Wheatgrass & How To Grow It!
Recently I shared a post from a lovely couple who attended my 2-day wellness programme in Cork on my Facebook Page (see below) . They used their new found knowledge and got stuck into growing their first wheatgrass crop. 
I was so impressed with Steven's results I wanted to share some of the amazing benefits of this superfood and how you can grow it yourself. Wheatgrass juice is an amazing super-food that has become justifiably popular. It has become one of the top-selling health foods in the world. It is now best-known for helping those with weakened resistance because of its incredible effectiveness of fighting disease. It contains high quantities of minerals and is one of the richest sources of beta-carotene, vitamin C and vitamin B-17 (a substance that is thought to destroy cancer cells). It is extremely valuable in suppressing bacterial growths and is highly effective at eliminating stored toxins as it is rich in chlorophyll which aids the body in purifying the liver. As Hippocrates, the founder of modern medicine, once said “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”. Indeed, wheatgrass is so powerful that a 1 ounce shot can be the equivalent of between 2.5 and 4 lbs of fresh organic vegetables in terms of vitamin, mineral, trace element and phytonutrient contents. Of course humans cannot eat wheatgrass, as it can only be digested in a juice form. In juice form it can be easily assimilated and the body can utilise its storehouse of nutrients. Our bodies break down food all day everyday so it is important to periodically give the body a rest by only consuming nutrient- rich fluids. You will need a masticating juicer to juice wheat grass, and with Christmas on the horizon you might treat yourself to a proper juicer that will help you get the nourishment your body needs on a daily basis. 
I have had my Greenstar Juicer for over 16 years now and I always say it was the best purchase I ever made. I use it every day, numerous times a day and it still works as well as the day I bought it! The great thing about wheatgrass is you can grow it yourself at home and it doesn't require a green house or raised bed etc to do it can be grown in even the smallest of living spaces. 
The Steps To Grow Wheatgrass You’ll need a space to grow wheatgrass: Set up a small indoor or outdoor garden for your growing. Some of us simply do not have the space to grow your trays outside. You can set up your space practically anywhere. If you live in a small apartment, you can grow right in your kitchen or on your balcony porch. If you live in a larger home, you can also use your kitchen or set up a space outside. The one thing you have to have is plenty of good sunlight. A sunny window will do!You’ll need space to keep some soil and seeds on hand. Overall, the space needed to grow wheatgrass is minimal. Grow Wheatgrass After finding your growing location, I recommend starting off growing only a tray or two first, and then after you get the hang of it, increasing the trays. For most people, 1/2 a tray a day is sufficient for their needs. The shopping list: 1) Purchase or obtain some good quality topsoil and peat moss, or a combination of topsoil and compost. Always buy organic! 2) Get some trays. If you get a wheatgrass kit they will come in there for you, or you can pick some up in your local garden centre. For the first few days of growth you’ll need a tray for the soil and a tray to put on top as the cover. 3) Hard or winter wheat berries are the seeds that you need. You should be able to find organically grown seeds from a natural food store, or online. Other items needed: Fresh water and patience! Measure the amount you need: If you are using a tray that’s 10x14 you’ll use approximately about 1 cup of dry wheat berries. If you are using a tray half that size, then just use half a cup. It will vary according to the size of the tray you are using, but overall, it’s hard to make a mistake in this area as a few extra won’t hurt a thing. Preparing: Preparing the seeds takes approximately 24 hours of time before planting. It’s not hard, it just has to sit and sprout, so it takes patience.Clean the seeds by rinsing them in water to remove any dirt or grime. Then, place them in a jar filled with clean water. Put a screen or cloth over top. Let it sit for approximately 12 hours (while you sleep is the easiest!) Drain the wheat berries and rinse them well. Return them to the jar and let them sprout for another 12 hours. 
I use my sprouting jar set available HERE as the stand helps the jars rest at a 45 degree angle which is recommended Planting the wheatgrass: Spread the soil evenly on the bottom of your tray, at least one inch deep. Spread the sprouted wheat berries on an even layer on top of the dirt. Try not to have any seeds on top of each other, but closely touching next to each other is okay. Add some water to the trays, making it damp but not completely wet and swampy. Cover it with another tray.The tray covering the wheatgrass will create a system that would be similar to how wheat would grow outdoors. It will keep it moist, warm and protected from light. Set the covered tray aside for 2-3 days in a temperature that is approximately 18-24 degrees. -2-3 day wheatgrass will probably be about 1 inch high and a white-yellowish colour. On day 4 uncover the tray and water the grass. Set it in indirect light. Continue to water the tray daily or every other day keeping the soil moist. If you let it get too dry, avoid over watering it or it will shock the grass. Just keep it moist. I use a water spray bottle to water it with my clean water from my reverse osmosis system. Growing problems: If you uncover the tray and there is a greenish blue mould, you might have gotten bad seeds, or soaked them too long. Other things that could cause the mould would be watering the soil too much or keeping them in a too warm of a spot. If this happens throw out the soil in the tray and start over by trying a cooler location and less water. Harvesting After 6-12 days your wheatgrass should be about 7-11 inches tall! It is now ready to harvest.To harvest the wheatgrass, cut as close to the root as possible (more nutrients are close to the roots). Only cut what you are going to use right away. Rinse any dirt off the ends and juice it. The juice should be drunk right away and does not keep in the fridge. Once juiced just pretend it's a shot of tequila and knock it back lol! It is not the most pleasant of tastes but it is worth it for all the marvellous benefits! Enjoy! [caption id="attachment_87" align="aligncenter" width="500"]
