First, get a large jar or jars. We use half-gallon jars, but quart jars will work just as well. Add a cup of sunflower seeds to the jar. You can just use black-oil sunflower seeds like you feed the birds. Add enough water to cover them and let them soak for an hour or so. Drain the water off and cover the mouth of the jar with a lid that has holes punched in it.
Set the jar(s) on your kitchen counter where you'll see them everyday because you will need to rinse the seeds once a day to keep them moist until they begin to sprout.
After 2 to 3 days, they should begin to sprout, like this.
At this point, get a shallow pan and fill it with potting soil. I just use one of those flats that comes with those cheap seed-starting kits you get from Walmart or the garden store. Sprinkle the sunflower seeds from one jar over the soil. If you use 2 jars, like we do, you'll need 2 flats of soil.
Water them well and cover with a plastic cover.
I poked holes in the lid because if the sunflower sprouts stayed too wet, they will mold.
The seeds will start sending roots down into the soil and after several days you can remove the lid and set the flat under a florescent light.
You might be able to set them outside under a covered patio. But, you'd need to watch them closely to make sure they don't dry out too much.
In a week or so, they will look like this.
After they are a couple of inches tall, I just use a pair of scissors to "harvest" them. One flat can easily yield a large bowl of sprouts.
Eat them as snacks or throw them in salads or stir-fries.
Have you ever used this technich and then planted them outside to get the next crop of seeds?
ReplyDeleteI've never tried to plant the sprouts. Since we feed the birds all winter, I've just always used the same seed we feed the birds. Guess I am lazy, but that is just easier. Although, I love sunflowers, we usually run out of garden space and don't have room to plant them. :(
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