Mother’s Mini-Manual HYDROPONICS

May 24, 2008

hydroponic barley Hydroponic sprouting for animals is popular all over the world with farmers, ranchers, horsemen, and zoos. It is a compact, simple, and cheap way to produce high-quality green forage for house pets or farm animals. A space 20 feet long and 8 feet high can turn out a thousand pounds of greens every day, all year round. Any kind of grass or cereal grains can be sprouted—rye, oats, barley, alfalfa, etc. The nutrient solution increases the food value of the final product. It takes about seven to ten days to go from seed to an eight?inch mat of greens, packed with vitamins and minerals. Here’s how you do it:

Sprouting is done in trays about 3 or 4 inches deep and any convenient length and width. The bottoms are lined with a thin layer of absorbent material such as burlap, foam rubber, or edible paper. Soak your seed overnight in plain water, then spread it generously and evenly over the bottom of the tray. Keep the bottom moist but not soggy with a half-strength nutrient solution. Keep the tray in a warm, semi-dark place for a couple of days. Then, when the sprouts are about half an inch high, let them have light. Add the weak nutrient solution from time to time but, after the sixth day, use plain water. When the greens are ready, just peel up the entire mat and watch your animals gobble it, sprouts, roots, seeds, and all.