How To Grow Sunflower Sprouts For Nutrient Packed Microgreens [Guide]

How to Grow Sunflower Sprouts – A Complete Guide

A Seed is Sprouted when it breaks open and grows, when growing sprouts in soil, and they get leaves, they are know as microgreens. Sometimes these words can be used to reference both sprouts and microgreens.

How to grow sunflower sprouts in just days for nutritional packed microgreens!

You can sprout sunflower seeds by soaking them over night. Drain and rinse the seeds the next day. Keep them moist but not wet and rinse them a couple times throughout the day until they have little roots. You can eat the Sunflower Sprouts at this point or you can go on to grow Sunflower Microgreens in Soil.

Growing Sunflower Sprouts in Soil

What Will I Need to Grow Sprouts Indoors?

How Long Does It Take for the Seeds to Sprout?

The fact is that Sunflower Sprouts are very easy to grow and don’t take much time to do so. Setting up your initial trays to grow them in takes about 10 minutes after you soak the seeds.

After that, there is little maintenance, and your crop will be ready to harvest in about 11-14 days. This food value is amazing and to be able to grow sunflower sprouts in 2 weeks or less, INCREDIBLE!

Are Sunflower Sprouts Good For Me?

Short answer – absolutely! But if you are not convinced with that answer, here are just a few of the health benefits.

Fertility BOOST with ZINC – Sunflower sprouts contain high amounts of zinc. Zinc is a mineral that will help boost development of sperm. Zinc also has many other benefits.

Antioxidant capacity boost – There are high amounts of vitamin E in sunflower sprouts. Vitamin E works with vitamin C and other minerals to help with your heart. This helps prevent things like heart disease, and high blood pressure.

A natural expectorant for chest congestion – Sunflower sprouts have been used for years in Ayurvedic medicine the clear chest congestion. They can also be used as a preventative against respiratory infections.

High in vitamin B – Vitamin B has a number of health benefits. Especially in pregnant women. Vitamin B is also a great for energy. Here is an awesome article about more benefits of Vitamin B.

Great source of protein – Protein is essential for you bones, muscles, skin and hair. It helps repair your body when needed and also helps regulate hormones in the body. There are so many great benefits to protein. This article a a great resource.

Learn More Here – Why Eat Microgreens?

What Kind Of Seeds Do I Need?

This can be as simple of as complicated as you want to make it. You want to be sure that you get the black oil sunflower seeds. After that, you do have a few options. Technically, you can get bird seeds if you want to. Just be sure there is no additional chemicals or pesticides sprayed on them. I don’t really suggest this. I would suggest getting organic black oil sunflower seeds. If you cannot get organic, just be sure they are not sprayed with any dangerous chemicals.

Soil or Grow Mats?

I have seen valid arguments for and against both. However, the info that I have found is that either is fine. It really just depends on what works best for you. I suggest trying out a couple of different ways, if you can. What works for someone in Florida, might not work as well in Oregon due to humidity, temperature, etc. We have used both Terrafibre Hemp Grow Mats and a mixture of seed starting soil, potting soil and perlite, or vermiculite. Typically we will mix one part starting seed soil, one part potting soil, and .5-.25 parts perlite. The important thing here is that it is light and fluffy, so the moisture does not build up and cause mold.

OK, Let’s Sprout Sunflower Seeds!

Now that you have everything together that you need, It’s time to sprout your sunflower seeds! Here are the simple steps to get you those delicious sprouts in about 10 days.

Soak Your Sunflower Seeds

First, measure out 2 cups of sunflower seeds. Place them into a jar or bowl and add water preferably filtered or purified. You will want to add about double the amount of water in your jar as the seeds will expand and you want the seeds to be completely submerged under water. Let these soak overnight for 6-12 hours.

Preparing Your Seed Trays

Take you 20 x 10 trays and add about 2 cups of water to the tray. Do this FIRST before you add the soil. The purpose of this is so you are watering the sprouts from underneath, as opposed to on top. This will help with moisture control and help avoid mold. Once you add the water, fill the tray up about 3/4 of the way with you soil mixture, or add your grow mats. Once these are added, simply lightly pat down the soil, or take a separate tray and lightly press it down on your soil to compact it a little.

Add the Soaked Sunflower Seeds To The Soil

Next, you will want to take your soaked seeds and lightly spread the seeds evenly on top of the trays with soil. Lightly spread them out evenly. We like to fill a little cup with sunflower seeds and slowly shake them out on to the prepared soil. Once all of the seeds are distributed on the soil evenly, lightly mist the soil with water with a spray bottle. Try to use filtered water if possibly. If you do not have a way to spray, you can VERY lightly sprinkle water over the seeds. Just be careful to not move the seeds around too much.

Store Your Seed Trays

Once your trays are prepared with the soil and the seeds, place a second tray on top of the seeds. You can directly place the tray on the seeds. Place the tray in a cool dark place. We put ours in the closet, but any dark place will work. Preferably, choose a place that has a little air flow, or place a fan near by so there is some air flow. You do not want your trays to get moldy and some airflow will help with this.

Watching and Waiting for your Sprouts to Grow Leaves

Once you have leaves on your sunflower sprouts, they are ready for light. You’ll notice that the leaves are yellow at first. So, now you get to Green your Sprout babies.

Ways to get light for your Microgreen Sprouts

Place the tray in a sunny area in your home, near a window.

Use a growing light. There are several to choose from, you can use a simple shop light or a full spectrum led light. It just depends on how much you want to invest, you generally get healthier plants and a denser growth overall with a full spectrum light.

A Regular LED Shop Light Works Well to Green your Sunflower Microgreen Sprouts.

Enjoy Watching your Sunflower Seeds Grow into Beautiful Sunflower Microgreens!

When they are about 2-3 inches, cut them with a sharp, clean scissors. Hold the leaves and cut. Eat them as you cut them or store them all in the fridge.

Storing Sunflower Microgreens

First, try to eat as many as fresh as you can, that really is the point, to eat fresh.

Be sure they are dry and place them in a produce container or plastic bag.

They should easily keep for over a week.

Sunflower Sprouts are fun and easy to Grow, please like an share this page so we can all grow more nutritious food in an easy way.

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