Confused about sprouting

[aurelius]

Hey everyone, I'm very new to this forum. I've been interested in sprouting seeds for a long time and decided I'm going to try it for the first time for my tiel Pepper.

I'm a little confused on what the best way to sprout seeds is because I hear a lot of different methods from a lot of different people. I've heard about soaking seeds beforehand, or not soaking them... leaving them in a collander with wet towel on top... spreading them in jars (open or closed?)... in pans... open bowls... do I cover them or not?? this is a little confusing. I understand they need to be rinsed every 8-12 hours to prevent nasty bacteria/mold/fungus/etc growing but everything else is unclear. What kind of container do I grow it in? Do I drain it every time? let it sit in the strainer or in a jar? do I keep the jar open or not? just feels unclear, please send help!!!

Also, should I add antibacterial stuff or not? and if so, when in the process do I add it? I'd rather be safe than sorry. I have Saniclens/Aviclens but I've also heard about GSE and apple cider vinegar...?

I've read through the pinned general info on sprouting post but I've still heard so much info from so many sources that I'm a bit confused. For reference, I'm only feeding 1 tiel and would prefer to sprout a small amount at a time so I won't have huge amounts to store and go bad. I would also prefer to sprout one type of seed at a time so I can get a feel of what the individual seeds need for growth before I start sprouting mixes. Would the instructions change for a smaller amount of sprouting??

Thank you so much!! sorry for all the questions!!!

- Ember and the tiel Pepper

 

[Sparkles99]

Welcome. One of my budgies is named Aurelius too!!!

Here are some stickied threads to help.

Sprouting Easy or Complicated?

As part of feeding fresh. Sprouts are an important part of this. I.E. Serving soak seed and sprouts means you are feeding live foods. This is a big bonus as they do not go off in the food tray, they will keep on growing. Sprouting good seed, grains, peas, and beans, can cover a lot of a birds...

forums.avianavenue.com

Sprouting for your budgie

I've seen a few posts recently asking about or talking about sprouts.... and since I'm the self proclaimed Queen of the Sprouts, I figured I'd put together this post to help answer the basic question of "How do I sprout seeds for my bird?" Lets start with my collection of sproutables. You can...

forums.avianavenue.com

 

[Mizzely]

Some of it is conflicting because different seeds have different sprouting directions

I use the Easy Sprouter as it is as easy as the name implies, and the directions are easy

Easy Sprout Sprouter

Overwhelmingly our most popular sprouter of all time - Easy Sprout is also a personal favorite of ours and thanks to its small footprint we can have more than a dozen growing sprouts in our not large kitchen. It offers great drainage and the best air-circulation of any sprouter. BPA-free and...

sproutpeople.org

I soak overnight the first day, then drain and rinse morning and night after. I feed as soon as tails start to appear, which depending on the heat of the house is 1-4 days.

Chia and flax do NOT get sprouted this way. They need the paper towel method.

 

[Tara81]

A lot of grains and seeds have the same or similar soak time. I sprout organic sunflower seeds along with Tops all in one soak seeds. (Organic Barley, Organic Rye Berries, Organic Spelt, Organic Kamut, Organic Buckwheat, Organic Hulled Millet, Organic Pumpkin Seeds )


how I sprout :
1. Soak organic seed for 10 hours.
2. Rinse them with cold water for about 2 mins in a stainless steel strainer. Or the easy sprout thingy. As an extra precaution , I spray diluted apple cider vinegar (1:4water) on my sprouts after the first rinse, shake them a bit, wait 5 mins, then rinse under cold water for 3 mins.
3. I put my sprouts in the fridge to grow slowly.
4. Rinse again with water 2-5 mins every 6 hours except when sleeping.
5. Repeat daily rinsing. Drain extra water from strainer bowl if necessary. keep storing in the fridge.
6. Feed the birds sprouts on day 2-6. Make sure to smell and taste test before serving. My sprouts smell a bit like a faint green peas smell, and taste like cereal. If it smells bad throw it away!
7. Day 4: after morning rinse spray with diluted apple cider vinegar.

rinse and repeat. You can use apple cider vinegar daily if u choose, just remember to rinse the sprouts good afterwards , otherwise they won’t grow.