Have you heard about sprouting? It’s a way to garden without having to leave your kitchen. How cool is that?
I have been experimenting with growing fresh greens in my kitchen for me and my bunnies. It’s called fodder when you do it for livestock and sprouts when you do it for yourself. Either way, you’re making fresh, delicious greens right in your kitchen.
Daikon spouts. // Flickr
Keep reading to learn more about sprouting plus win some sprouting supplies yourself! (The giveaway has closed!)
What are sprouts? Sprouts are the stage of a plant between seeds and full-blown plants. The seeds have just shot up into little stalks of greens but haven’t developed true leaves yet. You may have seen bean sprouts on a salad bar. This is that! Although there are lots of different plants you can try.
Why sprout? Because it’s fun and adorable to have little baby plants popping up in your kitchen. Then, it’s convenient to have fresh greens on hand when you want to add a little flavor, nutrition, or crunch to a dish.
What can you sprout? You can grow sprouts of peas, lentils, some beans, radish, broccoli, alfalfa, wheat, barley, or sunflowers. If you win this giveaway from LoveLiveGrow and Mercola, you will get two bags of broccoli seeds and two bags of pea seeds to get you started.
My sunflower sprouts. They’re on their way!
What can you do with sprouts? You can add them to any meal that needs an extra bit of flavor, crunch, or freshness. I tried adding my sunflower sprouts to my salads and in place of lettuce on a sandwich. They were a perfect addition in both cases! You can also add them into your smoothies! Another idea I haven’t tried yet is to use an herb spread on crackers with sprouts on top.
Do they grow in soil? It is possible to grow sprouts without soil, which is what I’ve been doing. However, there are many benefits to using a sprouting soil. You’ll need to use less water and your sprouts will be more robust and tasty. If you win this giveaway, you’ll receive 1 package of Sprout Doctor Soil Enhancement.
Two sets of sprouts. I’m trying out growing them on this shower caddy tray. I start sets at different times so I can always have some getting close to ready.
What other supplies do you need? If you are going to use soil, you’ll need s container with drainage holes and a water collecting tray underneath. I’ve been using simple seed starter six packs, which are available online, or at any hardware, garden, or home improvement store. Once you find out you love sprouting, you can use something bigger like this tray available from Mercola. You can go cheap and simple by growing your sprouts in mason jars. Or you can go all fancy-schmancy.
Broccoli sprouts on day 5. // Flickr
What do you actually do to sprout things? The simple answer? You soak your seeds for 12 hours, put them in your chosen container, then regularly give them water. A few days later you’ll have a little crop of fresh greens! The winner of this giveaway will get an instruction sheet along with your seeds and your soil enhancement. You can also check out this page for very complete instructions.
The Giveaway!
One winner of this giveaway will receive:
- 2 bags of Broccoli Sprouts
- 2 bags Pea Shoots
- 1 Sprout Doctor Soil Enhancement
Sprouted mung beans on day 2. // Flickr
I’ve been using Mercola’s sunflower seeds. They are quality seeds! They are organic, non-GMO, and handled with the intention of being used for human consumption. I have previously used regular sunflower seeds from a feed store. The biggest difference I noticed was that the Mercola seeds germinated MUCH faster!
Each of your seed bags contains several ounces of seeds. This isn’t like the little packets you get for planting outside! You’ll have enough seeds to start several sets of sprouts in succession and be able to enjoy the sprouts day after day after day.
To Enter!
This giveaway is open to US and Canada residents only.
To enter, simply leave a comment here telling me whether you’ve tried sprouts before and what you think you might do with them if you give them a try!
This giveaway closes on Tuesday, January 27th at 8:00pm. The winner will be chosen by a random drawing and announced that evening. Be sure to leave a valid email address so I can contact you!
Thanks! Good luck!
Read Sprouting Seeds in Your Kitchen – A 101 and GIVEAWAY on LoveLiveGrow and leave your comments.