The cost of buying fresh cut wheatgrass from someone else is really pricey. It can be about $50 a month. If you grow it yourself it costs $6 a month after you buy what you need. I have grown it before, and I decided to grow it again. I am going to break down the cost for you.

What you Need
1.) Soil (five bags of topsoil for $10 at Loblaws on sale, about a years supply)
2.) Cafeteria trays (from dollar store or a school that doesn't need them)
3.) Manuel wheat grass juicer (the healthy juicer)  ($60 with tax)
4.) Organic Hard Wheatberries ($3 for 1 kg, at the Big Carrot) (probably need 2kg per/month for 1 person)
5.) Ocean water  (called OceanGrown) ($30 for 1 liter, about 6 months supply)

Start up cost $106. If you want the grow lamp I believe they are $140. But all you need for wheatgrass is to put them by a window. I have put mine outside in a shady area.
Of course, when you start to grow one thing, you will want to start growing other things. You can also grow sunflower sprouts, pea shoots, and buckwheat sprouts. You can also make rejuvelac with your wheatberries. I will explain all that in another post.

Ok, here's the deal, I am going to explain how to make wheatgrass so that it will have ninety plus minerals in it. You do not need to buy top of the line soil because you will be watering your wheatgrass with Ocean water. Ocean water contains all the minerals we need. That's why seaweed is so healthy for you, it grows in the ocean which is mineral rich. Volcano ash and kelp meal are mineral rich alternatives.The wheatgrass can only take up as many minerals as it has access to. Since ocean water is so mineral rich you need to put 2 tsp (of ocean water)  in 4L of pure water. Or 1 to 100.

Step 1: Soak I cup of hard (not soft) wheatberries in pure water that has the corresponding amount of ocean water it in........... overnight.

Step 2: Drain the water, then put it in a container that has a mesh screen or cheesecloth on its top. Tilt the wheatberries on a bowl. You want them to start to sprout  (grow tails). This takes a couple of days and you have to keep watering and rinsing the wheatberries as to keep them moist.
Keep these wheatberries out of the light and in a dark space.

Step 3: When the wheatberries have sprouted (grown tails) they are ready for planting (about 2days). Get out your cafeteria tray and put only 1 inch of soil on the tray. Wheatberries need very little soil, infact you can grow them without soil. Spread the wheatberries evenly over the tray. Then water the soil.

Step 4: Cover the tray with a cloth and let the tray stand for a couple of days in darkness until you see the grass push the cloth up. That's when they are ready to be placed in the light.

Step 5: Place them outside in a shady area, or by a window, or under a grow lamp.  If you see mold do not worry as it tends to stick to the roots and you do not juice the roots. Wheatgrass grows best in indirect sunlight and warm temperatures. About twenty degrees.

Step 6: There is a lot of debate as to when to harvest the wheatberries, some people say wait until the grass grows 6 inches, others say wait until it reaches 8 inches. I have discovered that the type of berry makes a huge difference. My grass is dark green and thick, and its optimal length is 6 inches. I have discovered that the grass that reaches 8 inches in length tend to be skinner and lighter green. You harvest the grass until it reaches the desired length or until the grass splits, (grows another blade within it). This process takes many days, perhaps up to 10 days even for the 6 inch grass. Water the grass twice daily, but do not drown your grasslings. Lift up from the roots and take a peek to see if  the roots are moist. Make sure the soil is moist but not soaking.

Step 7: Harvest the wheatgrass by cutting at the roots, and harvest it all at once (it will keep for about a week in the fridge). You can use the rooting system as mulch for your garden. Or you can compost it. Anne Wigmore suggests that you can allow the wheatgrass to re-grow a second time and harvest again. It's up to you. It is rumoured that the quality isn't as good.

How much to take?: The Hippocrates Health Institute  recommends taking only 2oz at any one time and up to 4oz a day. They don't not give their patients anymore than that. The ocean grown wheatgrass is extremely potent, it's like getting a good kick in the ass. So 4oz of ocean grown wheatgrass is NOT the same as wheatgrass grown with polluted tap water. The juicer I have recommended is the same juicer the Hippocrates Health Institute recommends. See my hyperlinks above to find out where to get everything.

Lindsay Tietz, H.D and wannabe R.M.T