Very cheap, quick, simple and tasty salad veg to grow at home

[bobnewboy]

Hi All,

The missus suggested we had a go at this, and it has worked out very well. All you need is:

1. A sunny windowsill.
2. A small plant tray or low-sided pot, with about an inch of compost in it (homemade for super cheapness )
3. A packet of dried peas - 60p in our local supermarket. We used about 40p’s worth, but its a fair sized tray.
4. About three weeks
5. A pair of scissors or a sharp knife to harvest.

https://flic.kr/p/2nieGzf

Method:

1. Soak peas in tap water for 12-24 hours.
2. Distribute the soaked peas in a single layer on the compost with no spaces between.
3. Cover with a very thin layer of compost.
4. Water a little every few days.
5. Wait three weeks-ish, until there’s a 4-6 inch deep carpet of peas shoots.
6. Harvest as much as you want to eat, ensuring that where possible, a single pair of leaves remain on each plant base. The plants will regrow at least once. You can see this on the left corner of my tray in the photo.
7. Eat and enjoy with other salad veggies etc. Just like in a posh restaurant
8. Recycle. When the plants no longer sprout again, put the contents of your tray/pot back in top your compost pile. You

 

[British Red]

Love it!

 

[Robson Valley]

For the second time, I have bought seeds: Sunflower, Peas, Alfalfa, Mung beans and Red Clover. To that, I have bought 4 dozen fiber germination pads this time(Lee Valley). Probably spent no more than $100 this time. The germination percentage is really good, I'll say 90% or more.
First trial was to soak the seed, drain and place in bright light in 1 liter glass jars with screen tops, wash water every day.
BUT
They sprout, extend maybe 1/2" and die. Everything, every time. Expensive and useless food resources.

What else is there to try?

 

[Toddy]

You're trying to sprout them, to eat as 'sprouts' ?
or are you trying to sprout them to grow on as seedlings ?

Two very different things.
Sprouting them is simply germination and a short rapid growth.
They need clean rinsing water, gentle warmth and at best indirect light to encourage them a bit.
Putting them in full sun with nothing for their roots to actually get into, they rot and go to mush.

I grow mixed seeds for sprouts all the time. I do it on the draining bit of the kitchen sink. That's in very poor light indeed, but my sprouts grow well and never go to mush.
I have a neighbour who does the whole process really slowly because she sprouts them in the salad drawer of her fridge. We eat too many to take that time.

Growing for seedlings/ fresh greens as Bobnewboy did, then they need the roots downwards and they do need good light.

 

[Robson Valley]

I want to eat them as very young plants. I don't care what a plant under 5cm is called. Sort of a simple salad. Location and technique seems irrelevant. They sprout 12mm and die. Always. Predictable.
I can buy bricks of alfalfa sprouts most weeks in our little grocery store, Alfalfa (aka Lucerne) and 12 -20 radish sprouts.

Nobody on earth has ever been willing to tell me about the optimum temperatures for growing these. Some sort of a secret. I even have plug-in, thermostat-controlled hot mats for seedlings = useless.

It's not about the money. I'd just like to know how to do it.

 

[Woody girl]

For alfalfa, I just use a kilner jar, or any other wide mouth jar, (pickled gherkin jars are good)
Some muslin over the top held on with an elastic band.
soak seeds overnight in tepid water, drain, then keep washing the seeds each day and draining them, I have a small tray I put them on, and let them grow in a darkish place out of direct light, or they will become too green and bitter. No special heating. Normal house warmth. Never had a problem.
perfect alfalfa after just a few days.
Once they are grown to my optimum size, I simply put them in a plastic zip lock bag in the fridge, and start another lot.