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Soaking the seed 1 cup/250grams wheat grain = 1 tray (approximately) Soak your seeds for 3-12 hours in a cup/glass or simply by putting them straight into the sprout bag, dipping the whole bag, “seeds and all” into some water. If you do not have a Sprout Bag, you can use a jar covered with a porous cloth secured with a rubber band for easy rinsing. After soaking, rinse quickly with fresh water, then hang on a hook or knob or lay it in the dish rack, or if using a jar, drain out the water and keep on an angle so that it will drain well. You then only need to rinse them twice per day, roughly 12 hours apart. Rinse every 12 hours until you see little white shoots appearing (regular rinsing helps to keep seeds moist while they are germinating). Now you are ready to plant your wheatgrass!

Preparing the tray 1. Line the bottom of the tray with a bleach free paper to stop roots protruding through the holes in the bottom, and to prevent the soil from falling through the tray (optional step) 2. Fill the tray with soil/potting mix so that it is approximately 3cm deep and pat down well. Make sure that the soil/potting mix is damp before you fill the tray.* 3. Gently spread the seed evenly over the soil trying to make sure that it is only a single layer. 4. Water well. Trays can be kept inside or outside. Wheatgrass prefers filtered sunlight to almost full sun. A spot near a window is a good position as natural sunlight is best. However take care on the hotter days as wheatgrass can get burnt tips as well as wilting in hot direct sunlight. *Note: You can use potting mix from your local nursery (Sprout recommends using certified organic potting mixes). If you cannot find a certified organic potting mix, you can use a premium potting mix that is compost based. Try to avoid using potting mixes that have synthetic fertilisers as the nutrient base. You can also use soil from your backyard but make sure the medium that you use is fairly friable, well drained and has plenty of nutrients. A good mix is 50% soil and 50% compost.

Watering 1. Water at least once a day using a light to medium spray, ensuring that the soil is always moist and that the water is getting down to the soil and roots. 2. If possible, water twice a day when the seeds are very young.  If the seeds dry out they can die before they get a chance to take root.  One method that can be used to avoid seeds drying out is to place some material (eg an old sheet that has been ripped up, or newspaper) over the top of the tray until the shoots are 1-2cm high.  Keep the covering damp all the time.

Trouble shooting Mould: Mould growth is very common when growing wheatgrass.  Because the shoots are grown very close together the moist conditions at the base of the shoots are the perfect environment for mould to grow, especially in the warmer times of the year. As annoying as it may be, mould that grows on wheatgrass has been found to be harmless to humans and when you are ready to juice you can cut above the affected areas. One method you can use to reduce mould growth is to use the best wheat grain. Sprout is constantly testing new varieties of certified organic and biodynamic wheats which are less prone to mould. Keep your wheatgrass in a well ventilated position. On the hotter days i.e. temperatures over 30ºc, perhaps move the tray inside or to the coolest place available. Avoid soaking the seed for too long during hotter days. Avoid over watering. Other common problems: Birds, rats and mice - also love wheatgrass. I'm sure you have your own ways to deal with them. Try a Mini-Greenhouse to protect and easily store your crops. Poor germination is often attributed to the seeds drying out directly after planting - use the covering methods described above in the "Watering" section.	Grow Your Own With a little practice and guidanceyou too can be growing your own wheatgrass with great success. For those interested in growing their own wheatgrass at home, we have a choice of wheatgrass kits available. All of our products can be purchased via our online store .
	Sprout Support Should you have questions regarding any of our products or about growing wheatgrass, we are here to help. Please Contact Us Here for support.

Harvesting and using wheatgrass The ideal length to start harvesting wheatgrass is approximately 12cm.  Cut right down to the seed with a serrated knife or scissors and feed into the juicer. Avoid juicing the seeds if you have any gluten allergies. You will need a cold press juicer as opposed to a masticating or centrifugal juicer to juice wheatgrass. For information about wheatgrass juicers refer to our Juicer selection guide . Each tray should yield a minimum of 200 ml of wheatgrass juice.  (Juice quantity will vary depending on the wheatgrass juicer being used).  You will soon learn how much to cut to make a 30ml shot of wheatgrass. For more information on how much to juice and the benefits of wheatgrass please click here . It is possible to cut and use the regrowth after the tray has been used, however the second growth will generally be nutrient deficient so it is better to start a new tray. Once a wheatgrass tray is fully used the leftover mats can be put into your compost. Properly wash the trays for reuse to try and avoid transfer of mould.   You can contact Sprout [HERE]

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