Grow Alfalfa

Sprouting is the practice of soaking, draining and then rinsing seeds at regular intervals until they sprout.Sprouts are infants, green baby plans, which with help of photosynthesis create their own food. To do that, they need sunlight so they fallow the sun from dawn to dusk. These “baby” vegetables are grown from seed to salad in only week. Also moisture and warmth are necessary for sprouting. Some sprouts, such as mung beans, can be grown in the dark. Little time, effort or space is needed to make sprouts.
To sprout seeds, the seeds are moistened, then left at room temperature in a sprouting vessel.

Sprouts are rinsed as little as twice a day, but possibly three or four times a day in hotter climates, to prevent them from souring. Each seed has its own ideal sprouting time. Depending on which seed is used. After three to five days, they will have grown to two or three inches in length and will be suitable for consumption. If left longer they will begin to develop leaves, and are then known as baby greens. The growth process of any sprout can be slowed or halted by refrigerating until needed.

One of the most common sprouts is the alfalfa sprout. Another common sprout is mung bean often sold as ‘Chinese Bean Sprouts’. Other seeds that can be sprouted include adzuki bean, basil, broccoli, buckwheat, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, chia seed, chickpeas, coriander, clover, cress, dill, fennel, fenugreek, garlic, green lentils, mustard, oats, onion, black-eyed peas, green peas, pigeon peas, snow peas, peanut, pumpkin, radish, rye, sesame, soybean, sunflower, watercress, wheat berries and other.

Many varieties of nuts, such as almonds and peanuts, can also be started in their growth cycle by soaking and sprouting, although because the sprouts are generally still very tiny when eaten, they are usually called “soaks.”

Soaking is done in vessel and there are many different types of vessels which can be used. One type is a simple glass jar with a piece of cloth secured over its rim. Clear plastic sprouters are commercially available, allowing a number of “crops” to be grown simultaneously. By staggering sowings, a constant supply of young sprouts can be ensured. Any vessel used for sprouting must allow water to drain from it, because sprouts that sit in water will rot quickly. The seeds will swell and begin germinating within a day or two if not rinsed and drained.