How To Grow Wheatgrass Microgreens

<a href='https://typesofmicrogreens.com/author/admin/'>Jon Smith</a>Jon Smith
April 4, 2021

Wheatgrass occupies an exclusive position among health food options – it is known as a superfood, with many therapeutic as well as nutritional values.

An antioxidant, wheatgrass has substantial antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-toxin properties.

It can lower blood pressure, cholesterol, and arthritis, improve energy, metabolism, and cognitive functions, boost your immune system and improve digestion.

All of these properties are present in more concentrated and better form in wheatgrass microgreens.  

Depending on how they are grown, wheatgrass microgreens contain high amounts of vitamins (A, B complex, C, E, and K), essential minerals (iron, calcium, and magnesium), 17 amino acids, enzymes, proteins, chlorophyll, and phytonutrients.

This is why they are so good to the human body!

Growing wheatgrass microgreens at home would ensure a ready supply for your own consumption, or for supply to others. A few precautions may be necessary.

Wheatgrass Microgreen Profile

The table below captures the broad profile of wheatgrass microgreens.

ATTRIBUTEPROFILE
FlavorGiven that it is an actual grass variety, wheatgrass microgreens are fibrous to taste but also mild and sweet.
Pre-Soak (Yes/No)Wheatgrass seeds have a large shell – pre-soaking will help break the outer seed shell.
ColorWhile wheatgrass microgreens do not necessarily need sunlight, they will get greener with more light. Typically, they have a distinctively green color.
Germination TimeGermination within 3-4 days after the seed has been soaked.
Harvest TimeWithin 7-9 days from planting.
Green Thumb Level (1-5)1-2 – Easy to grow provided you watch out for mold.

Wheatgrass is among the easiest microgreens to grow at home.

Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to some FAQs about wheatgrass microgreens is provided below.

Do Wheatgrass Microgreens Regrow After Harvesting?

Wheatgrass microgreens can be regrown after harvesting, though the second pot will typically not yield as much wheatgrass as the first batch.

Use the same seed quilt as the first planting but swap out the water for best results. The second batch may be more fibrous and shorter. There may be a taste difference also.

How Fast Do Wheatgrass Microgreens Grow?

Wheatgrass microgreens start to germinate by 2-4 days after planting and can be harvested within 7-9 days. Light, heat, and moisture do make a difference in the speed of growth. Warmer temperatures advocate for a better growth rate.

How Exactly Do You Use/Eat Wheatgrass Microgreens?

Wheatgrass microgreens can be used in teas and juices, which is one of the preferred modes of ingesting them – given their long list of health benefits. They can also be used therapeutically, for example, to make poultices.

You can also add them whole to your blender when making smoothies.

Are Wheatgrass Microgreens Harmful?

Wheatgrass is known to contain selenium, which can be toxic to humans if an adult ingests more than 400 micrograms per day on a consistent basis.

However, selenium is an essential non-metal that we need – which is why it is included in baby food and health supplements. You should be careful but not scared.

How To Grow Wheatgrass Microgreens Step By Step

Equipment Needed to Grow Wheatgrass Microgreens

Wheatgrass is among the easiest microgreens to grow, which is why there are multiple methods that can be utilized. What we present below is a safe process that will ensure success most of the time, but there could be simpler approaches with some of the steps as noted.

Starter Kits

Full starter kits for wheatgrass microgreens are available at multiple vendors, such as this kit from TrueLeafMarket.

Specific Pieces of Equipment

The following pieces of equipment should be procured if you buy items separately:

Sealable Mason Jar(s): Wheatgrass seeds must be soaked for 12+ hours before planting. If you want them pre-sprouted, two days may be necessary. A 16 oz or quart-sized mason jar with a screw-top may be the best option:

Sale
Ball Regular Mouth Mason Jars with Lids and Bands, 16-Ounces (4-Pack)
  • Made in America by the Ball Mason Jar Company Great for candles, lotions, jams and jellies, preserves, herbs etc. Lid and airtight band included Set of 4 jars No shipping outside of the continental U.S. The line on the jar says 12oz but you can fill in to 16 oz.

