My Sprouting Technique

It's taken almost 9 months to figure out how to efficiently test-sprout seeds. Figured I'd write it up so others can try it. I got a lot of the techniques from edible sprouting instructions.

* I sprout small quantities of seed in a mason jar. I take the top out & screw on a coffee filter to allow air flow. Any container will work as long as it lets air in. I use mason jars because I have a major rat problem here :) So far, they can't chew through glass :D
UPDATE: I found a plastic screw on lid at the Natural Food market in Hilo (near WalMart). It has holes in the lid & fits on a mason jar. It's made specifically for sprouting. Now I can fill my mason jars with water, put the top on & drain out the excess water - a nice improvement & worth the $3 I paid for that lid!

* if I have a tough, thick seed, I nick it with a nail clipper. I nick the *side* of the seed so that I'm sure I won't accidentally nick the important endosperm(?) area on the tip that's going to sprout.

*soak seed overnight, then rinse well. I let them dry for 30 minutes or so, then get the seeds barely moist with a mister.

* I rinse & mist the seed every 12 hours. Repeat until the seeds germinate. Rinsing will keep mold & bacteria from taking over. Misting provides just enough moisture to keep germination going. I actually have TWO mason jars & switch jars every time I rinse. This lets one jar dry out while the other has germinating duty... switching jars *significantly* keeps down mold/bacteria growth. FWIW, I use one of those mesh kitchen drain thingies to strain water out while I'm rinsing the seeds. It doesn't work for tiny seeds tho...I'm still searching for a super fine screen for that job.

*As soon as a seed starts to germinate, I put it in dirt in a dixie cup with a very shallow cover of potting soil ASAP. I use pointed bamboo skewers to delicately 'chopstick' the germinating seed out of the mason jar. Try to avoid touching the sprouting end - it is delicate! The longer you wait, the more of the delicate sprout will be exposed & the higher your chances of damaging the sprout when you move it to the cup.

* Once the seed is in the cup of dirt I watch it sprout & add a smidge of potting soil each day as it grows. I only water using a spray mister. This lets me watch the seed/sprout, how it reacts to water & how fast it germinates. This is the really important step for me, since most of my loss occurred from too much or too little water right after the seed sprouted!

* i keep notes (mostly mental, lol) on how much dirt I added before I saw a second set of leaves. This gives me a good idea of how deep the seed should be planted next time.

So.... the next time I germinate a seed I can throw it straight into dirt. At that point I know a) it is viable seed
b) how much water it needs
c) how deep it should be in the soil
d) approximately how long it will take before I see the first set of leaflets.

I still like to do the overnight soak for all of my seeds since it speeds up the process of germinating. I soak overnight then sow straight in the ground the following morning.

I know this is a lot of time to spend, but I work it into my morning coffee ritual. It only takes 10 minutes each morning once you get the hang of it!