Sprouting Made Simple

I have a new toy.
Always looking for ways to incorporate healthy options into my diet,
when I spied this new method for sprouting seeds,
I was all over it.

This is the bean screen system by the Masontops company.
It comes with two BPA-free lids that screw right on 
to any sized wide-mouthed mason jar.

The silicone ring ensures a tight seal,
 so that the lid stays put.

I'd been thinking about starting sprouts again,
and decided that this would be a great long-term solution.
I've grown sprouts in jars using a piece of screen and a rubberband,
but this system really makes it so much easier.
For one thing, all parts are dishwasher safe,
if you want to make sure they are squeaky clean between uses.

The lids get screwed onto the jar containing your seeds,
then water is added to rinse them twice a day.
The holes in the lids keep even smaller seeds like alfalfa, corralled.
Another use I recently read about, 
was someone who used one of the jars as a fruit fly trap in the summer,
putting a bit of cider vinegar in the jar and leaving it on the counter.
The fruit flies could get in, but couldn't get out.
I'm gonna be trying that trick out!

Complete instructions come with the kit,
which helps if you've never attempted this before.

 A couple of features of this kit that are especially appealing:
 1.  The jar can be inverted to provide proper drainage.
Seeds should be damp, but not sitting in water.
Once the seeds are rinsed, you simply turn it upside-down on a dishrag.
This makes it so much easier than the old way I was sprouting,
because once I rinse my seeds, I can walk away until the next rinse.
2.   The jar can be laid on its side once you are greening up the sprouts.
Putting it right on a windowsill will ensure they get lots of light.
The design of the lid keeps the jar from rolling around.
Brilliant!

This batch of alfalfa seeds was started last Friday.
It should take about a week to ten days to fill the jar.
I'm looking forward to having fresh sprouts for my daily salad,
sandwiches, or adding to other cooked veggies.
It will be especially useful next winter,
when the colder temperatures 
keep greens from growing in the garden.
With two lids, a new jar can be started every week or so,
to ensure that the sprouts just keep on coming!

You can find out more about The Bean Screen
(including a how-to video)
here.

(I'm not compensated for promoting this product,
I just like to keep the good stuff moving.)

Garden Friday

Thanks to scenes like this...

 not much happened in the garden this week.

The broccoli had barely come up

when the snow decided to come back for a visit.

Fortunately, these plastic buckets have lids,

so it was just a matter of covering them up during the coldest parts of the day.

 Most of the time, the newbies have been living in the utility sink

inside the house.

It's only a little warmer there.

 The seedlings that had germinated a few weeks ago

have been taken in and out to catch what sun we've had.

curly kale

The cauliflower pot was covered with a pillowcase

and doesn't seem to have minded the frosty weather. 

It's still growing well.

A few leek are trying to make their way out of the soil.

They are looking forward to warmer temperatures.

We've recently ventured into growing microgreens.

These broccoli sprouts were started a week ago.

They should be ready for pickin' today.

 Here are the alfalfa sprouts we grew a few weeks back.

They were rinsed and dried and made ready for...

a tasty lunch.

The flavor is so vibrant, you just know it's good for you.

Hopefully, with warmer weather looming,

we will have more goodies to plant.

What's going on in your garden?

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Garden Friday

A couple of weeks ago,
I got a boatload of seeds in the mail
from my friends Faye & Lynn.
Slowly, I've been planting my "tin can garden"
and using plastic buckets acquired from the grocery store to sow the seeds.

Everything is coming along nicely, and we've even had a bit of rain.
Nice when Mother Nature cooperates.
I noticed broccoli coming up yesterday.  Yippee!
This week, a bucket o' carrots was sown.

I used shredded leaves in the bottom for aearation

(and to keep the pot lighter).

This time, I used the secret ingredient in the mix.

Turkey pellets have given Faye & Lynn's crops a remarkable boost.

Thankfully, they shared some of it with me.

I was able to fit a dozen seeds in this 3 1/2 gallon bucket,
placing them in a circle around the perimeter of the pot.
With only 1/2 inch needed between plantings,
they should have plenty of room to grow.