Growing Medium (Coconut Coir preferred): While fine-grained soil can be used to grow wheatgrass, coconut coir is often preferred. Wheatgrass is extremely prone to mold. Coconut coir holds moisture in towards the bottom and leaves the seeds less soaked, so its ideal for wheatgrass microgreens:

MOTHER EARTH Coco Plus Perlite Mix - For Indoor and Outdoor Container Gardens, Provides Strong Aeration & Drainage, 70% Coconut Coir, Resists Compaction, 50 Liter
  • Mother Earth Coco + Perlite is a great alternative to potting soil as it enables gardeners to aggressively feed and not worry about over-watering
  • Use Mother Earth Coco + Perlite with indoor and outdoor container gardens
  • Achieve better aeration and drainage with a mix that incorporates 70% of the finest coconut coir and 30% perlite
  • Plant directly in Mother Earth Coco + Perlite
  • Coconut coir resists compaction and last longer in a container (vs traditional growing media)

Growing Trays (Bottom and Top): The easiest way to control water content and light in a wheatgrass tray is by using three trays, two without drainage holes and one with. Try these 20” by 10” trays (some prefer 10” square trays):

Sale
10 Plant Growing Trays (with Drain Holes) - 20" x 10" - Perfect Garden Seed Starter Grow Trays: for Seedlings, Indoor Gardening, Growing Microgreens, Wheatgrass & More - Soil or Hydroponic
  • Quantity 10 - Durable Plastic - WITH Drain Holes
  • Perfect for hydroponic growing and seed starting
  • Approx: 21" by 11" (top measurement). 20" by 10" bottom of tray - See product description below for precise measurments
  • Accomodates 20" x 10" Sure to Grow Hydroponic Grow Pads and Micro-Mats Perfectly
  • Reusable - Great for Greenhouse, Seedlings, wheatgrass, microgreens and more.

and

Sale
10 Plant Growing Trays (No Drain Holes) - 20" x 10" - Perfect Garden Seed Starter Grow Trays: for Seedlings, Indoor Gardening, Growing Microgreens, Wheatgrass & More - Soil or Hydroponic
  • Quantity 10 - Durable Plastic - NO Drain Holes
  • Perfect for use as a drip tray, hydroponic growing and seed starting
  • Approx: 21" by 11" (top measurement). 20" by 10" bottom of tray - See product description below for precise measurments
  • Accomodates 20" x 10" Sure to Grow Hydroponic Grow Pads and Micro-Mats Perfectly
  • Reusable - Great for Greenhouse, Seedlings, wheatgrass, microgreens and more.

Misting Bottle/Spray Can: In keeping with the theme of controlling water, a simple misting can should be kept handy:

GETTON 2.0L Garden Sprayer, Hand-held Pressure Pump Sprayer Plant Mister Spray Bottle with Adjustable Nozzle and Detachable Wand for Indoor Outdoor Household Cleaning Garden Lawn Watering
  • 【Safe Pressure Valve】The garden spraying bottle equipped with a safety pressure release valve, which allows you to control the pressure of water and automatically releases the excess pressure. The pump holds a good amount of pressure while offers a place reducing fatigue while operating the equipment.
  • 【Adjustable Nozzle】The premium adjustable nozzle of this garden sprayer can be easily adjusted the intensity of the water from direct injection to fine mist spray as desired. Greater even coverage for a better performance.
  • 【Durable & Easy to Clean】The pump sprayer is manufactured from PP material for excellent durability. 2L Translucent water tank can clearly show the liquid level inside so you can add more in time. It is also convenient for cleaning.
  • 【Wide Application】This universal pressure sprayer can accommodate your daily cleaning and watering needs both indoors and outdoors . Ideal for household cleaning, watering plants and flowers, misting veggies, pet bathing, and moisturizing flowers.
  • 【Ergonomic Handle】The pump pressure sprayer comes with an ergonomic 4-finger handle that is non-slip for effortless use and convenient to be carried anywhere. A removable long wand is good to help spray more spaces or hard-to-reach places.

Light Source: Wheatgrass can grow fast even without sunlight if planted indoors, but indirect sunlight or grow lights, such as the choices shown below, can be utilized:

