my wheatgrass growing in 10 x 20 tray and no mold!

[Living Food]

and, bear in mind I at least don't have a fridge even if you lot do.

I would still just harvest and juice the grass as you need it. You're still getting loads of nutrients that way.

[The Sproutarian (Mr Raw)]

Jeez I might as well go back to cooked food for all your pronouncements about nutrition. You are so contradictory.

l only try going with the science Mystic Tree. l'll try to remember to post the charts showing the nutrient peak times and how sharply they rise and decline after the peak day. l've been aware of the problem for many years. l'll also try to remember to post some pics of the peak day and show folks here what to look for....there is always the golden day...the special day when that crop is ready to be juiced.

Truth being told....l cut it as l use it also. l'm not too fussed. l should cut and refrigerate, but l never do. Anyway...don't worry about it, just keep doing what you are doing. BUT...keep in mind that the older the grass gets the lighter in colour it gets too, so yes, it ages very quickly and loses heaps of the goodies within a couple of days. The second growth is only a fraction of the original nutritional value too, so it's always best composted or fed to hens.

[The Sproutarian (Mr Raw)]

Very interesting. I know that the jointing stage is when the grass has the most minerals, but was under the impression that it was just before the jointing stage that the grass has the most energy and nutrients?

The day when the joint appears. Not before, but straight after.

I understand the rationale about harvesting the whole crop so it doesn't go past it's prime, but I still don't like it - I doubt the life energy would remain in the grass for very long after it is cut. .

lf the big wheatgrass guns do it, then it's good enough for me. They don't have to cut it straight after the jointing stage, but they do, so there must be a very good nutritional reason for it. lt is most likely that Dr Valerie Hunt (world's leading bioenergetic doctor and pioneer in the field) did the testing for Hippocrates Health Institute and showed that it actually DOES last an entire week before it declines. All plants foods decline straight away, but not the cerial grasses according to the various big grassmen.

[The Sproutarian (Mr Raw)]

Growing the grass outdoors would solve most of these problems. Growing wheatgrass indoors and forcing it to grow so rapidly is greatly inferior compared to allowing it to mature on its own outdoors in a natural environment.
.

l have a very interesting article about that. l will post it when my soil based fenugreek greens are ready. This is my first fenugreek sprouts ever planted on soil and l am excited and it is going well. Also a source of the highly elusive vitamin D2. l might start growing both chia and fenugreek on soil as a regular thing...far too good to waste as soil-less sprouts. Chia and fenugreek are crying out for a soul, so l am gonna give `em one.

[Living Food]

How long do you grow fenugreek on soil? I've only ever grown it as a soil-less sprout.

[MysticTree]

I'm just so fed up with hearing that everything is so crucial with regard timing. Just eat the blasted stuff stuff or don't. Don't switch between saying things are best the soonest they are cut and that leaving them sit is bad and then say something else should sit cut whilst getting progressively less live. It doesn't make sense.

[MysticTree]

l have a very interesting article about that. l will post it when my soil based fenugreek greens are ready. This is my first fenugreek sprouts ever planted on soil and l am excited and it is going well. Also a source of the highly elusive vitamin D2. l might start growing both chia and fenugreek on soil as a regular thing...far too good to waste as soil-less sprouts. Chia and fenugreek are crying out for a soul, so l am gonna give `em one.

it's got to be less than a couple of weeks since you said you had not the least interest in growing on soil. why the sudden U-turn?

[The Sproutarian (Mr Raw)]

How long do you grow fenugreek on soil? I've only ever grown it as a soil-less sprout.

Not sure yet, but it could be 10 or more days.

[The Sproutarian (Mr Raw)]

it's got to be less than a couple of weeks since you said you had not the least interest in growing on soil. why the sudden U-turn?

l just happened to try it out the other day and have now taken a fancy to the idea. Something tells me it's a good idea, but we'll see... Anyway, since l can't use buckwheat full time because of the toxins, l would like another tray based green to take it's place, and l feel that fenugreek is a worthy and cheap sprout to give the special treatment. l'll soon find out if it makes a suitable microgreen....pics to come soon.

l'm not keen to do chia on soil, but l feel that the sprout is extra worthy of the royal treatment also, more worthy than fenugreek even.

