Growing Sunflower Greens Indoors
Posted on January 3, 2011
by Jon Porter
Inch by inch, row by row Gonna make this garden grow
There is something magical in the process of growing and harvesting our own
food from the seeds we sow. During the winter, we can continue to experience
this magic by growing sunflower salad greens “inch by inch” indoors.
Sunflower greens, often referred to as a “super food”, are one of the most complete foods containing 20-25% protein, vitamins A, B, C, D and E, as well as Calcium, Lecithin, Chlorophyll, Iron, Magnesium, Niacin, Phosphorus, and Potassium. Notably, they are an extremely rich source of “the sunshine vitamin” vitamin D. This makes it a perfect food to grow during the winter when we get so little sunshine. They also contain high levels of phytosterols, which reduce cholesterol levels and improves heart health.
I have heard tell that Russian soldiers used to carry sunflower seeds with them when they went to the front lines for battle. The sunflower seeds sustained them when no other food was available. If I could have but one food, I would hope that it would be sunflower seeds. And amazingly, sunflower greens are even more nutritious and easier to digest than the seeds!
The Growing Process
Sunflower greens can be grown indoors on soil in any shallow tray. I grow them in the 10” X 21” plastic trays used by plant nurseries for growing seedlings, because they are inexpensive and help to provide proper drainage. You will need:
- Two 10” X 21” plant trays
- Enough good soil to fill one of the trays. I make a soil mixture of half
organic topsoil with half peet moss.
- Dried kelp or Azomite
- Food grade Hydrogen Peroxide for use as disinfectant
- 2 cups of raw sunflower seeds in the hull (black oil or stripped varieties
will do just fine).
1. Thoroughly rinse 2 cups of black oil sunflower seeds in their hulls. Soak these seeds in a jar full of water for 8 to 12 hours (I use a 1⁄2 gallon canning jar). I add 2 tablespoons of 35% food grade hydrogen peroxide to the water as a disinfectant. You will notice that these seeds float, so you will need to fill the jar to its brim and cap it to keep the seeds fully immersed.
2. Punch out some of the drainage holes on the bottom of the the planting tray in order to facilitate effective drainage. Fill one tray with about 1 1⁄2 to 2 inches of good soil. I sprinkle a quarter cup of dried kelp or Azomite on top of the soil in the tray in order to insure availability of the minerals and trace elements that plants need to grow. Rinse and drain the seeds and spread them evenly over the prepared soil. Keep the soil moist during the growing process.
3. Cover this tray with the 2nd tray in order to provide a dark growing environment for the seeds. Make sure the cover has a few holes punched out so
as to provide air to the seeds. You may need to lightly tape the cover onto the growing tray to keep it from falling off.
4. Remove the cover after 3 days and place the tray near a window. Direct sunlight is not required. Water daily. A spray bottle works good for this. Let the baby sunflower plants grow until a pair of leaves emerge on the plants, which will take another 3 or 4 days. Then cut the plants at the soil level using a knife or a pair of scissors and remove any hulls that remain on the greens. And as the French say, “Viola!” You have fresh pick’m and eat’m salad greens! Each cup of seeds will produce 8 to 10 cups of sunflower greens.
The greens will usually be ready to harvest in 7 or 8 days from start to finish. Be sure to harvest the greens before the 2nd set of leaves emerge, as they will get very bitter after that. Sunflower greens will keep for about one week in the refrigerator. They are delicious in a salad mixed with alfalfa or clover sprouts.
Pulling weeds and pickin’ stones
Man is made from dreams and bones
Feel the need to grow my own
‘Cause the time is close at hand
The Garden Song by David Mallett
Do you want to know more?
The Sprouting Book by Ann Wigmore contains excellent information of growing Sunflower and Buckwheat greens.
