Growing Wheat Grass

Please read through this process before jumping in. Paying close attention to cultural issues will save you in the end.

If you’re a pro at this or have worked through these instructions before you can skip down to the bottom for a bare bones instructions with no explanations.

Here we grow!

1. There are 3 phases
   a. sprouting
   b. growing
   c. re-growing

2. a.-b. takes about 10 days and then regrowing takes another 5-6 days

3. Here are the items you will need
   *2 wide mouth mason jars
   *1 flat with clear dome for growing
   *enough soil to fill your flat 2-3 inches(if you want to regrow a second cutting) *if not then you only need 1 inch of soil.

   • winter Hard Red Wheat grass (also known as "Wheat berries")
   • Cheese cloth or another way to easily strain water from the mason jars
     *1 large spoon
   • a non see through hand towel
   • a clear/ bowl or container for sprouting
     *grow light or access to window space with sunlight

Process

1. Measure out and rinse off seeds
   *I started with a 5 lb bag and the suggestion was to use 1 lb per flat however that was producing too many sprouts for the flat so I adjusted to 3/4 cup per mason jar (2) making it a total of 1 1/2 cups of seeds per flat.
   • Fill each mason jar with 3/4 cup seeds and rinse off with warm water swirling the jar as it fills. Dump water from jar and repeat one more time.

1. Now fill the jars to about 2/3 full of warm water and use your non see through hand towel to cover both jars leaving them in complete darkness. Removing the light mimics conditions underground which improves germination.

2. Let the seeds soak in the jars for at least 8 hours no more than 10 hours.

3. Look at your seeds! You should be able to see white dots emerging from one end of the seeds.( this is called the radical or first root) They should be swelling from imbibing water and they should have a sweet smell, almost of yeast. If you have a moldy or foul smell from the seeds you have left them in the water too long and are no good anymore. Another way to confirm this is if the top of your water is frothy when you check on the seeds then they are no good. Don't waste time or money just thoroughly clean all items used and start again.
   

4. Use your cheese cloth or other straining method to strain the water out and repeat rinsing the seeds off with warm water as you did in the beginning. It is important that the water is not ice cold or scalding hot as the seeds are very fragile at this point to temperature differences.

5. Refill the jars to the 2/3 full point and place back under hand towel for another 8 hours.

6. Look at your seeds (AGAIN!)By now you should be able to see the radical/ first root and it may even have a branching or two of additional roots. They should have doubled in size from imbibing water and they should still have a sweet smell, almost of yeast. If you have a moldy or foul smell from the seeds you have left them in the water too long and are no good anymore. Another way to confirm this is if the top of your water is frothy when you check on the seeds then they are no good. If you don't see any radicals then the seeds are no good - either they were left in the water for too long or they are bad seeds. Don't waste time or money just thoroughly clean all items used and start again.

7. Rinse seeds twice as before and then grab your bowl or container ( the flatter the better so any excess water is evenly distributed to reduce mold and uneven germination) and clean spoon. Pour the seeds into the container using the spoon to get every last one from the jars and then evenly spread them out in the container.

8. At this point the seeds should still be wet so no water is needed. Use your hand towel to cover the container so there is complete darkness as this mimics what a seed underground would experience and will give you better germination rates and a more even growth from all the seeds.

9. Check your seeds every 8 hours or so to make sure they stay moist. You will notice the water will pool at the bottom and if there is too much pour what you can out and stir the seeds with your spoon to make sure they are all evenly moist. If you don't check for moisture they will either be too wet and mold or too dry and wither and die. If you notice the top seed dry then use your spoon to gently move the seeds around so they are evenly wet. You can add water but keep in mind the temperature and also the amount. Just a misting or sprinkle is fine. Keep checking your seeds for a day or a little more like this until you can see branched roots in all your seeds. This should culminate approximately a 3 day process.
   
   Congratulations! You've made it through phase one of sprouting and your seeds have now germinated!
   Phase 2: Growing

10. Prepare your flat and dome by making sure there are drainage holes in the bottom of the flat and that both are clean. Drainage holes are extremely important because soil that is too wet is prone to mold which we don’t want to have.

11. Fill your flat with soil. If you are going to regrow for a second cutting then you will want to have 3 inches. I like to use soil from outside at our farm because it’s a biologically active soil which the plants deeply benefit from. Soilless systems and using a bagged soil are inferior to a biologically active soil. This is because plants not only need nutrients but they also benefit from the microbial relationships established with a “live” soil. Also any microbes that may have been in the bagged soil are gone by the time you get your hands on it. It’s been in extreme temps in transit and you have no idea how long it’s been disconnected or where it’s from.

12. Water your soil and let the excess water drain out. Even out the soil so it is a flat surface for the seeds to lay on.

13. Begin to carefully tease out the sprouts and evenly distribute them on top of the soil. Do NOT press them into the soil. Once you have laid out all the sprouts just make sure you have even coverage and adjust as necessary.
    

14. Place your clear plastic dome on top of the flat and set under grow light or in window. For those of you using a window just understand that you will have to turn or rotate your flat once or twice a day to prevent the wheat grass from exhibiting phototropism or a curved growth towards the sun light.

15. Check your sprouts once a day and mist/ sprinkle water over them as necessary. By day 2 of this you should see the hypocotyl or first stem/ leave emerge which will be pale in color and then turn green as it curves upward towards the light.
    

16. It’s all happening so fast now! You will be amazed at how fast this grass grows! Continue to mist/ sprinkle until you have a thick green , short, carpet of grass.
    

17. Now you will want to water from below using a double tray method or just use the clear dome and fill it with some small stones or marbles or whatever you have. Make sure you wash these items to remove any entry point for mold growth. Place your tray on the rocks and then fill the dome/flat with water so the very bottom of the tray with the sprouts can touch the water. The plants will use capillary action to soak up the water from below like they would if they were in the ground. Reducing over head or top watering will reduce chances for mold.
    

18. Keep an eye on the water level and replace used water back to original levels as needed. This will take you 4 more days to the 6 day or so. Generally speaking 6 inches is when you would cut the wheat grass. But alternatively look for the life cycle change which for wheat grass is the onset of maturity evidenced by splitting or growing a second leaf. The beginning of splitting is the ideal time for sweetness and nutrients for wheat grass. After this the plant changes its goals (towards flowering) and therefore the sugars and fibers in the plant change as well.
    

19. You can now cut and juice your grass all at once or in sections if you choose.

Phase 3 Regrowing:

1. Should you want a second cutting just continue to water from below and wait for that grass to spring back.

2. To ensure you get a second cutting pay attention to cultural issues of growing in general. These are things or strategies you can use to prevent and reduce the chances of mold growing. The main problem you will encounter is that the plants are so close together that there is no air circulation which mold loves. Grab that fan or place near a window or outside if you can. Light is another deterrent of mold so keep your shine on! Don’t over water! A soggy soil can’t have air in it and is a breeding ground for mold.

3. Well done you’ve read all this and I hope it makes sense. If you have any questions I would love to answer them in the comment section!
   

**Bare Bones Instructions
( for those of you who have already worked through the instructions before or just want a refresher)

1. Soak seeds for 8-10 hours
2. Strain, Rinse, and Soak for 8 hours
3. Strain and place in container to sprout
4. Mist as needed until ready to plant
5. Place sprouts in flat over soil evenly and cover with dome
6. Grow out to desired height / maturity
7. Cut and enjoy!