I am trying to make mung bean sprouts at home, as they are rare to find in a store where I live. After I soak them for 12 hours I place them in a spin dryer basket whose mesh is fine enough to hold them, so they have drainage, and place it in a quite larger bowl, in the kitchen, away from direct sunlight. The beans do sprout, but the process is so slow that by the time (10 days) I can see some leaves peeking out the seeds have developed brownish stains here and there. I rinse them two to four times a day. Where am I wrong?
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Most seeds need warmth to sprout. When I'm starting beans at home (to grow, not to eat directly), I either use a 'seed mat' (electrical heating pad), or a lamp set realy close to the soil. In both cases, I keep the seeds in a clear-topped container, so that they don't dry out -- the moisture gets trapped in and makes a mini-greenhouse.
You can likely rig up a similar system using household items:
- Place a couple of damp paper towels in the bottom of a baking dish (9"x13" if you have it)
- Spread the seeds on top of the towels
- Cover the baking dish tightly with plastic wrap (aka cling film)
- Set it in a sunny window
- Wait
After a day in the sun, you should see moisture forming on the inside of the plastic wrap. Tap it a few times to get the water to drop back onto the sheet (and let the sun through better).
If you have a heating pad, you can try that, too, but you don't want to leave it on all day, as you need a 'day' and 'night' time for most plants to sprout. (and I don't know how hot they get ... they might get too warm.)
Joe
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