Fresh. Easy. Delicious.

By Janet Wilson |Prescott Gardener

For many home gardeners, winter is a quiet time. For those who want fresh greens in the winter, growing sprouts is a fun and easy way to garden indoors. Loaded with essential vitamins and minerals like magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin A, and vitamin C, sprouts can be enjoyed on salads, in wraps, on sandwiches or by the handful!

Supplies

Soil - standard germination mix

Organic fertilizer - composted manure and sea kelp meal

Tray - standard bread pans

Seeds - Radish, alfalfa, broccoli, or sunflower

Newspaper - 1 full sheet per tray, black and white print only

Watering can

Measuring cups and spoons

Grow Your Own Sprouts

Soak 1 tablespoon of seeds for about 8 hours. Refer to seed packet as soaking times may vary. Drain and rinse your seeds. Set aside.

Sprinkle ½ teaspoon kelp meal and 1 tablespoon composted manure on the bottom of bread pan. Cover compost with 3 cups of soil. Sprinkle soaked seeds evenly on top of soil.

Cover bread pan with pre-soaked, lightly wrung-out newspaper.

Store tray in a cool, dark space like a kitchen cabinet for 2-3 days. Check daily to make sure it has not dried out. Sprinkle water on the seeds and re-soak the newspaper as needed.

Once the sprouts have started to grow, set pan on a bright windowsill. For the next 3-4 days, keep the soil moist without oversaturating.

When sprouts have reached desired height, harvest with scissors. Rinse thoroughly and enjoy!

I was introduced to this method through Peter Burke’s book, Year-Round Indoor Salad Gardening, and I highly recommend it as a resource guide. Growing your own sprouts is a fun activity for the whole family with a fast reward – from seed to harvest in a week!