Wheatgrass Seeds (NOT to TAS)
Untreated wheat grain (Triticum aestivum) for growing wheatgrass, from 100 g to 4 kg. This product cannot be shipped to Tasmania.
Wheatgrass is the young leaf of wheat, grown thickly on a shallow tray and cut with scissors. A tray is usually ready to cut 7 to 10 days after sowing, or 8 to 12 days from the start of the soak.
How to grow wheatgrass on a tray
- Rinse the grain and pick out any stones or broken grains. Allow about 450 g for a 25 x 50 cm tray.
- Cover it with two to three times its volume of cool drinking water and soak for about 8 hours in a hot kitchen, up to 12 in a cold one.
- Drain, then rinse and drain every 8 to 12 hours in a jar or colander, left upside down so the grain drains, until most grains show a tiny white root tip.
- Spread the grain in one dense, even layer on damp mix or a growing mat and press it lightly onto the surface. Cover the tray and leave it somewhere dim for 1 to 2 days.
- Uncover it and move it into bright, indirect light. Water the mix from below and keep air moving so the grain at the base stays damp but never wet.
- Cut the blades with clean scissors 2 to 3 cm above the mix when they stand 10 to 15 cm tall.
Store cut grass dry and sealed in the fridge at 5°C or colder and use it within about a week. Mould on the grain, slimy brown roots or a sour smell end a tray: compost the grain and mix, wash the tray and sow again.
Food safety
Sprouted grain is a raw sprout and can carry Salmonella, E. coli and Listeria. The NSW Food Authority advises cooking all sprouts thoroughly before eating. People who are pregnant, aged 70 or over, children under 5 and anyone with a weakened immune system should not eat raw sprouts or drink raw, unpasteurised wheatgrass juice. Potting mix can carry Legionella bacteria: follow the warning on the bag, wet the mix down, wear gloves and a P2 mask, and wash your hands afterwards.
Guides and articles
