EasyGreen Automatic Sprouter

How to use the EasyGreen Sprouter

1. Initial set up (drainage tube and timer)
2. Fill hopper with water
3. Plant your seeds
4. Leave it and watch your sprouts grow!

Obviously the first thing to do when you get your Easygreen Sprouter is to read the instructions as it is a little more complicated than the average sprouter but once you’ve learnt about it and set it up, it is by far the easiest sprouter in our range to use.

We have our Easygreen Sprouter in a corner on the kitchen bench close to the sink for easy drainage. You attach the drainage hose and make sure that it is draining either into the sink or into a bucket. Next you need to set the timer correctly and you only need to do this once.

The timer is designed to water up to 96 times in a 24 hour period but the normal settings recommended are only 7 -10 times/day depending on your climate (details are in the instructions) Once you have set the timer, plug it in and you’re ready to start sprouting. Fill up the 5 litre hopper (water tank) with water (preferably filtered water) and then choose your seed of choice. You can add liquid nutrients into the hopper, such as a liquid seaweed fertiliser if you wish but it is not usually necessary. Sprouts generally have all of the nutrients they need locked into the seed. Sprinkle your seeds in the growing tray, place it into the growing compartment and there you have it – watch them grow!

Tip: If you wet the growing tray with water before you sprinkle the seeds, this will help the seeds “stick” to the bottom of the tray. After that, plant as you will! Fresh sprouts for the family after only 5 -10 days! (depending on the seed) Make sure you fill up the hopper every 2nd day as it goes through about 2.5 litres water per day.

The real advantage of the Easygreen Sprouter is how automatic and easy it is to use. Great for the busy person or perhaps those whose memory is “not as good as it used to be” and keep forgetting to rinse their sprouts every morning and every night. The little mister will quietly go on and off every few hours which remind you to fill it with water every 2nd day.

The easygreen also does the soaking for you. For most other sprouters you need to soak your seeds in a jar of water for about 8 hours before you even plant them.

It does grow a top quality sprout, probably the best out of all of our sprouters for the reason that it oxygenates and mists at very regular intervals. The misting action cools the air down instantly which minimises any mould problems. When we were growing wheatgrass commercially we had our fine misters timed to water for up to 8 times a day for that very reason, i.e. to keep the sprouts cool and to make sure that they did not dry out and die, even on the hottest days.

Cleaning is relatively easy. As with any sprouter, each growing tray needs to be washed after you have taken your sprouts out. I usually give the growing compartment a wipe out every couple of weeks to keep the chamber clean. The instructions go through how to clean the machine properly with options to use bleach or hydrogen peroxide. I’m not into harsh chemicals so I don’t use anything but H2O but sprouts can attract nasty bacteria so it is entirely your choice. It is not recommended to put the growing trays in the dish washer.

Overall, it is the easiest of all of our sprouters to use, and I always find joy in watching sprouts grow. The Easygreen Sprouter is great for those with a busy lifestyle who love their sprouts!

Note: Growing Wheatgrass in the Easygreen Sprouter

Growing wheatgrass in the Easygreen Sprouter is not ideal! As a commercial wheatgrass grower for over 3 years there are a number of factors why we believe that there are better options for growing wheatgrass

1. In our opinion wheatgrass should be grown in soil as apposed to hydroponically (water only). Refer to Hydroponics Vs Soil in one of our previous newsletters.
2. Using soil in the Easygreen can be quite messy and can clog up the drainage tube.
3. It creates a lot of mould in wheatgrass. Because of the fine mist spray, and the height and density that wheatgrass grows to, mould will form a lot quicker than if grown in larger trays and kept in the open air.
4. The easygreen is fantastic for all other sprouts but in our opinion, not for wheatgrass!
5. Wheatgrass is grown far more effectively in trays in the open air – refer to Wheatgrass kits for a better option.