Growing sprouts: Instructions & tips for choosing seeds

Sprouts are a delicious addition to many dishes. Growing sprout is very easy - even without a sprout glass.

In winter, the supply of vitamins from your own garden is often small. But sprouts or seedlings can be grown indoors even at this time of year. They provide vitamins and nutrients and refine wraps, salads, soups and more. In this article you will learn what you need to consider when growing sprouts and how you can grow sprouts without sprout glass draw.

pull sprouts

Sprouts are the germinating seeds of plants that are suitable for consumption. If you want to grow sprouts, you only need a few materials and the sprouts are ready to eat after a few days.

Which seeds are suitable for sprouts?

In addition to the well-known soybean sprouts, a large number of other plant species can be used for the cultivation of sprouts. In our review article on

sprouts we have summarized many suitable plants. Garden centers and online shops often offer sprout seeds that have been specially cleaned and have a low contamination and pathogen load. This reduces the risk of bacteria or mold spreading through the sprouts and making you sick by eating them.

The right location for sprouts

Sprouts need little space to grow and otherwise make hardly any demands on the culture. The sprouts germinate best in a container in a bright place without direct sunlight at around 18 to 22 °C.

Tip: Incidentally, you do not need soil to plant sprouts. The seedlings have such a short life that the energy reserves from the inside of the seed are completely sufficient.

Instructions: Grow sprouts without a seed glass

If you don't have a sprout jar, you can use a clean mason jar with a filter cloth. Germ or sprout trays, in which the seeds lie on a sieve directly above a water tray, are particularly pretty to look at. For your own cultivation with a germination tray, proceed as follows:

• Clean the seeds thoroughly under lukewarm tap water.
• Then the seeds are swollen. Depending on seed size, this should take around 6-12 hours. Hard-shelled, large seeds are kept longer in the spring bath.
• Pour off the water and spread the seeds evenly on the sieve of the germination tray. The lower bowl is then filled with water until the water just touches the sieve.
• Change the water daily for the next few days and spray the young seedlings as needed.
• The sprouts are ready to eat after about 3 - 5 days, when the cotyledons are visible but not yet fully developed.

Tip: If you let the small sprouts continue to grow for a few days, they are called microgreens. Our special article tells you how Growing microgreens at home.

The right care

If you grow sprouts yourself, you should always ensure a clean environment. All utensils must be cleaned before use. Also, wash your hands before working with sprouts. Because the humid and warm germination conditions ensure that the sprouts germinate, but are also an ideal breeding ground for bacteria and mold. You should check the water level in the bowl regularly and refill it if necessary. The water in the bowl can be changed once a day to keep the sprouts hygienic.

Harvest sprouts

When your sprouts have finished germinating after a few days, smaller sprouts such as alfalfa sprouts, cabbage sprouts, onions or beetroot are simply removed from the bowl by hand. With larger seedlings, such as those of sunflowers, chickpeas, beans or radishes, you can also cut off the sprouts with scissors just above the sieve.

If you're keen on growing your own sprouts, read our article on sprouts of broccoli. There you will find out why Broccoli Sprouts are particularly healthy and what needs to be considered when growing them.