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The greatest Tray Sprouter ever!
SproutMaster comes in 2 sizes and is stackable.
Build your own sprout skyscraper!
More SproutMaster Info
SproutMaster Description
Seeds to Sprout in SproutMaster
Sprouting Instructions
SproutMaster Assembly
Additional Notes
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Sprout School & Shop Sprouting Seed Info Center
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SproutMaster is the best Tray Sprouter ever!
Available in two sizes with stackable trays, this modular
sprouting device is perfect for growing vertical Leafy sprouts, but is also a fantastic all-purpose sprouter.
We offer 2 configurations of the SproutMaster:
1) 3 Stacking Trays measuring 5 x 6 inches each.
2) 1 Tray measuring 8 x 10 inches (You can purchase multiple trays and stack them.
Every tray, whether 5 x 6 or 8 x 10 inches comes with a divider which fits into a guide, allowing you to grow 2 crops per tray.
The bottom of every tray is full of small holes which allows for exceptional Drainage of all sprouting seeds, though as usual, you still have to play an active part. The SproutMaster is made of heavy duty, food grade, white plastic. It will last a lifetime but it is not dishwasher safe.
The only drawback, besides the price which is a bit high, is that the holes will require a little poking on your part. When you clean the SproutMaster, after harvesting a crop of small seeded (Alfalfa, Clover, Broccoli, etc.) sprouts, you'll want a paper clip or the like to help get some stuck seeds out.
Each 5 x 6 inch tray will grow approximately 6-8 ounces of Alfalfa/Clover type sprouts or 12-16 ounces of Bean or Grain sprouts.
Growing Capacity
5x6 Tray without divider : 1.5 Cups
8x10 Tray without divider : 1 Quart
Eat More Sprouts + Grow More Often - Easily!
These seeds are a Perfect match for SproutMaster:
Leafy Sprouts: Alfalfa, Clover and Mixes - Leafy sprouts are the best thing about using SproutMaster. When you grow these in a tray they grow vertically, roots down, leaves up! It is very beautiful!
Brassicas - Broccoli, Radish, Mustard, Cabbage, etc.
These will work just great as long as you remember to keep them from forming a mass. Do Not try to grow Brassicas vertically!
Alliums - Garlic, Leek and Onion
Beans - All (see Mung Note below)
Mung Beans - The 2 big issues with growing large, thick rooted Mungs is keeping them dark while growing and applying weight to the growing sprouts. SproutMaster, though not deep is dark inside and applying weight is easier with this device than with most others. Soak 1/2 cup of Mung Beans per 5x6 inch tray or 1.3 cups per 8x10 inch tray. The only other issue is the soak period we suggest while growing Mungs. You can submerge the tray in a pot of water to accomplish that. Read the notes further down the page.
Grains - All
Nuts and Seeds - Almonds, Pumpkins, Peanuts, Sunflower, etc.
Grass and Greens - Because the SproutMaster has a top and bottom it can hold moisture well which makes it possible to grow Grass and Greens without soil. Doing so always requires extra attention but as long as you keep the seeds moist all through growing, it can be done. WE ARE NOT suggesting this as a good way to grow these crops but we are saying that it is possible. Experiment Freely! The major problem is that the roots will grow out of the holes in the bottom - in a big way. Be sure to cut them off when you harvest. If you try to pull them you could hurt SproutMaster.
Do Not even bother trying Sunflower Greens - they taste horrible (or bland, depending on your taste buds) without soil (our opinion).
Impossible is not a word we like:
Micro-Greens are only possible in SproutMaster if you use soil or another planting medium.
SproutMaster
Sprouting Instructions
Specific Sprouting Instructions are found on
the page devoted to the Seed or Mix you are interested in.
Below are SproutMaster specifics.
Not all seeds require this step. See the seed information page to see if you need to do this for the seed you are sprouting.
