Flax Seed Sprouts

Here's an easy, economical, and quick way to get started growing your very own flax seed sprouts and you don't even need a hobby farm to do it!  lol

There are several tutorials on the internet to show you how to grow your own sprouts but it's pretty simple and straight forward. Even though I read that flax seeds are difficult to sprout, I've never had any problems, so my instructions below should suffice.

Step #1

Flax Seed Containers 

If you have a few bucks to spare t'would be good to buy terracotta pot bases for your seed containers but if you're like me you'll want to get started right away with whatever is on hand and for as little "moola" expenditure as possible.

As you can see in the picture below, I just used plastic disposable food containers that my strawberries, blueberries, meat, and store bought cookies came in. Just wash them well!

Use whatever containers you have on hand.

Step #2

Wet Paper Towel

The next thing I did was lay a piece of paper towel in each container and then I wet them down with my kitchen faucet sprayer.  If you don't have one, just gently run under your tap or you could use a small watering can.   The reason I wet the towels first is to help keep them in place so when I add my flax both the seeds and the paper stay put.

Wet down paper towel first

Step #3

Sprinkle Flax Seeds

Next, sprinkle your flax seeds into each container.  I use approx. one tablespoon for the larger containers and about 1/2 tablespoon in the smaller ones.   The measurement doesn't need to be exact just be sure to uniformly distribute the seeds in the containers.

Uniformly distribute flax seeds

 

Note:   For demonstration purposes, I seeded all my trays "at once" but it's a good idea to "stagger" the seeding days so that you have a continuous supply of fresh sprouts each day rather than having them all due to be harvested at the same time.

Step #4

Wet Seeds Again

After I put the flax seeds in the containers, I wet them down again.   They should be soaked but not so much water that they are floating around!  If you find that some of the seeds are unevenly distributed after re-watering, you can fix that by using a fork to gently "rake" the seeds where you want them to be.

You won't have to worry about the seeds moving around after a few minutes as they start to congeal and stick to the paper towel.

Step #5

Cover Seeds and Leave on Counter Overnight

Leave your seeded containers overnight on a table or counter out of the reach of curious pets.  While my seeds are starting the germinating process, I snap down the lids on any containers that have them. For those that don't have lids, I lay plastic food wrap over them.  It helps to keep the moisture in.  You might want to put something under the plastic so it doesn't touch the seeds.  One of those pizza thingies would work great.

Cover seeds and leave on counter overnight

Step #6

Morning Task

In the morning, wet your flax seeds down again, drain them, and then put them near a window  (out of "direct" sunlight).  Your seeds and paper towel should always be "moist" but not soggy wet.   If they are drying out before the next day begins, spray them twice daily.  This should NOT be necessary but it all depends on how warm the room is where you are keeping them and how much light they are getting.

Place in light out of "direct" sunlight

(Sorry about the blurry picture.  My dog stuck his nose on the lens seconds before I snapped the pic!)

After a few days when you see signs of  "life" remove the lids and/or plastic wrap and continue to monitor the moisture level day by day and water accordingly. The proper moisture level is important as you do not want your flax seeds drying nor getting wet and moldy. 

A picture of my flax seeds one week later almost ready to harvest

It was a cold, snowy, week of weather so the poor things didn't get much light.  The ones in the smaller containers are a little spindly (for lack of sun) but definitely okay to toss in a salad.  I've found that during the winter it takes about 10 days for the seedlings to mature to a nice size for eating.
 
Blessings,

Linda

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