Wheatgrass seed

The wheatgrass seed you use when growing your own wheatgrass is of key importance in influencing the quality of results you get. Poor quality seed can result in your trays giving low yields and less nutritional value from your home grown crop.

Common types of wheatgrass seed are hard wheat berries and spelt grain. Kamut, an ancient Egyptian hard wheat grain is a popular choice for wheatgrass growers. Make sure you use a seed supplier who uses certified organic food grade seed that is meant for sprouting. You should look for seeds that are low in moisture and high in protein. You can sprout your seeds in either sprout bags, hydroponic sprouters or seed trays using organic compost.

You should soak your wheatgrass seed for about 8 hours to start the sprouting process. When you have thoroughly rinsed and drained your soaked seeds you can spread them evenly over your growing medium. It is alright for them to be touching but not overlapping. Too many seeds can result in increased chance of mould formation. When wheat grass (as opposed to wheatgrass) seed is grown outside in fields there is about 3 inches between seeds so that the root system can develop further without competition from neighbouring sprouts. Outdoor farm grown wheat grass has a much longer growing cycle - about 200 days - than indoor tray grown wheatgrass.

In the first 3 days of sprouting especially, it is essential that you do not let your wheatgrass seed dry out. You might like to use a spray bottle for keeping the seeds moist as you have finer control over the amount of water being delivered reducing the risk of over watering them which can increase the chance of mould formation. However misting is not recommended as it does not wash away any bacteria which might contribute toward the growth of mould.

It may be easier and more economical to buy your seed in bulk. If you do buy in bulk make sure that you store your seed in a dry, cool, dark location so that it keeps for as long as possible. Buy smaller quantities of grain in summer as higher temperatures reduce the time the grain can be kept. Large sealable plastic buckets or bins make good storage devices as they can keep out unwanted visitors such as insects or mice and can also prevent moisture from getting to your wheatgrass seed.