http://www.greensmoothiequeen.com

The Basics of Growing Wheatgrass

Wheatgrass is nothing more than the sprouts of wheat, the first green you see in what will become a golden wheat field. For you Americans, that would be Amber Waves of Grain. Any raw, non-genetically modified grain can be sprouted but I have found wheat to be the tastiest, easiest, and most consistent.
Purchase yourself a couple cups worth of grain at your local co-op or health food store. They’ll have it sitting near a grinder for making your own flour.
Don’t grind it. Take it home and soak about a half-cup in filtered water overnight. Meanwhile, find yourself a fairly shallow container to use for growing. These days, I use those big rectangle shaped organic spinach or mixed green containers, but I started out in a big bonsai pot. Fill your container, to within an inch of the top, with organic potting soil or half garden soil mixed with half compost.
After soaking overnight, drain your grain and spread it evenly on your soil. Try to cover all the soil with grain and attempt to get the layer just one grain deep, and then cover the grain with a light dusting of soil. Water thoroughly but don’t drench it. Placing a lid on top will help it sprout faster and will maintain the moisture. Once your sprouts are up, remove the lid and water daily until the second true leaf appears (about 5 days to a week).
Once the second leaf appears (it will be about 3 inches tall), you’re ready to juice. Cut it off a little above the base, avoid cutting deep into the white part and don’t cut into the grains or soil. Let it grow for a second cutting, then give the remains to your cats and compost when they’re done. I start a batch every three days so that I always have some available.
I place my sprouts on my refrigerator, which is indirect light, to keep them away from my cats. You can move it to a windowsill once it has sprouted if you don’t have cats or if you don’t mind sharing.

Frequently Asked Questions about Wheatgrass

Two common questions are, does wheatgrass juice contain gluten and what are the little white moldish looking things near the base?
Common consensus is that wheatgrass does not contain gluten as you are not juicing the grain, and the little white stringy looking things are usually roots that have come up the stalk looking for water. Give it a good drink and the roots will dive back underground. You’ll have to experiment to find the perfect balance between over and under watering. If you’re prone to over watering your houseplants, I recommend that you cut holes in the bottom of your container so excess water can drain out.
You can make growing wheatgrass as simple or as scientific as you want. This article is just intended to be an overview and the ideas expressed here are simply my own. If you encounter problems, a simple internet search will uncover lots of help. Oh, and juice it before it gets too tall or your juice will be as bitter as my first four dollar sip.

But I don’t like it…

The benefits of this wonder juice seem to be amazing for most people and although I’m personally a big fan of wheatgrass, I’m also a big fan of common sense. I don’t buy the argument that if you have a strong negative reaction to wheatgrass juice, you simply need it even more.
If you don’t like wheatgrass, if the smell makes you nauseas, if you feel ill when drinking it, don’t drink it. Wheatgrass can be a wonderful tool for healing but keep in mind that in nature, we would not have the means to juice it in shot glass quantities.
Yes, we have gotten out of touch with our innate sense of choosing healthy and appropriate foods and wheatgrass may be very good for us, but a very strong negative reaction is a loud message from your body that shouldn’t be overridden. You can try diluting it with water,  adding it to a big mixed vegetable/fruit juice, or putting it in your green smoothie, but ultimately, tune into your body and follow your instincts. I recommend continuing on a path toward a high raw green diet and then try wheatgrass juice again a couple months later to see if your reaction has changed.

Wheatgrass Juicer Options on a Budget…

I LOVE my Omega 8005 juicer and it cost just over $220 USD. I personally feel that the Omega line doesn’t get quite enough kudos in the raw food community. It is a single auger juicer and handles greens and wheatgrass like a champ by wringing them out so you don’t get more foam than juice. It is affordable and cleans up in seconds. Plus, it is fairly compact, comes in white (8003 model) and stainless (8005 model), and it looks nice enough to be left out on the counter.
If you already own a juicer not capable of wheatgrass or don’t have one at all, you can buy a manual hand crank juicer for about $50. I know of people who have used crank juicers every day for years with no problems at all.