SproutMaster is swell at allowing you to run water through seeds, but getting the seeds out to Soak would be a problem with small seeds, so you'll be happier if you don't prep any but big seeds (beans, grains, greens, etc.) with SproutMaster.
You can not Soak in SproutMaster. Use a bowl or similar water holding unit.
Rinse each tray individually and Drain well before re-stacking. Hold SproutMaster under your faucet or better yet, your sprayer for 15 - 20 seconds - using cool (60 - 70°) water (unless instructed otherwise by your seed supplier). Move the sprayer or SproutMaster around to get all of the crop watered well. The rule to remember is: Rinse at least until the water runs clear from the bottom of the tray.
When you are done Rinsing you need to get as much of the water out of the tray as possible. Bounce it until no more water comes out.
When you are growing big seeds it is easy enough to get most of the water out, but when they are small seeds, there will always be some water left, so bounce more than you think is necessary. It can't hurt!
Sprouting, Greening and De-Hulling
Stack your trays - if stacking - after they have been well Drained. Do be aware that air-circulation is minimal to non-existent in SproutMaster - especially in the lower trays of a skyscraper - so Rinse more often or separate your trays. You'll have to separate the trays if the sprouts grow taller than the trays or need light anyway - which is about the time that lack of air-circulation becomes an issue. Don't feel confused - just pay attention to your sprouts - they'll do great!
If you are growing sprouts with leaves, uncover trays and locate them where they can get some light (according to the directions on that seed's information page). Since you are dealing with trays you can get away with more light than when using enclosed sprouters. You can even use direct sunlight, but do pay attention as the sun hastens drying and heats up the sprouts, so you might have to rinse more often with cool water to compensate. Experiment and see. You'll do fine with minimal light too so don't feel like you have to push it.
One of the finest things about SproutMaster is hull removal when growing Leafy sprouts. All you have to do is turn the tray at an angle and spray the hulls off with a sprayer. A faucet can even do it. By the time you get to this stage your sprouts will be so firmly rooted that you can turn the tray at a 90° angle (you can even go to 180° but there is no point to that - that I can think of). We call this form of de-hulling: "Shaving".
Seed Specific
Sprouting Instructions
If you have a particular seed type in mind,
read on to discover further details of Tray sprouting that seed type.
Refer to the seed's main information page for detailed instructions.
Leafy Sprouts
These are the seeds/sprouts that really show off the SproutMaster. You can grow these sprouts vertically - roots down and leaves up! We have done this for years as professional sprout growers (though we use different - larger - trays) and have found ours to be the most beautiful Leafy sprouts we've ever seen. Vertical growing also makes de-hulling virtually automatic - as the leaves open and shed their hulls, the hulls wash away during Rinses. This is also the method that achieves the most greening as almost all of the leaves are exposed to light. None of these things are necessary for great Leafy sprouts. Regardless of the growing method you use, the sprouts taste great and are full of nutrition!
The method for vertical growing is written on each of the Leafy sprout information pages, but here they are anyway:
The trick to doing this is to keep your sprouts in place (don't "break them up" as you do in a non-tray sprouter) from day 3 onward. It is easy to do if, when Rinsing, you use a sprayer (that attachment most sinks have - the one that pulls out and is gun-like or a faucet attachment that offers spraying when pulled down) instead of your faucet. We have grown many tons of Leafy sprouts this way. Here is a breakdown of the specifics (Rinse numbers are based on 12 hour intervals - adjust as needed):
Rinse 1 (right after soak): Use faucet or sprayer and rinse thoroughly (use water at high pressure and use plenty of it).
Rinse 2 and 3: Use faucet or sprayer and rinse thoroughly.
Rinse 4: Use sprayer and while Rinsing thoroughly, spray your sprouts evenly across the bottom of the tray. You can use your hands to spread them too. The goal is to spread them evenly.
Rinse 5 and 6: Use sprayer with less water pressure. Rinse well - (which since you are using less water pressure means - for a longer time) but don't disturb the sprouts.
