Growing Wheatgrass – a beginners guide
This guide shows you one common way to growing wheatgrass at home. Because
wheatgrass isn’t frequently available in the average high street, many
juicing enthusiasts look to growing wheatgrass at home. You may be able to find
wheatgrass in specialist health food stores, alternatively you can buy
organically grown wheatgrass online.
Soak around 500g of your wheatgrass seeds in water for 8 hours. 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.
Spread the seeds evenly over the compost mix. Add another half inch of soil
your growing medium 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. It is vital to keep your soil moist whilst the wheatgrass is
growing so the tray should be watered everyday. You should then cover the tray
either with moist newspaper, another tray, or plastic bubble wrap. This covering
helps to keep the moisture in.
After 3 days the wheatgrass should be a couple of inches in height. 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 Wheatgrass in direct sunlight as this can cause drying out of the soil which
inhibits growth. The sunlight will enable the sprout to produce chlorophyll
which will quickly transform the yellow wheatgrass sprouts to a vivid green
colour.
You should harvest when the wheatgrass is about 7-8 inches in length as this
is when it is at it’s 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.
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. For more
information see the wheatgrass FAQs.
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 of wheatgrass 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!
