Grow your own Sprouting Seeds

Without a heated greenhouse - or a similar resource - it is generally assumed that it simply isn't possible to grow very much kitchen produce during the winter months. All that might begin to change if a lot of ‘five a day' - and herb enthusiasts - take the advice of Suttons.
The Devon-based plant and seed specialists, for whom Hadlow undertakes trials of new varieties and investigates innovative growing techniques, have produced a series of excellent small guides. They include ‘Windowsill Gardening' which advocates all-the-year-round production of chemical-free leaf salads and herbs. The leaflets are available free of charge from Suttons' stockists. (Note the important advice to use a special winter seed mixture to obtain the best salad leaf crops during the winter months.)

Suttons promise growing Alfalfa indoors during the winter is easypeasy! An additional benefit, Alfalfa can be harvested when it is just a few days old - that is, just after the shoots have emerged from the germinating seed. Suttons suggest growing in a clean glass jar. Put the seeds in the jar. Place a piece of muslin or linen across the top of the jar and retain with an elastic band. Rinse the seeds with water and allow the excess to drain through the muslin. Turn the jar upside down. Place the jar (still upside down and at an angle to facilitate drainage) in a warm, dark place such as an airing cupboard. Rinse the seeds with water a couple of times a day allowing excess water to drain away. Harvest when the shoots and roots are about 2cm long.

Add the sprouts to salads. They are crunchy and very slightly spicy - and they contain a quite amazing number of nutrients. Young sprouts also make a deliciously crunchy addition to sandwiches - and they are a healthy snacking option too! Some enthusiasts make a sort of tisane with the sprouts: put a generous number of sprouts in the bottom of a jug, add boiling water and ‘brew' for about an hour. Pass through a strainer. The tisane can be sweetened with honey and drunk hot or chilled - it is something of an acquired taste!

At least fifteen hundred years ago Chinese herbalists used Alfalfa to treat a wide range of health disorders. It is very nutritious being high in calcium and vitamins C, E, K and those in the B group. Today's herbalists make use of Alfalfa in a variety of ways - including treatment of arthritis, fluid retention and kidney disorders, cleansing the blood, lowering the levels of bad cholesterol, arteriosclerosis, cardiovascular disease - and for a whole range of other problems.
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) is a member of the pea family and the most cultivated perennial legume in the world. It is grown as a field crop for beef cattle, sheep and goats and is a high-protein addition to hay for performance horses. It is an attractive plant that, because of its pink-mauve flowers, is sometimes mistaken for clover.

Hadlow, graded ‘Outstanding', offers a wide range of horticulture courses at degree and further education levels including a degree course in Medicinal Horticulture. The college also offers a range of ‘recreational' type courses. Telephone: 0500 551434