[The Sproutarian (Mr Raw)]

it's got to be less than a couple of weeks since you said you had not the least interest in growing on soil. why the sudden U-turn?

But the real reason for me wanting to grow fenugreek on soil is because l know they will be so much better on soil. They will grow bigger and more robust and the bigger leaves will get really dark green, + it is much less messing around to grow them on soil (no dehulling in a bowl of water and placing them back in jars for another day or two). All l need is to spend 30 seconds planting them and l am done, + an easy water each day.

When you grow fenugreek in jars you get a poor comparison. lt won't grow as well as on soil, the sprouts get cramped up and don't get the nice dark green leaves like they should have, and it takes time to dehull them in water and to turn the sprouts around so they all get some green. Sprouts in jars are imprisoned, but when on soil they are free to reach their true potential. l really feel that soil is best for this sprout.

[MysticTree]

You don't have to convince me; I'm the life-long gardener remember!

[Living Food]

l'm not keen to do chia on soil

Why not?

[dmb2002man]

Funny enough, testing has now shown that cutting the entire tray of wheatgrass on the exact day the jointing appears is the best thing to do...much better than cuttimng more off the same tray batch the next day. Growing wheatgrass an extra day is not good because the nutrition concentration actually goes down and the quality quickly declines in the cerial grasses; experts Michael Bergonzi (considered the world's best wheatgrass grower), Viktoras Kulvinskas and even HHI now do this when necessary. As Micheal says, each day it passes the jointing stage the grass massively ages and deteriorates. l agree. So it is actually best to harvest the entire tray on the jointing day and refrigerate the rest of the grass. lt is perhaps the only land food known that will stay nutritionally in tact for an entire week in a refrigerator.

l don't like that crop of wheatgrass. Some of the grass has gone to jointing stage at an inch high and some of the taller blades of grass are still single bladed. l wouldn't be happy with that grass at all....short and nasty. l would look for better seeds. l've had similar crops before, they are never good.

This is how well grown wheatgrass should look: (master grower Micheal Bergonzi)
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BsEEW8Dor8...h/DSCF0139.JPG

He also gave a good talk recently about this same issue.

thanks for you info but i think my grass looked amazing. They looked alot better in person than with my camera. I bought organic red wheatgrass seeds from wholefoods and i think there fine. Im sure i will get better at this since its my first time with sprouting and growing them and the juice taste exactly like when i use to get shots at wholefoods.

[dmb2002man]

l only try going with the science Mystic Tree. l'll try to remember to post the charts showing the nutrient peak times and how sharply they rise and decline after the peak day. l've been aware of the problem for many years. l'll also try to remember to post some pics of the peak day and show folks here what to look for....there is always the golden day...the special day when that crop is ready to be juiced.

Truth being told....l cut it as l use it also. l'm not too fussed. l should cut and refrigerate, but l never do. Anyway...don't worry about it, just keep doing what you are doing. BUT...keep in mind that the older the grass gets the lighter in colour it gets too, so yes, it ages very quickly and loses heaps of the goodies within a couple of days. The second growth is only a fraction of the original nutritional value too, so it's always best composted or fed to hens.

i wont be using my second batch anymore as it just didn't look nearly as good as the first batch did. I will just be composting it in the future.

[dmb2002man]

I'm just so fed up with hearing that everything is so crucial with regard timing. Just eat the blasted stuff stuff or don't. Don't switch between saying things are best the soonest they are cut and that leaving them sit is bad and then say something else should sit cut whilst getting progressively less live. It doesn't make sense.

I totally agree with you about this. My grass may not be perfect but i am still getting loads of nutrition from it compared to not juicing it at all.