Everybody loves sunflower greens (sprouts)...right?
They are outrageously expensive in the health food stores....right?
Many have sprouted the hulled seeds in glass jars...right?
But the result is totally different as the jar sprouts never green like the store bought sprouts do...even if placed in the sun after sprouted.

Here is the technique that I perfected when I sold sunflower greens in farmers' markets. Credit is given to the Optimum Health Institute as that's where I learned advanced sprouting methods. It's easier for me to describe exactly how I did it then you can adjust to suit your needs.

ITEMS NEEDED:
2 WHEATGRASS FLATS 17"X17"
BLACK OIL SUNFLOWER SEEDS IN THE SHELL
PIECE OF PLYWOOD 17"X17"
16 CARDBOARD CUP INSERTS
6-8 ROCKS (grapefruit size)
5 GALLON PLASTIC BUCKET
PASTA COLANDER

METHOD:
Use 2 lbs of black oil sunflower seeds in the shell per wheatgrass flat.
Soak seeds overnight in plastic bucket.
Pour soaked seeded into colander.
Rinse well.
Seeds remain in colander until small white tails appear.
Rinse daily until this happens.
Place 16 cardboard cup inserts in wheatgrass flat.
Fill each with growing mix to the top.
Put plywood over wheatgrass flat and bang it with a rock to level the growing mix.
Spread sprouted seeds over entire flat.
Seed thickly by hand sprinkling but not more than two seeds deep.
Put plywood over freshly seeded flat and bang with a rock.
Place second wheatgrass flat over seeded flat.
Load all the rocks into top wheatgrass flat.
Water throughly every day.
Flat is still out of the sun.
The weight of the rocks will force the seed roots to grow downward into the soil.
As the roots grow downward the sprout tops grow upwards until they will actually lift the rocks and you'll see the top tray rise. UNBELIEVABLE!
At this point remove the top tray and separate the 16 individual cups and place in full sun. Water as needed. The sprouts will green in a day and are ready BEFORE a second set of leaves form. Use a sharp knife and cut just above soil line. Rinse well.

NOTES:
Striped jumbo sunflower seeds are huge and won't seed a flat heavily but will work.
I tried seeding a wheatgrass flat without the 16 cups but once mature it was impossible to cut into small squares that I could sell at the farmers' markets.
Without the rocks the seed roots will grow on top of the soil and you have a huge mess.

Warm-Glow.....Thanks for sharing your Sprouting Method. I've been wanting to sprout the Whole Raw Oats that I'm using in my Green Smoothies. As it is now, I'm just soaking them. I like your Pasta Colander idea........WY

Hey, that's cool. I'm actually growing some spinach and a sunflower on my windowsill as a little experiment right now (and also have some raspberry, blueberry and blackcurrant bushes on the go too!)

I didn't soak or sprout them at all beforehand, just put them in the soil and started watering them



The spinach has been growing for about six weeks, and the sunflower for about four. Since I've never had sunflower sprouts I was wondering, although I'm going to grow the sunflower plant to maturity, is the present size of the plant suitable for what people call "sunflower greens"? Or maybe a bit smaller?



These are the (from left to right) two raspberries, blueberry and blackcurrant bushes

And my attempt at growing a pineapple! Although it looks pretty bad, the inner leaves are still green so I'm not giving up just yet!



Cheers,
J