Raw in hull sunflower seed suppliers:
http://www.wheatgrasskits.com 1-866-558-6887
http://www.superiornutstore.com 1-800-295-4093
http://www.sproutpeople.com
© 2011, Jon Porter. All rights reserved.
by Jon Porter
Inch by inch, row by row Gonna make this garden grow
There is something magical in the process of growing and harvesting our own
food from the seeds we sow. During the winter, we can continue to experience
this magic by growing sunflower salad greens “inch by inch” indoors.
Sunflower greens, often referred to as a “super food”, are one of the most complete foods containing 20-25% protein, vitamins A, B, C, D and E, as well as Calcium, Lecithin, Chlorophyll, Iron, Magnesium, Niacin, Phosphorus, and Potassium. Notably, they are an extremely rich source of “the sunshine vitamin” vitamin D. This makes it a perfect food to grow during the winter when we get so little sunshine. They also contain high levels of phytosterols, which reduce cholesterol levels and improves heart health.
I have heard tell that Russian soldiers used to carry sunflower seeds with them when they went to the front lines for battle. The sunflower seeds sustained them when no other food was available. If I could have but one food, I would hope that it would be sunflower seeds. And amazingly, sunflower greens are even more nutritious and easier to digest than the seeds!
The Growing Process
Sunflower greens can be grown indoors on soil in any shallow tray. I grow them in the 10” X 21” plastic trays used by plant nurseries for growing seedlings, because they are inexpensive and help to provide proper drainage. You will need:
- Two 10” X 21” plant trays
- Enough good soil to fill one of the trays. I make a soil mixture of half
organic topsoil with half peet moss.
- Dried kelp or Azomite
- Food grade Hydrogen Peroxide for use as disinfectant
- 2 cups of raw sunflower seeds in the hull (black oil or stripped varieties
will do just fine).
1. Thoroughly rinse 2 cups of black oil sunflower seeds in their hulls. Soak these seeds in a jar full of water for 8 to 12 hours (I use a 1⁄2 gallon canning jar). I add 2 tablespoons of 35% food grade hydrogen peroxide to the water as a disinfectant. You will notice that these seeds float, so you will need to fill the jar to its brim and cap it to keep the seeds fully immersed.
2. Punch out some of the drainage holes on the bottom of the the planting tray in order to facilitate effective drainage. Fill one tray with about 1 1⁄2 to 2 inches of good soil. I sprinkle a quarter cup of dried kelp or Azomite on top of the soil in the tray in order to insure availability of the minerals and trace elements that plants need to grow. Rinse and drain the seeds and spread them evenly over the prepared soil. Keep the soil moist during the growing process.
3. Cover this tray with the 2nd tray in order to provide a dark growing environment for the seeds. Make sure the cover has a few holes punched out so
as to provide air to the seeds. You may need to lightly tape the cover onto the growing tray to keep it from falling off.
4. Remove the cover after 3 days and place the tray near a window. Direct sunlight is not required. Water daily. A spray bottle works good for this. Let the baby sunflower plants grow until a pair of leaves emerge on the plants, which will take another 3 or 4 days. Then cut the plants at the soil level using a knife or a pair of scissors and remove any hulls that remain on the greens. And as the French say, “Viola!” You have fresh pick’m and eat’m salad greens! Each cup of seeds will produce 8 to 10 cups of sunflower greens.
The greens will usually be ready to harvest in 7 or 8 days from start to finish. Be sure to harvest the greens before the 2nd set of leaves emerge, as they will get very bitter after that. Sunflower greens will keep for about one week in the refrigerator. They are delicious in a salad mixed with alfalfa or clover sprouts.
Pulling weeds and pickin’ stones
Man is made from dreams and bones
Feel the need to grow my own
‘Cause the time is close at hand
The Garden Song by David Mallett
Do you want to know more?
The Sprouting Book by Ann Wigmore contains excellent information of growing Sunflower and Buckwheat greens.
Raw in hull sunflower seed suppliers:
http://www.wheatgrasskits.com 1-866-558-6887
http://www.superiornutstore.com 1-800-295-4093
http://www.sproutpeople.com
© 2011, Jon Porter. All rights reserved.