Sale
Barrina Grow Light, 144W(6 x 24W, 800W Equivalent), 2ft T8, Super Bright, Full Spectrum Sunlight Plant Light, LED Grow Light Strips, Grow Light Bulbs for Indoor Plants, Greenhouse, 6-Pack
  • Full Spectrum - Barrina LED grow lights 2ft provide indoor plants with full-spectrum sunlight replacement. It provides the most reasonable grow light wave based on the ratio of the absorption of the plants
  • Super Bright and Hight PPFD - Consuming only 144W with 576 LEDS totally, replace 800w general plant lights. Over 95% light energy can be absorbed by plants. The light efficiency can be increased by 17~20% with reflector. The shell of our light was made of 100% aluminum which provides the high-efficiency heat dissipation. Ensuring the longer service life of the led chips
  • Easy Installation - With included tape, clips and cable ties, you could install the lights by yourself in minutes. Plug and play, and you could link up to 12 lights in a series, saving your installation cost and time
  • Eyes Protection - This grow light are suitable for planting plants in any indoor application. Sunlight white color temperature makes your eyes feel comfortable. It works extremely well for your plant grow tents, plant grow shelves, seedling cultivation, succulents, hydroponic rooms, greenhouses, etc.
  • What You Get - 2 years warranty. Please contact seller if you have any problem. 6 x Barrina LED Grow lights, 3 x Power cords with ON/OFF switch, 5 x Connecting Cords(48''), 6 x Small Connectors, 6x Installation Clips, 12 x Tapes, 24 x cable ties

(Optional) Heating Mat: Wheatgrass germinates fast, so a heating mat may not be necessary, but some options are shown below:

HYDGOOHO Waterproof Seedling Heat Mat for Seed Starting Propagation and Increase Germination Success 10 Inch x 20.75 Inch MET Safety Standard Certified
  • Makes a differeance in germination time, leafy greens in about 2 days and tomatoes 3-4 days for sprouts.
  • Try to use the seedling heat mat and heat mat thermostat to heat water in the seed container to increase humidity in your grow tent.
  • Using to keep a batch of fermenting beer wort at 72F is also available
  • Great affordable heating solution to starting plants from seed.
  • If you’re doing home gardening for your seasonings, go find this seedling heat mat sets.

(Optional) Microgreen Planting Rack: A Microgreen Planter Rack fitted with growing lights may come in handy. You can customize or retrofit a simple rack such as the one below:

Storage Shelves 2100Lbs Capacity, 6-Shelf on Casters 48" L×18" W×82" H Wire Shelving Unit Adjustable Layer Metal Rack Strong Steel for Restaurant Garage Pantry Kitchen,Black
  • IMPRESSIVE STORAGE CAPACITY - With six tiers of shelving, this unit boasts an enormous amount of space and shelving. It’s able to provide a great deal of additional storage without taking up too much space itself.
  • STURDY AND DURABLE - Constructed from heavy-duty steel wire, this shelf is durable and resistant to dirt buildup and corrosion. Each shelf has a capacity of up to 220 lbs when properly assembled, with a maximum weight capacity of 500 lbs total.
  • ADJUSTABILITY - You can adjust the height of the storage shelves in one-inch increments, creating a customized unit best suited for your specific storage needs.
  • MULTIFUNCTIONALITY - This metal shelving unit can be used virtually anywhere, in the kitchen, the bathroom, the garage, outdoor shed, and more. It’s perfect for storing tools, clothes, books, and whatever else is taking up space in your home or office. Equipped with wheels, you can transport this unit smoothly and efficiently room to room.
  • FAST, EASY ASSEMBLY: The shelving unit comes packaged ready to assemble, and doesn’t require any tools for installation. In just 15 minutes, your unit can be installed and ready to save space.

Other Materials Needed to Grow Wheatgrass Microgreens

A number of wheat seeds can be used by amateur growers. With some of them, it’d difficult to distinguish whether they are in fact truly wheatgrass. True Leaf Market, the industry leader, has been suggesting a few reliable options over the past decades:

Wheat Hard Red Spring Grass Seeds

The #1 option among wheat seeds offered. It shows a high germination rate (98-100%) and even patterns of growth, as described here:

Wheatgrass - Hard Red Spring (Organic) - Grass Seeds

Whole Buckwheat Sprouting Seeds

Whole buckwheat can be sprouted and/or grown as microgreens. Typically, they will grow best in soli:

Buckwheat - Whole (Organic) - Sprouting Seeds

Whole Barley Grass Seeds

Whole (hull-on) barley seeds can be sprouted into thick bladed barley grass for maximum juice yield:

Barley - Whole (Organic) - Grass Seeds

Winter Rye Grass Seeds

These microgreens will have a distinctive sweet rye flavor with texture similar to wheatgrass or barleygrass:

Rye - Winter (Organic) - Grass Seeds

Triticale Grass Seeds

This variant, which has a markedly sweet taste after germination, may not be conventional wheatgrass but is close enough. It’s a versatile microgreen which can be used in juices or as flavoring:

Triticale (Organic) - Grass Seeds

Whole Oats Grass Seeds

Oats with the hull on cannot be used as food, but are suitable for animal feed and/or growing oat grass:

Oat Grass

Growing Wheatgrass Microgreens

Below is a video showing a step-by-step process you can follow to grow wheatgrass microgreens:

The specific steps are described below.

