 15C is 59F here (one of these days I will know that! LOL). I'm looking forward to following your journey down this road. I definitely want to show this thread to dh.

 

[qponfanatic]

Great job Bethany! Can't wait to see the end result

 

[forestdale]

okay, seven days after the wheat grass sprouted, this is what I have. I started the project last Tuesday, today is Tuesday, 7 days later, and it's growing nicely and to the size it's sold in the supermarket. I watered it with rain water from my tank every second day, nothing esle was done to the grass.

Next time I will do these two things differently:
1.
When you look at the grass from the top there are spaces. I'll sow at least double the grains next time. I think they need to completely cover the soil without them sitting on each other.

2.
I will sow three trays, two days apart. This should give me a consistent supply for juicing.

I don't have a specific grass juicer but if my vegetable juicer won't juice it, I'm going to add it to celery or carrot juice and make it that way. I'll go right off if I need a specific juicer.

I hope this encourages some of you to try this. I have a print out here about wheat grass and I'd be happy to supply more info on the vitamens it contains if anyone wants it.

I forgot to add that after the first day I took all coverings off the trays. They grew just as they are pictured in this post outside in my bushhouse.