Growing Greens and Bean Sprouts in Autumn

To my surprise and delight, having tried to set off 5 pots of green leaves in early September (not tried growing this late in the year!); a month later two of the mixed lettuce pots are really flourishing and 2 of them are coming along.  The spinach pot is not doing so well. Here are the best two:

Then only last week I realised that I had not done any sprouting for ages and with the lack of greens around - some extra sustenance is definitely needed! Below is my "sprout farm" laying fallow!!  Sprouts are so easy to grow - just soak overnight in a bowl or jar and then put them in the sprouter and rinse them in fresh water morning and night.  Sometimes if the weather is warm through the window and I am about, I give mine an extra rinse in the middle of the day!  That's my consultation room on the left there towards the back of the garden in this photo!

Actually, the smallest sprouter has some broccoli sprouts on the go there. Below is a close up at 2-3 days old.  Broccoli sprouts have a great health reputation: research at John Hopkins university in 1992 and 1997 has shown that they contain a cancer beating phytochemical  which is at least 20 times higher levels in 3-4 day old sprouts than it is when they are full grown broccoli plants!

The next picture shows some mixed sprouts I had already grown ready for me to eat!  apart from being a useful source of B vitamins, some of which increase by some 1200% during the sprouting process, they are also a good source of protein and are packed with vitamins and minerals.  Sprouts are also rich in chlorophyll - plant blood - which is a good source of magnesium.  Additionally, sprouts are highly digestible as they contain enzymes produced by the seed that make them extremely easy to break down.

Not only am I still "farming" in pots and on my windowsill but the local hedgerows have been a great source of fresh breakfast blackberries over the last few weeks - Yum!

I believe in harvesting from nature where available - have my eye on the rose hips that are blooming in the hedgerows now!