Pre-Soaking and Planting Microgreen Seeds

Wheatgrass microgreen seeds must be pre-soaked prior to use. Throughout the process, care must be taken to avoid any possibility of mold due to overwatering.

  • Pre-soaking – Fill the mason jar to roughly ¾ its height with the wheatgrass seeds, allowing for them to sprout and expand during the initial soaking. You can fill the jar with water and close the lid. Leave overnight (8-12 hours), then drain out the water. Depending on how far you want to go, you can turn the jar upside down to drain completely, then soak one more time. In the end, the radicals should show and the seeds should fill the jar.
  • Use a double tray at the bottom – If watering from the bottom, place a tray with drainage holes inside (and on top of) a solid tray. If not using a watering tray, you can choose to use a solid tray only and water by sprinkling from the top only.
  • Use a growing medium such as coconut coir – As mentioned above, coconut coir is a favorite growing medium for many, since it tends to prevent mold from forming. Spread the coco coir evenly across the tray, up to approximately half the depth, and pat to compact.
  • Spread the seeds evenly on top – With wheatgrass, some overlap is ok.
  • Water moderately – Sprinkle water to wet the seeds and coco coir. If using a watering tray, make sure the water level stays low to avoid any possibility of waterlogging and mold.

Growing Wheatgrass Microgreens

In the initial stage, grow the wheatgrass microgreens in the dark – though this is not strictly necessary with grass.

  • Put a second, solid tray on top and weigh down – Take the second solid tray you are using to cover the seeds and weigh down. With wheatgrass, even a simple paper towel or newspaper cover could work as well – it’s a matter of how much photosynthesis you want to allow in the first few days.
  • Check that the seeds are sprouting after Day 2 – If you have covered the tray, the sprouts will be pale, whereas they will be greener if you use a light cover like a paper towel.
  • By Day 3, the seeds are germinated – Take off any covers you had on, check to see if there is enough water left in the growing medium (there should be). Spray water lightly or put a little bit of water on the bottom tray if required.
  • Place under lights – Place the tray next to diffused sunlight or a grow light and see them turn a distinctive green.
  • Over Days 5 through 6, continue monitoring – If the microgreens are doing well, avoid overwatering. There may be just one more round of light watering before harvesting.
  • Harvesting by Days 7 through 9 – By Day 7, most wheatgrass microgreens will have grown to about 6 inches tall. You can wait, but they are ready to harvest.

Harvesting Wheatgrass Microgreens

As mentioned below, wheatgrass microgreens should be ready to harvest any time after day 7 from when they have been planted. The longer they become, the less sweet they are. Most prefer wheatgrass microgreens to be between 5-8 inches long, though they will grow longer if you let them.

  • Harvest above the roots – Cut off the whole visible area above the soil, going down to the roots but above the seed level. Use a sharp knife.
  • Clean in cool water – You can clean the harvested wheatgrass microgreens with a quick soak in a basin, then wipe them off with paper towels. This way, you will get rid of any mold or other residues.

Storing (and Shipping) Wheatgrass Microgreens

Normally, wheatgrass microgreens placed in a refrigerator between paper towels should be usable for 2-3 days. To store longer, use an airtight container (e.g., sealed plastic bags) – which should keep them edible for up to 10 days.

To package and sell (ship) wheatgrass microgreens, wrap them in paper towels to continue absorbing excess moisture, then place them in sealed bags or containers to ship. While they should be used within 7 days for best results, they could stay usable for twice as long if packaged correctly.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Wheatgrass has become the ingredient of choice in smoothies, juices, and flavorings due to its excellent health benefits. Microgreens have the same effects but are sweeter and even more nutritious. Wheatgrass is easy to grow at home and will provide nutritious goodness for the whole family.

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How To Grow Wheatgrass Microgreens
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About The Author
I have been growing microgreens for myself and others for quite some time now and I absolutely love the process.

Even more I love spreading awareness of an amazing crop that has so many nutritional benefits for our bodies which improve our overall health and wellbeing.

Jon Smith

Founder/Writer
Copyright 2021 TypesOfMicrogreens.com All Rights Reserved!

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.