Broccoli sprouts can be grown pretty much anywhere and require very little space or equipment. High in vitamins and antioxidants, broccoli sprouts have been found to contain higher concentrations of cancer-fighting compounds than broccoli grown to full size.
Prepare to Grow Broccoli Sprouts
1Purchase seeds. Use only organic, untreated seeds when growing sprouts. Many seeds sold for planting are treated with insecticides or fungicides. You need 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of seeds for each 5 square inches (13 cm^2) of container space.
2Choose a container with a hard surface that you can sterilize. Clear plastic containers with clear lids, such as those used for sprouts, berries and other produce at the store, work great for growing sprouts. You can use plastic wrap to cover containers that do not have a clear lid.
- The size of the container doesn't really matter as long as it is at least 4 inches (10 cm) deep.
- If you want to grow your sprouts in soil, the container must have drainage.
3Disinfect the seeds and the containers. Fill a bucket with a solution of 9 parts lukewarm water and 1 part household bleach. Soak the containers and the seeds in the water for 20 minutes. Alternatively, you can disinfect only the containers with the bleach solution.
4Soak the seeds in clear lukewarm water for 24 hours if you did not include them in the 20-minute bleach solution soak. Some growers have reported higher germination rates from seeds given the longer soak without the bleach.
5Rinse the seeds and the containers under cold running water after the soak. Place the seeds in a tea strainer to rinse them.
Grow Broccoli Sprouts With Soil
1Put a thin layer of moist, sterilized potting soil in the clean containers.
2Sprinkle the wet broccoli sprout seeds in a thin layer on top of the soil.
3Cover the seeds with another thin layer of moist potting soil.
4Put the covers on the containers or cover the tops with clear plastic wrap. When growing your sprouts in soil, ventilation is not usually necessary. However, if too much moisture should build in the container, make a couple of air holes.
5Place the container in a place where it won't be disturbed and is out of direct sunlight. Until leaves appear the sprouts do not require any light. Kept at a temperature of 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit (18.3 to 23.8 C), the seeds should sprout in 3 to 5 days.
6Move the containers to an area of indirect sunlight on the 4th day or when first leaves appear. Direct sunlight will kill them, but the sprouts need some light exposure now if you want the leaves to stay green.
7Harvest your sprouts within 1 to 2 days after leaves appear. Use your hands to pull the sprouts from the soil and transfer them to a large bowl of cool water.
8Agitate the water to move the sprouts around. This cleans the dirt from the sprouts and causes the hulls from the seeds to dislodge and float to the surface of the water.
9Skim the seed hulls off of the water surface and discard them. The hulls retain moisture, and if stored with the sprouts may lessen their shelf life.
Grow Broccoli Sprouts Without Soil
1Place a few layers of wet white paper towels in the bottom of a sterilized container.
2Sprinkle a thin layer of seeds on top of the wet towels. Leave the seeds uncovered.
3Cover the containers with a clear ventilated lid or use plastic wrap with air holes cut out.
4Place the containers near a window but not in direct sunlight, or put them under a fluorescent light if the room in which you are growing them is not warm enough. When growing without soil, seeds require temperatures to be at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 C) to germinate.
5Harvest the sprouts by hand and rinse them to remove hulls 3 to 5 days after they sprout.
- Broccoli sprouts are best eaten right after harvest. However, they will store nicely in the refrigerator for a few days if they are thoroughly dry. Lay the sprouts in a thin layer on dry white paper towel and allow them to dry for 6 to 8 hours, then put them in airtight plastic containers and store in the refrigerator.
- Extend the life of your stored sprouts by rinsing and drying them again if they are not eaten within 2 days. Always rinse the sprouts in fresh water before eating. Even after storage broccoli sprouts are still alive; therefore they continue to grow, gain in nutritional value, and make waste products.
Things You'll Need
- Organic broccoli seeds
- Growing containers
- Plastic wrap
- Tea strainer
- Potting soil
- Paper towels
Categories: Growing Vegetables
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