Enjoy![/caption]
I was so impressed with Steven's results I wanted to share some of the amazing benefits of this superfood and how you can grow it yourself. Wheatgrass juice is an amazing super-food that has become justifiably popular. It has become one of the top-selling health foods in the world. It is now best-known for helping those with weakened resistance because of its incredible effectiveness of fighting disease. It contains high quantities of minerals and is one of the richest sources of beta-carotene, vitamin C and vitamin B-17 (a substance that is thought to destroy cancer cells). It is extremely valuable in suppressing bacterial growths and is highly effective at eliminating stored toxins as it is rich in chlorophyll which aids the body in purifying the liver. As Hippocrates, the founder of modern medicine, once said “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”. Indeed, wheatgrass is so powerful that a 1 ounce shot can be the equivalent of between 2.5 and 4 lbs of fresh organic vegetables in terms of vitamin, mineral, trace element and phytonutrient contents. Of course humans cannot eat wheatgrass, as it can only be digested in a juice form. In juice form it can be easily assimilated and the body can utilise its storehouse of nutrients. Our bodies break down food all day everyday so it is important to periodically give the body a rest by only consuming nutrient- rich fluids. You will need a masticating juicer to juice wheat grass, and with Christmas on the horizon you might treat yourself to a proper juicer that will help you get the nourishment your body needs on a daily basis. I have had my Greenstar Juicer for over 16 years now and I always say it was the best purchase I ever made. I use it every day, numerous times a day and it still works as well as the day I bought it! The great thing about wheatgrass is you can grow it yourself at home and it doesn't require a green house or raised bed etc to do it can be grown in even the smallest of living spaces. The Steps To Grow Wheatgrass You’ll need a space to grow wheatgrass: Set up a small indoor or outdoor garden for your growing. Some of us simply do not have the space to grow your trays outside. You can set up your space practically anywhere. If you live in a small apartment, you can grow right in your kitchen or on your balcony porch. If you live in a larger home, you can also use your kitchen or set up a space outside. The one thing you have to have is plenty of good sunlight. A sunny window will do!You’ll need space to keep some soil and seeds on hand. Overall, the space needed to grow wheatgrass is minimal. Grow Wheatgrass After finding your growing location, I recommend starting off growing only a tray or two first, and then after you get the hang of it, increasing the trays. For most people, 1/2 a tray a day is sufficient for their needs. The shopping list: 1) Purchase or obtain some good quality topsoil and peat moss, or a combination of topsoil and compost. Always buy organic! 2) Get some trays. If you get a wheatgrass kit they will come in there for you, or you can pick some up in your local garden centre. For the first few days of growth you’ll need a tray for the soil and a tray to put on top as the cover. 3) Hard or winter wheat berries are the seeds that you need. You should be able to find organically grown seeds from a natural food store, or online. Other items needed: Fresh water and patience! Measure the amount you need: If you are using a tray that’s 10x14 you’ll use approximately about 1 cup of dry wheat berries. If you are using a tray half that size, then just use half a cup. It will vary according to the size of the tray you are using, but overall, it’s hard to make a mistake in this area as a few extra won’t hurt a thing. Preparing: Preparing the seeds takes approximately 24 hours of time before planting. It’s not hard, it just has to sit and sprout, so it takes patience.Clean the seeds by rinsing them in water to remove any dirt or grime. Then, place them in a jar filled with clean water. Put a screen or cloth over top. Let it sit for approximately 12 hours (while you sleep is the easiest!) Drain the wheat berries and rinse them well. Return them to the jar and let them sprout for another 12 hours. I use my sprouting jar set available HERE as the stand helps the jars rest at a 45 degree angle which is recommended Planting the wheatgrass: Spread the soil evenly on the bottom of your tray, at least one inch deep. Spread the sprouted wheat berries on an even layer on top of the dirt. Try not to have any seeds on top of each other, but closely touching next to each other is okay. Add some water to the trays, making it damp but not completely wet and swampy. Cover it with another tray.The tray covering the wheatgrass will create a system that would be similar to how wheat would grow outdoors. It will keep it moist, warm and protected from light. Set the covered tray aside for 2-3 days in a temperature that is approximately 18-24 degrees. -2-3 day wheatgrass will probably be about 1 inch high and a white-yellowish colour. On day 4 uncover the tray and water the grass. Set it in indirect light. Continue to water the tray daily or every other day keeping the soil moist. If you let it get too dry, avoid over watering it or it will shock the grass. Just keep it moist. I use a water spray bottle to water it with my clean water from my reverse osmosis system. Growing problems: If you uncover the tray and there is a greenish blue mould, you might have gotten bad seeds, or soaked them too long. Other things that could cause the mould would be watering the soil too much or keeping them in a too warm of a spot. If this happens throw out the soil in the tray and start over by trying a cooler location and less water. Harvesting After 6-12 days your wheatgrass should be about 7-11 inches tall! It is now ready to harvest.To harvest the wheatgrass, cut as close to the root as possible (more nutrients are close to the roots). Only cut what you are going to use right away. Rinse any dirt off the ends and juice it. The juice should be drunk right away and does not keep in the fridge. Once juiced just pretend it's a shot of tequila and knock it back lol! It is not the most pleasant of tastes but it is worth it for all the marvellous benefits! Enjoy! [caption id="attachment_87" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Enjoy![/caption]
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