Growing Wheatgrass - fun and easy

For a 11"x 21" greenhouse tray you'll need:

• One greenhouse tray, without drainage. (option - one 11x21 or two 11x11" trays with drainage to fit inside each undrained tray.) 

• Wheat seed (wheatberries) preferably organically grown, about 1.5 cup, 275 g, 10 oz. Spring wheat and winter wheat are both fine, as long as they are healthy seed suited for wheatgrass.

• One of - baby blanket (felted jute matting) or unbleached paper towels to fit the tray. (option - you can use soil or compost, but you'll need a tray with drainage, and something to catch drips)

• Polyethylene sheet large enough to cover the tray. This is used to keep moisture in during the early stages of sprouting.

• Option - spray bottle for moistening seeds.

• Option - Kelpman kelp fertilizer, mixed according to directions.

Day 1
           - Wash the seeds in clean water, drain, and refill container to soak the seeds for 8 to 12 hours. (option - soak seeds in Kelpman solution)
           - Line the  tray with baby blanket, or a couple of layers of unbleached paper towels. Saturate the liner with water and drain off excess.
           - Spread the soaked seeds as evenly as you can over the wet liner. It should be approximately one layer of seeds.
           - Loosely cover with the poly sheet, to keep in moisture.

Day 2 and 3
           - Lift plastic and spray or sprinkle seeds to keep moist. They should be moist but not standing in any water.

Day 4
          - Wheat should be starting to grip the towel or baby blanket. If firmly attached, you may be able to lift the matting and pour 1/2 cup water into the tray.

Day 5
         - Add approximately 1/2 cup water daily.  Adjust to your conditions, more water if it seems too dry, less if too wet. You can allow the leaves to lift the loose polyethylene cover, in dry conditions. Remove if conditions are moist or mould is noted.

Day 6 to 9
         - Continue adding water every day. (option - you can use Kelpman solution for some of the watering) You may need to increase the water quantity a bit as the wheatgrass gets taller.

  Day 10 and beyond    
        - Cut the wheatgrass as needed, with a scissors or sharp knife. Cut close to the roots, but above any traces of mould that might be evident at the root level. Rinse and juice with a wheatgrass juicer, or grind in a blender with water and strain.

If you continue to water the wheatgrass, the remainder will continue to grow for 5 or 10 more days as you use it.

HINTS-
-Grows OK between 60F and 75F, ideal temperature is 67F.
-Pre-sprout the wheat for a day or two in a jar or sprout bag to shorten the growing time in the tray.
-Avoid direct sunlight, bright indirect light is OK. Fluorescent light is OK as well.
-Dry air is preferable to humid, if mould is a problem.
-A fan to move air might also be useful if mould is a problem.
-Wheatgrass can be cut as short as 3.5" tall, may get 7 or 8 inches tall.
-an 11x22inch tray can produce about 8 to 20 oz. of juice when harvested and juiced. Quantity depends on the juicer used and the growth stage.