Sprouting Sunflower Greens

Our friend Linda taught us to sprout sunflower greens. We tried it but had fungus issue. We have tried again using organic sprouting small sunflower seeds, instead of bird seed, and have had wonderful success.

We are using the potting trays (10" x 20"). We use 6 cups of vermiculite and 2-2.5 cups of sunflower seeds.

Day 1: We soak the sunflower seeds for 8-12 hours, making sure they are completely covered.

Day 2: After soaking we drain the water onto the vermiculite. This water has nutrients in it. We spread the seeds evenly over the vermiculite and cover with a second tray to emulate darkness.

Twice a day we water the seeds, draining off the access water for 10-12 days.

Around day 4, once the seeds begin to sprout, keep the cover off the tray. Move the seedlings to a well lite area.
When watering for the next week, gently rub your hand over the seedlings to assist with the removal of the shells.

Around day 10 cut the seedlings to store in the refrigerator in a produce bag. We wrap ours in a paper towel and then place them in a plastic bag.

We give our roots and vermiculite to our chickens to scratch and enjoy or it can be composted.

We wash our used trays with a vinegar solution and dry for the next round of sprouts.