Wheatgrass microgreens are very easy to grow and popular for use in smoothies and juices. They derive from the Triticum aestivum plant. This amazing microgreen is jampacked with vitamins and provides you many health benefits.
What Are Wheatgrass Microgreens?
Wheatgrass is what the name implies, a grass, but a nutritious one we can eat. Grown as microgreens, they are the freshly sprouted first leaves of the wheat plant. Wheatgrass microgreens is a superfood containing high concentrations of digestible nutrients, minerals, and vitamins. On top of this, it’s very easy to grow!
| Growing period | 7-10 days |
| Flavor | Crisp and crunchy with a mild flavor |
| Growing difficulty | Easy |
| Buy seeds | Wheatgrass seeds from True Leaf Market |
Description
It’s said that the use of wheatgrass can be traced back over 5000 years ago to ancient Egypt. The Egyptians discovered the health benefits of eating the young leaves. It’s also known to have a history of being used in the Persian and Indian cultures.
In recent times, we have learned that wheatgrass entered around 1930 when it was used as an experiment by Charles F. Schnabel. He used fresh cut wheatgrass to feed chickens who were dying in an attempt to get them back to health. The hens not only recovered, but they produced eggs at a higher rate than healthy hens.
Today wheatgrass has become immensely popular for use in smoothies and juices due to its nutritious benefits.
General Nutrition & Benefits
Wheatgrass is often is squeezed into juice and provides a healthy supplement to your daily need. It’s packed with vitamins such as A, C, E, K, and B6. Its also rich in calcium, magnesium, iron and they also contain several vital antioxidants.
RELATED: The Most Nutritious Microgreens to Grow and Eat
How to Grow Wheatgrass Microgreens
Wheatgrass is easy to grow. The seeds are fairly large and they need to be soaked before you plant them.
| Growing timeline (estimated) | |
|---|---|
| Presoak | 8-12 hours |
| Preferred medium | Soil/coconut coir |
| Avg. seed weight (10/20 tray) | 3 oz |
| Germination period (blackout) | Day 1-3 |
| Growth time (sunlight) | Day 4-6 |
| Harvest | Day 7-10 |
Rinse your seeds first and then place them in a container filled with water. Keep them wet for around 8-12 hours and then rinse them again.
You can use any medium to grow wheatgrass. We’d recommend a soilless medium such as coconut coir mat which keeps the seeds drained. It’s also less messy than using soil.
Place your medium in a tray and wet it thoroughly. For a 10×20 tray, you can use about 3 oz of seeds. What is important is that you sprinkle the seeds evenly across your tray and avoid overseeding.
Place the tray in a dark space or put another tray on top. This is what we refer to as the blackout period. During two to three days you water your seeds twice a day and keep them in the dark. During this period the seeds will germinate and grow to become grass. You can look underneath the tray that the roots have grown long.
When the wheatgrass has grown to about 1-2 inches tall it’s time to move from darkness to the light. Remove the lid and place them in a spot where they can get some sunlight.
You continue keeping your medium constant moist. As the wheatgrass grows high, it’s a great idea to water them from underneath if you use a bottom tray or rinse them from the side. If you water them from above, you may break them.
When they have grown to anything between 5-12 inches tall you can harvest them. You do so by cutting just above the medium with a sharp knife or with scissors.
Culinary Guiding
Wheatgrass microgreens are commonly used in juices and smoothies. The grass is squeezed into a green healthy drink. However, wheatgrass can also be enjoyed fresh in salads and other meals.
Wheatgrass recipes. Please
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