Name: Alfalfa Microgreens Sprouting Seeds
SKU: 1057734

Alfalfa, Arabic for 'father of all foods' which is very appropriate as it is packed full of lots of different vitamins & nutrients. Alfalfa is a bean sprout and looks a little bit like Cress. It's great for adding a crunch to salads and is mild in flavour. Best eaten as soon as possible...the sooner the crunchier!

Alfalfa can be grown as a Microgreen or a Sprout.

How to grow Alfalfa Sprouting Seeds:

Equipment
Alfalfa Sprouting Seeds
Bamboo Paper

Culture

1. Make sure that the Sprouter is super clean and sterile.
2. Place the seeds in the bottom of the Sprouter (no grid tray in place).
3. Cover the seeds with tepid water. Stir the seeds to ensure that all the seeds get soaked, a vital process for smaller seeds. (Use water that is at room temperature, water that is either too hot or too cold can shock the seeds and also slow the germination process).
Don't put too much seed in the tray, allow the seed sufficient room to expand… insufficient space will lead to mould issues as air cannot circulate sufficiently.
4. After the initial soak of 8-12 hours, skim off any floating seeds, empty the water by using the grid tray, so that the seeds get caught in the grid, the seeds should be left damp and not swimming in water. Drain as much of the water as possible.
NOTE - if using small seeds then the Bamboo paper needs to be placed on top of the grid otherwise the seeds will fall through the grid tray!
5. Place grid tray with seeds in the Sprouter and cover with clear lid.
6. Rinse 2-3 times per day with room temperature water, by running water through the seeds on the grid tray. Use lots of water and if possible, rinse under high-pressure water. Drain as much of the water as possible.
7. Continue rinse cycle until harvest.
8. Let the sprouts sit for 8-12 hours after their final rinse and extremely thorough drain before refrigerating them.

Hulls may be removed but they are not harmful to eat, removal helps to minimise spoilage in storage.

Alternatively, they can be grown as a Microgreen:

Plant 2-3 teaspoons of seed for a 5x5 tray on thoroughly moistened compost
Cover your crop with another tray, or a plate - to keep light out and moisture in.
Keep your compost moist by watering lightly as needed. Don't drench!
Use Coconut Coir and you likely won't have to water at all after planting!
When your plants have begun to show leaves, remove the cover and move your crop to a well-lit location.
Harvest when the leaves are open and 2cm - 7cm tall (day 5-14).
Cut just above the medium, with scissors or sharp knife.

Did You Know?

We now stock growing essentials for Microgeen and Sprouting growers, you can find the full range

Feeling daunted by the world of Microgreens and Sprouting and don't know where to start...then why not have a look at our starter kits for inspiration: