HOW TO GROW AND ENJOY WHEATGRASS
Most of you know how much we love our wheatgrass. :) Well growing it is so much better and easier than you can imagine. I will post directions on how to do it, but you can experiment and find the best way for you.
If Chloe is doing the juicing I have to be careful because she drinks as she juices so I might end up with nothing. We add the wheatgrass to our juices and to our smoothies. We usually juice 3 times a day. You can grow it for about .50 a day.
You can juice and do shots of wheatgrass by itself also that are yummy or add it to water.
Below is our Wheatgrass juicer that we won on Raw Food Rehab. We love it for Spinach and Kale also.
This is my little Wheatgrass jar. I usually fill it to the top for two smoothies or two juices.
Health Benefits of Wheatgrass
- Wheatgrass has high amount of antioxidants, and thus helps your body in repairing damaged cells, rejuvenation, and delaying the aging process of skin.
- You can derive the above benefits by directly applying wheatgrass juice on your skin for 10-15 minutes. It gets easily absorbed by the skin, and provides it with many nutrients.
- It is believed that wheatgrass assists in the maintenance of reproductive system in your body. Therefore, one of the wheatgrass health benefits is restoring fertility.
- Drinking juice, extracted from fresh wheatgrass, on a regular basis acts as a skin tonic. It lightens the complexion, cures acne and removes scars from acne and other skin diseases.
- Wheatgrass benefits you by detoxifying your body. It removes toxic metals such as mercury and cadmium from your body.
- It is instantaneously absorbed in the bloodstream and hence acts as a source of immediate energy. Therefore, drinking wheatgrass juice revitalizes your mind and body.
- Wheatgrass picks up 92 out of 102 minerals present in the soil. Since its nutritional value is so high, it prevents you from eating from time to time. This helps you in weight control over time.
- It purifies the blood, which in turn, assists in the cleansing of a number of vital organs like kidney, liver and bladder.
- Wheatgrass can minimize the effect of air pollution on your respiratory system. It is believed to remove the scars from the lungs caused by acids present in the atmosphere.
- Wheatgrass juice when held in mouth for 5-7 minutes helps in the elimination of toothaches and tightening up of gums.
- High amounts of alkaline substances are present in wheatgrass. Thus, its regular consumption will counterbalance the excess of acids produced in your body.
- As per observation, people who take wheatgrass quite often are not only at a lower risk of suffering from dandruff but also from premature graying of hair.
- Health benefits of wheatgrass also include increase in the count of red blood cells and lowering of blood pressure.
- The insoluble fiber present in wheatgrass helps in cleaning your digestive tract. This restores regularity of micturition and defecation.
- Wheatgrass powder benefits is quite popular among body builders. They take it either in the juice or powder form for muscle building. Wheatgrass is an absolute source of proteins and contains 19 out of 20 known amine acids.
- Since it is a very rich source of proteins, it strengthens your immune system. If you take wheatgrass quite often, you are less likely to fall sick.
- Wheatgrass is very rich in chlorophyll, which protects your body from carcinogens quite effectively.
How to grow Wheatgrass:
From the Raw Food Network Website
Step # 1: Pre-sprout/Germinating
Organic wheatgrass seeds are recommended for sprouting to ensure the sweetness of your wheatgrass juice and that it will contain the optimum vitamins and minerals that will boost your health.
Pre-sprouting is so important to ensure a good crop. Follow these steps to pre-sprout your wheatgrass seeds to ensure that your crop grows at a much faster rate.
Measure out a bowl of seeds. Amount: estimate enough to fill one layer of seeds on whatever the size of your tray.
Rinse the seeds in clean water, drain, then soak the seeds in a container with about 2-3 times of cool water.
Soak for about 8-10 hours.
After 8-10 hours, drain the water, then soak them again as in #2 above and soak for another 8 hours.
After the second set of 8-10 hours, drain the water, then soak them once more the same for another 8-10 hours.
Check if it has sprouted roots of at least 1/8 of an inch to 1/4 of an inch.
Step # 2: Preparing the Tray
 | Line the bottom of the tray with unbleached paper towels so that the roots do not protrude at the bottom through the holes in the tray. Fill the tray with pre-moistened soil, compost or potting mix to about one and half inch of the tray depth. Ensure that your soil does not contain artificial fertilizers or chemicals. Always use organic.
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Step # 3: Planting
Lay out the germinated seeds evenly and densely in one layer, on the damp soil in the tray. Gently impressed the seeds into the soil.
Place your tray under indirect sunlight, probably inside your house, near a window and with proper ventilation. Wheatgrass does not like hot direct sunlight.
Step # 4: Watering
The young shoots need to be watered at least twice a day to keep them nice and moist. If the soil gets dry, the young shoots may die off before they root. To help prevent this, put a sheet of damp newspaper over the tray to keep them moist until they grow to about an inch high.
To water, use a spray bottle, adjusting to light-medium. When the shoots are above one inch, probably about day 5, reduce watering to once a day in the morning. But always ensure that the water is just enough to keep the soil damp to the roots. Avoid over-watering.
In warmer and humid climates, mold may tend to grow in your wheatgrass tray. This is a common problem but is harmless. When harvesting, just cut above the affected area, avoiding the mold. A blowing fan during humid days may help prevent mold-growth.
Step # 5: Harvesting
When your wheatgrass grows to about 6 inches (about day 9 or 10), it is ready for harvesting. Use a scissors and cut the wheatgrass just above the seeds. If there is mold, avoid and cut above it. You need about a bunch of the grass to make about 1 ounce of shot enough to give you energy for a day. Cut just prior to juicing to ensure freshness.
A tray the size of 21" x 11" should be able to provide you enough wheatgrass for about 14-18 ounces of juice.
Note: You may continue to water the crop to produce a second or third crop though they may not be as tender nor grow as tall. But you get extra ounces from it. Otherwise, clean the tray and start a new crop.
Step # 6: Juice and Enjoy
To juice wheatgrass, you need awheatgrass juicer or a gear juicer. A centrifugal juicer is not be able to juice wheatgrass, and you may clog up the strainer in the process as it is very fibrous.
Rinse your wheatgrass and juice. Do not take more than one ounce a day if you are not familiar with drinking juices. Wheatgrass juice is such a powerful cleanser that it may cause you some healing reactions.