Rinse 7 - 10: Use sprayer. You can turn the water pressure back to high - your sprouts will not be easily moved (broken up) at this point and the higher water pressure feeds oxygen to your sprouts as well as "cleaning" them, which is a wonderful way to produce healthy long lasting sprouts. Rinse and Drain thoroughly.
Rinse 11 (if you need this many) or your last rinse: Use Sprayer. Hold your tray at an angle (90° will work but less is OK too) and spray across the top of the sprouts to remove hulls. We call this form of de-hulling SHAVING and it can be done at any Rinse or every Rinse - starting when hulls begin to be shed by the opening leaves. Rinse down into the sprouts too. Drain as thoroughly as possible after your last Rinse - you want your sprouts to dry enough to refrigerate in 8-12 hours.
Vertical growing CAN be done without a sprayer too but it is more difficult. If you want to try all you have to do is regulate your water pressure - trying to keep your sprouts undisturbed during rinses 4 - 6.
Greening is done according to the directions on the seed information page.
If you don't wish to grow vertically just follow the standard seed directions on the seed information page.
Maximum dry seed =
3.5 Tablespoons per 8x10 tray.
4 teaspoons per 5x6 tray.
Beans
Follow the seed information page instructions for the bean you are growing.
Maximum dry seed =
2 cups per 8x10 tray.
3/4 cup per 5x6 tray.
Mung Bean
If you are going for small sweet Mungs you need only follow the directions on the Mung Bean information page. If you are going for big and thick, read on...
The 2 big issues with growing large, thick rooted Mungs is keeping them dark while growing and applying weight to the growing sprouts. SproutMaster, though not deep is dark inside and applying weight is easier with this device than with most others. Whenever you try to grow big thick rooted Mung Bean sprouts, you need to keep them from moving: Don't disturb the sprouts - they need to be tightly packed, so after the first Rinse, apply weight directly to the sprouts - anything that will fit snugly inside SproutMaster will work. (There is plenty of detail on the Mung Bean information page.) When you Rinse you need to do it gently the first few times. Soon they will be so firmly massed together that you couldn't move them with a fire hose! The only other issue is the soak period we suggest while growing Mungs. Since you can't soak in SproutMaster you 'll need to submerge the tray in a pot (or similar unit) of water. Just be sure that your Mungs are firmly massed before submerging them.
Maximum dry seed =
2 cups for small sprouts or 1.3 cups for big sprouts per 8x10 tray.
3/4 cup for small sprouts or 1/2 cup for big sprouts per 5x6 tray.
Brassicas
Broccoli, Radish, Cabbage, Mustard, etc. need to move while sprouting or they will form a root mass (beginning around day 3) which is at least unpleasant and often lessens the sprouts' quality. Solution: Break Up/Loosen the mass. Use high water pressure at every Rinse to keep the sprouts loose. If they mass together despite your high pressure efforts (which is not uncommon - especially if you are growing the maximum amount of sprouts SproutMaster can grow), transfer the sprouts to a big bowl or pot type container. Fill the container with cool water (you can also use high pressure water to fill the container if you want to get a head start on loosening) and reach in with your hands (as long as they are clean, hands are always the best choice) or a fork or the like and gently separate the sprouts. Go ahead and skim any hulls that are floating on top and then transfer your Brassica sprouts back to SproutMaster. You don't have to, but we Rinse again once they are back in their tray. Keep breaking up the mass at every rinse or 2 after that as well.
If you just won't believe that Brassicas can't grow vertically, go ahead and try it - there is no better way to learn and learning is a good thing (as long as you don't hurt anyone!). You should try it with Radish if you must, as it will be the least bad of the Brassicas (it can even produce an edible crop of micro-greens if you get lucky). Just follow the directions above for leafy sprouts. I bet you've never seen blue roots before.....
