How to Grow Black Bean Sprouts? A Detailed Guide to the Latest Cultivation Method
Black bean sprouts are an excellent health food with very high nutritional value, rich in protein and carbohydrates, and abundant in iron, calcium, phosphorus and carotene. They are slightly cool in nature with a sweet taste. Regular consumption has the effects of promoting blood circulation and diuresis, clearing heat and reducing swelling, and tonifying the liver and improving eyesight. They have a refreshing, crisp and tender texture and are deeply loved. Let us take a look together at how to grow black bean sprouts!
Variety Selection
For growing black bean sprouts, choose varieties that sprout quickly, have a short growth cycle, produce sprouts of uniform thickness, have strong disease resistance and good palatability. Currently, the commonly used varieties are GanniuLiao black bean and Pingding black, and it is best to use black beans harvested in the current year.
Seed Treatment
Before growing black bean sprouts, first winnow the seeds and float them in water, removing seeds that are mechanically crushed or damaged, insect-infested, moldy or too small. When floating in water, rub and wash repeatedly with your hands gently, repeatedly skim off impurities and inferior beans, then scoop the black beans into a bamboo sieve to drain off the water.
Warm Water Seed Soaking
Pour the drained black beans into 55°C warm water for warm water seed soaking, stirring continuously and quickly in one direction. The amount of water used for soaking is twice the amount of dry seeds. After stirring for about 15 minutes, add an appropriate amount of cold water, and soak when the temperature drops to 25°C. At the same time, add one vial (2 ml) of rootless bean sprout hormone, stir evenly, and soak the seeds for 24 hours. At this point the black beans have absorbed enough water. Rinse with clean water 2 to 3 times, pour into a bamboo sieve to drain off the water, air-dry for 3 to 5 minutes, and prepare for sprouting.
Disinfection and Sprouting
Lay a layer of toilet paper on the bottom of a disinfected foam box, spray it moist with 25 to 30°C warm water, and evenly spread the black beans in the box, letting the beans lie close together in a dense layer on the bottom of the box. Use 350 grams of dry bean seeds per box. After spreading, spray with 20°C warm water. The amount of spray should be such that no water drips from the foam box and no water accumulates, so as to avoid the seeds rotting. Then stack the boxes in piles of 6 trays each for sprouting.
Seedling Stage Management
1. Black beans usually reach 3 to 4 cm as black bean sprouts in about 30 hours. Place the foam boxes on a rack or on the ground, take one vial of rootless bean sprout hormone (2 ml) and dilute it in 1 to 2 kg of water, and spray the sprouts to reduce the production of lateral roots and root hairs and to increase the cotyledon area.
2. When black bean sprouts are 8 to 9 cm tall, take one vial of thickening agent (2 ml) and dilute it in 1 to 1.5 kg of water, and spray the sprouts to inhibit the elongation of true leaves, make the stems thicker and more crisp and tender, reduce fiber content and make the bean cotyledons plump, fresh green and glossy, improving their marketability.
3. Throughout the entire production process of black bean sprouts, spray water 2 to 4 times a day. If the temperature is high and humidity is low, spray more; otherwise spray less. Spray less in the early growth stage; in the later stage growth is rapid and water demand is high, so spray more.
4. During the production of black bean sprouts, promptly remove moldy and rotten seeds to avoid creating a center of infection that infects surrounding bean seeds. When reusing foam boxes, thoroughly disinfect them with fungicide and expose them to the sun for 3 to 4 hours.