problems growing wheatgrass.

I have been growing good wheatgrass for about a year. The last three times I grew wheatgrass I had weird results. I soaked the seeds over night than drained and kept the 1/2 gallon jars covered with a dish towel. I rinsed the seeds each morning and night till the roots were about twice the length of the seeds. I followed the plan I outlined below. For some strange reason my trays had growth all around the perimeter but no growth in the center of the tray. Any thoughts about why would be appreciated.

herbman

To date this is how I grow Wheatgrass. I put the seeds in the freezer for 48 hours. I have read that this will kill any mold that is lingering on the seeds. I put a mixture of 2/3 organic compost and 1/3 seed starting material [vermiculite, Canadian sphagnum peat moss, perlite, dolomitic limestone for pH adjustment, wetting agent] in a 10 by 20 inch bedding plant tray to an even depth of 1 inch. This takes about 8 cups of material. I than spread 3 tablespoons of dried kelp evenly on the material as this will provide minerals and trace elements. I add 3 tablespoons of green sand and 4 tablespoons of ground up eggshells on top of kelp for added minerals. After adding these ingredients I mix them up in the 8 cups of growing material with my fingers before leveling it out. I then add another inch of planting medium on top of the first inch. I Press the growing material down firmly to remove dead air spaces. Sprouted Wheatgrass seeds, the roots twice as long as the seeds, are spread evenly on top. I spray our well water on the tray and let the excess run out the holes in the bottom of the tray. Another tray with no holes is then put underneath. A tray with no holes is placed on top of the seeded flat to keep out the light and hold moisture close to the sprouted seeds for the first two or three days.

Because I have read that mold forms when there is excess moisture, I only water the crop from the bottom. I do this by putting water in the bottom tray that has no holes in it. I put about 12 ounces of water in the bottom tray every time my hand doesn’t feel moisture when I pet the top of the leaves. The roots of the growing Wheatgrass come out of the bottom of its tray and will suck up all the water the plans need to grow. So far, this has produced crops that are lush without much problem with mold. When I do encounter mold at harvest time, I rinse it off under running water. I have read that the mold grows on the wheatgrass not into the stems.

I have found that the clear 8 ½ inch square containers at the salad bar in the grocery store work very well for storing the cut Wheatgrass in the refrigerator. When I asked the store manager how much he would charge me for six empty trays, he gave them to me no charge.


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