PhotoEssaySproutsAndGreens

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Growing Sprouts and Greens...Unbelieveably Easy, Fun & Tasty!

I decided to do this after I had already started the process, so I do not have pictures of the first steps.

Step 1: Seeds:
I started with 3 seed bags:
Bag # 1 contains 1 heaping tablespoon of a spicy blend of Sprouting Seeds
Bag # 2 contains 1 cup of organic sunflower seeds in the hulls
Bag # 3 contains 1 cup of organic buckwheat groats

Step 2: Soaking the seeds
After placing the seeds in the individual bags, I filled a bowl with filtered water and soaked
the seed bags overnight.

Step 3: Drain, Hang, & Dip
The bags were removed from the water after their overnight bath. This next step gets
into the real technical part-- the hanging of the bags. I use an inexpensive item known as a
rubber band and wind it several times around the neck of the bag. Then a large paper clip is
opened up. One end get attached to the rubber band, the other end gets hung on a metal
rack, which in a former lifetime was a paper towel holder

3 Bags Hanging from the metal holder

They are dipped 2 times a day in cold water,
swishing them around for about 30 seconds.

Then they are rehung. A pan is placed
beneath the bags to catch the drips of water.

The process is repeated for 3 days.

Step 4: Planting the Seeds:
The sunflower and buckwheat seed
bags are removed from the metal
holder


   Here are the Sunflower Seeds: After 3 days they have developed some nice roots.

     A 2 tray system is used. The tray that
     holds the seeds has holes in it so water
     can be wicked up into the compost.

     The bottom tray is solid.

     Fill the holed tray with organic compost.
     Mist it if it is dry. Spread your bag of seeds
     over top.

  Water is then added to the bottom tray so it is completely covered. This will keep the seeds
  with the right amount of water needed. In this step the seeds are not watered from the top.
  The seeded tray is now ready to be fitted into the water tray.

   The process is then repeated with the buckwheat groats, using the 2 tray system. The tray
   with the holes is filled with compost. The buckwheat groats are spread evenly over the compost, which
   has been misted if it is dry.

          Sunflower Seed Tray                                                                                                     Buckwheat Tray



       The buckwheat seed tray is then placed on top of the sunflower seed tray. A third tray is placed on top
       of the buckwheat seed tray and filled with books to weight it down. The purpose of this is to keep the
       seedlings out of the light and weighted down so their roots push deeply into the compost. They are
       left like this for 3 days...with no light and with enough water in each bottom tray to keep them flourishing.





   Step 5: The Great Unveiling!
   After 3 days, these little babies are just jumping to get out, some begin to poke their heads out
   of the sides of the trays. They are weighted down so that their roots will embed and start developing
   a strong sytem.

                   Tray 1 Uncovered

                    Sunflower Seeds

                                                                                                       Tray 2 Uncovered

     Both trays are then moved to a location where they will receive some nice sunlight. We have set
     a rack stand by the window in the front room of our house.

       Buckwheat Groats Moved to Sunny Location

                                                                                                              Sunflower Seeds on Rack

      Step 6: DAY 1: Sunbathing

Seeds for Change Wellness

Sprouts & Greens! January 2008 by Susan Anderson

Last August while attending the Graduate Class at the Nature Lyceum on Long Island in New York one of the
instructors, Fred Garofalo taught us how to grow sprouts and greens. I have been having fun with this and my
family loves them.

Thought I would post a photo essay of this process to show you what I have done and what it looks like. Give it a
try! It tastes great, is easy to do, and best of all --- it is healthy for you. Then if you really want to try something
different, visit the Nature Lyceum yourself for a great two day program in Environmental Horticulture that will affect
you on a level that few other schools can do...let this be your year to attend!

- Susan Anderson, 1/13/09

The nice thing about this location is that I can control
the amount of light, by adjusting the shade and the
floor lamp lighting.

It takes about 3-4 days for the seeds to really green
up and stand tall before I can harvest them

DAY 2: More Sunbathing

We have misplaced the recharging cord for the good camera so we are now working with an
oldies but not really goodie to take these pics. The sun is shining into the window strongly
today leaving a glare on the seedlings. But as you can see, they are beginning to stand
taller and are getting greener. I need to turn the little guys around so they get equal
exposure.

Sunflower Greens Buckwheat Greens

Day 3: Still Sunbathing

Sunflower greens in their last day of sunbathing...they look so yummy, unfortunately this
old camera is having some trouble showing what they really look like, but believe me
their fragrance is magnetizing and they are calling to be picked...oops, my fingers
accidentally snapped a few off, guess I will have to eat them now...mmm, mmm, good!

Here is the Buckwheat groats, but I am having a real tough time getting a good photo, so just
imagine what they look like.

Harvest Time: Sunflower Greens

The sunflower greens were the first to be harvested, using kitchen scissors to snip them from the
tray. They are then placed in a salad spinner to rinse and hopefully help to release some of the
hulls still attached, those little black heads your see in the salad spinner bowl.

A nice bowl of greens was harvested from the Sunflower batch and the tray will be placed back on the
window sill so that the greens that were crowded out now have enough room to wiggle their way into the
spotlight.

The salad spinner didn't do what I wanted it to do...release those little shells so I wouldn't have to hand pick
them off...maybe I should have done the spinning first and the rinsing second? Will try on the buckwheat.

Harvest Time: Buckwheat Greens

Look At These Beauties!

Preparing for a Haircut

Snip, Snip, Snip!

What Happened to All My Friends?

Resting in the Spinner

The Final Result

My Bowl Runneth Over!

How about that for a harvest of fresh greens in the middle of a
snowy January day in Pennsylvania?

To learn more about what you can do to grow organically, get in touch with Jeff Frank, Director of the
Nature Lyceum, a school for organics on Long Island and the home of the famous Green Guerrillas