Sprouted Seeds carry plenty of vitamins, minerals, proteins, and enzymes, all necessary for the body to function optimally. In addition to providing the greatest amount of these nutrients, sprouts deliver them in a form that is easily digested and assimilated.  In fact, they improve the efficiency of digestion.

Sprouts are also deliciously fresh and colourful! They are very inexpensive (even when organic), always fresh (they grow until you chew them) and have the potential to help solve hunger and malnutrition problems in our communities and in developing countries, because they are so rich in nutrients, affordable, and easy to transport before sprouting. – The Wonders of Sprouting by Lucie Desjarlais, RNC

Benefits of Sprouting

Nutritious – seeds are packed with nutrients, sprouted seeds are even better. As each grows, proteins, enzymes, vitamins and other nutrients increase whilst becoming more bioavailable. At the same time toxins and enzyme inhibitors are reduced, increasing digestibility. Sprouts are rich in digestible energy, bioavailable vitamins, minerals, amino acids, proteins, beneficial enzymes and phytochemicals, as these are necessary for a germinating plant to grow. These nutrients are essential for human health.

Fresh – sprouts grown at home and harvested at the dinner table are the freshest food you’ll ever eat. They won’t have lost vitamins like shop bought vegetables or have travelled round the world. They will be organically grown, full of life and energy.

Cheap – sprouting is ridiculously cheap! You can get pounds of greens for pennies.

Easy – it all boils down to “just add water.” With few resources and very little time or effort, you can supply yourself an abundance of live food, in your home, all year round. If you travel, they can too.

Varied – you can grow many more young plants than you would find in a shop, your salads and recipes will always have something new, diversity is the spice of life!

Growth Conditions

Air - as any small plant, sprouts need air to breathe, without it they will succumb to mould and rot more easily. Don’t put them in sealed containers and make sure that they get enough.

Water – after a good soaking, sprouts need water every 12 hours at least and more if its hot. Regularity is key, if they are even slightly deprived in their first few days of life they will be permanently setback. In your efforts to keep them watered, don’t drown them. The sprouts must be allowed to freely drain, else they will soon rot.

Remember: If you let them dry they’ll die. If you let them soak they’ll choke.

Warmth – sprouts need to be kept warm to germinate and grow. Optimum temperatures vary but 70 to 75 f is a good start. Don’t let them get too hot or they’ll wilt, lose vitality and die. Colder temperatures will slow growth and are good for storage, but don’t freeze them.

Space – for best results, give your sprouts some room. Some sprouts can increase up to 30 times their size. Cramming them in a jar or overfilling a tray or bag will force them to compete for light and air, with inevitable casualties. Spread only a thin layer of seeds in trays, keep them mobile in bags and jars and remember they get bigger!

Light – most sprouts can’t use light in the first few days of growth, and many never need it. However, any that produce leaves will eventually need light to ‘green up’. Direct sunlight should be avoided unless it’s cold, as it can overheat your crop. Most sprouts will be fine if they get indirect natural light, there is no need to keep them dark.

Nutrients – adding liquid plant nutrients to the soak water will give the sprouts an extra boost that you will later enjoy. It is not necessary, but will increase their health, longevity and nutritional value. You can also mist the sprouts with a dilute solution after rinsing. Use a few drops of liquid kelp in water, or another organic plant feed.

Growing Containers

Jars – traditionally used for sprouting, free and easy to find, however they are far from ideal. Use them for sprouts that don’t require light, as sprouts in the middle rarely get enough. Avoid overfilling them to counter bad drainage and poor air circulation. Also, rather than using a lid, cover the top in a piece of muslin and invert jar to drain. Removing seed hulls can be a problem.

Trays – the best way of growing light seeking sprouts. They have a large surface area to soak up more light, can be stacked easily to save space, and most importantly, allow the sprouts to grow naturally; upwards. This allows several croppings of the more and less vigorous plants so all can be harvested at their nutritional peak. Cover the bottom of the tray with a thin layer of soaked seeds. Make sure it is at least 2 inches high and has drainage holes smaller than the seeds. Any sort of tray can be used,but if the roots have something to attach to the sprouts will do better and are easier to rinse, drain and clear hulls from. Use a bamboo basket or put mesh in the bottom of a tray, which can be sized for different seeds. Clean with a stiff brush, leave to dry, brush again and try not to be a perfectionist!

To give the sprouts the best conditions it is a good idea to put them in a mini greenhouse which raises and regulates temperature and slows water loss. A clear plastic bag will do, although a custom built one allows for more efficient use of space. Remember to leave enough room inside for air.

Bags – best for beans and grains which do not require light. They allow air to the sprouts, are impossible to break, take up less space than jars and are easier to rinse and drain. Just dip and hang!

Make drawstring bags of any material that allows water and air to move freely but holds the sprouts, the best is hemp or linen as they still breathe when wet and don’t dry their contents too quickly. Put pre-soaked seeds into a moistened bag, dip in rinse water for a minute and hang to drain away from drafts. On each subsequent rinsing move the sprouts around in the bag to stop them rooting into the fabric. Grains and beans expand by about 3 times from dry, so don’t overfill it.

Want to sprout your own seeds? Check out part 2 for detailed how-to instructions and all the super cool varieties of sprouts!

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