More leek was sown as well because,
really, can you ever have too much leek?
Another can of thyme and parsley was planted,
as the containers planted a few weeks ago are slow in growing.
Maybe I'm getting a bit impatient?

The alfalfa sprouts managed to green up.
They will be used on sandwiches.
It was a fun process,
so I started a batch of broccoli microgreens yesterday.

I added a loose soil mix to a plastic container
(no holes in the bin).

These should not last long, as C and I both love broccoli!

The soil mix was pressed down to make it denser and avoid air pockets.

The seeds were generously spread in the tray.

A wet paper towel (instead of another layer of soil)

was placed on top and pressed down once again

so that the seeds make contact with the moisture.

 

Add a bit of water, close the lid and keep it in a dark  place for a few days.

Check on germination by pulling back the paper towel.

Once germination has taken  place, put it near a sunny window

and let them grow until you are ready to harvest.

I put the cover on overnight to keep the moisture in

and watered only every other day or so.

This weekend we have the possibility for snow!

I thought the frigid weather was on its way out,

but Mother Nature had other plans.

The seedlings in tin cans are brought in every night,

but the crops planted in buckets can stay outside,

as long as their covers are in place.

This container gardening has so many advantages,

I can see that now.

It's not how I expected to be growing food,

but it sure keeps things interesting.

Changing the clocks back this weekend,

means we'll have more time in the evenings to garden.

Enjoy your weekend!

Garden Friday

Spring Fever has hit around here.

Seeing the season come alive with buds-a-bursting and blooms-abounding

has sent me outside to get started with our first garden in North Carolina.

Pansies are a favorite, 
with their sweet faces smiling up at the sun.

It was just too hard to resist picking up a few of these

in colors of yellow, orange and violet.

 At our local farmers' market,

we were able to pick up a few cauliflower starts.

 This is the Snowball variety.

Although I've never grown these before,

I am looking forward to seeing how similar they are to broccoli crops.

It felt good to be out in the dirt again.

These two larger pots were left here by the previous tenant,

so we put them to good use.

Until I get some more pots, 

I'll be using tin cans, eggshells and toilet paper rolls

in which to sow my starts.

 A sunny side porch will give these a good dose of just what they need.

We picked up some seeds at Renfrow's when we were there the other day.

Although their selection is ginormous, 
I restrained myself and bought just these few.

That gives me an excuse to go back and pick up some more! 

In case you missed our post about this amazing mercantile, read this.

Here are some of the cans we've been saving

to use for our seedling starts.

A nail to pierce the bottoms is all that is needed for drainage.
These can be used again and again,
as seedlings are transplanted in the garden.
Recycling at its best! 

They have a place near a sunny window,
and have even spent some time outdoors,
now that we're consistently in the 70's during the day.
At night I bring them back inside and place
a cover over them to hold in the heat and moisture.

We're also experimenting with micro greens.
Micro greens are a bit different than sprouting,
in that they require soil and not just water for starting.

These alfalfa sprouts were started this past Monday.

Using an old bakery container (no holes in bottom),

I added some seed starter mix and sprinkled the alfalfa seeds liberally over the top.

Instead of covering the seeds with dirt, 

we used a wet paper towel.

It's important to compact the soil with your hand first,

and then again when the seeds are added.

Adding a bit of water to the container 

ensures that the seeds will not dry out.

Closing the lid helps keep the seeds moist as well.

The container was then placed in the food pantry,

as this step does not require light for the seeds to sprout.

I checked on them yesterday morning,
and this is what I found under the paper towel.
Amazing!
At this stage, they are placed near a sunny window
(with the lid open)
to collect the precious rays of the sun to allow for photosynthesis.
Then they'll actually look like micro-greens! 
You can find the tutorial I used here.

I'm so excited to be growing at this time of the year,
knowing that we will most likely be able to keep the garden
busy up until the next spell of cold weather.
Since we're renting, we have to make certain concessions
with regard to our garden plan,
but I recently took steps to help that along.
(More about that soon.)
Something wonderful came in the mail yesterday
that will help us get the garden going even sooner.
I'll share that next week.

Have you started your spring garden?