Maximum dry seed =
4 Tablespoons per 8x10 tray.
1.5 Tablespoons per 5x6 tray.
Alliums
Garlic, Leek and Onion require no extra information. Just remember - these all take up to 2 weeks to finish sprouting so keep Rinsing and Draining!
Maximum dry seed =
5 Tablespoons per 8x10 tray.
2 Tablespoons per 5x6 tray.
Grains
Follow the seed information page instructions for the grain you are growing.
Maximum dry seed =
2.5 cups per 8x10 tray.
1 cup per 5x6 tray.
Nuts and Seeds
Follow the seed information page instructions for the nut or seed you are growing.
Maximum dry seed =
2.5 cups per 8x10 tray.
1 cup per 5x6 tray.
Grass and Greens
Because the SproutMaster has a top and bottom it can hold moisture well which makes it possible to grow Grass and Greens without soil. Doing so always requires extra attention but as long as you keep the seeds moist all through growing, it can be done. WE ARE NOT suggesting this as a good way to grow these crops but we are saying that it is possible. Experiment Freely!
The major issues are: Keep rinsing/watering regularly. As the crop grows it needs more and more water (relative to the size of the plant basically) to keep growing big and tender. Also, the roots will grow out of the holes in the bottom of the tray - in a big way. Be sure to cut them off when you harvest. If you try to pull them you could hurt SproutMaster.
SproutMaster is a great Pre-Sprouter of course!
Maximum dry seed = 2.5 cups per 8 x 10 inch tray or 1 cup per 5x6 inch tray for Pre-Sprouting.
If you want to grow all the way: Determine how much seed to soak by spreading dry seed evenly on the bottom of the tray. If you evenly cover the bottom of the tray with dry seed, you'll have the right amount of soaked seed to grow Grass or Greens.
Micro-Greens
Pre-Sprouting only!
Your big decision is whether you want to insert a divider in a tray. If you do - just slide it into this groove.
Your other decision is stacking. If you wish to stack trays, go for it! All you do is use less covers (bases and covers are identical). Put a base down, then a tray, then a cover, then a tray, then a cover, then a tray, etc.
Cleaning: If you sprout small seeds in SproutMaster you might need to poke a few out. We use a paper clip or toothpick. Scrub well between crops with soap and water. Rinse well!
Sterilize: Scrub and soak in bleach water. We do this every 2-3 crops because a clean sprouter produces better sprouts a sterile sprouter is a great place to begin a crop.
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SPROUTPEOPLE®
170 Mendell St.
San Francisco, CA 94124
Toll Free:
877/777-6887
(877/SPROUTS)
We only use the phone for emergencies.
Back in 2001 we were still using the phone. One day I was talking to a long-time customer while pushing my (then 4 year old) daughter on the swing in our backyard (this is what a mom n' pop business is like on the internet). It dawned on me that my priorities were severely messed up, so I stopped using the phone. I love to talk and I love to help, but my family would never see me if I picked up the phone again, and that's just wrong don't you think?!
The very best way to contact us is through E-mail =:-)
We are quite fast and VERY thorough. We love to help.
We have been an internet only business since 2001. We are not a big corporation. We are but 2 people, Mom n' Pop Sprout. We decided after years of juggling our family's (kids, dogs, cats and even our own) needs, and the needs of Sproutpeople, that we had to make more time for our kids, so we stopped talking on the phone. All calls go to voice mail and have since 2001.
We are very fast to fill orders and answer e-mail, and though we wish we could make the time to talk, we just can't seem to get more minutes into a each hour. We are many years older than when we started and our days are too short and made up of too few hours to do everything. This limitation in our business has not kept us from pleasing our customers, nor from growing (as we have every year since 1993). We do what we do as well as we can, and we think we do it very well indeed.
We appreciate your patronage more than we can say. We ask that you use the phone for emergencies only and that you search our site for answers before e-mailing us. This site is bigger than any 4 sprout books put together, it is always available and it is free, and we know that almost all questions are answered here.
Thanks again for your support and your many kind words.
Sproutpeople