How to Grow Bean Sprouts? The Latest Cultivation Techniques and Methods Tutorial
Bean sprouts are often short for sprout vegetables and bean sprouts. Common varieties include soybean sprouts, mung bean sprouts, red bean sprouts, peanut sprouts, pea sprouts, radish sprouts, and more. They are eaten for the young and tender organs of the plant. Because seed contamination is low during the cultivation process, growth is fast, environmental conditions are easy to regulate, and the growth cycle is short, both production efficiency and economic returns are very high. Let us take a look at bean sprout cultivation techniques below!
Selecting Seeds
Choose new seeds with a germination rate above 95%, high purity and cleanliness, plump grains, and no contamination. Chinese toon seeds in particular easily lose germination ability under high-temperature conditions, so even more attention should be paid to selecting new seeds that have not overwintered (rub off the wings before use). Using such seeds to grow bean sprouts results in fast seedling growth, strong plants, slow fiber formation, low yield, tender quality, and no contamination.
Soaking Seeds and Promoting Germination
Rinse the selected seeds 2 to 3 times with clean water at 20-30°C, then soak them in water 2 to 3 times the volume of the seeds. The time is slightly longer in winter and slightly shorter in summer. Generally, peas take 18-24 hours, Chinese toon 12-20 hours, buckwheat 24-36 hours, and radish 6-8 hours. After soaking, rub off the mucilage on the seed coat, drain excess water, place the seeds in a flat-bottomed container, cover with a wet towel, and place peas at 18-22°C and Chinese toon at 20-23°C in a constant-temperature location to promote germination. After peas, buckwheat, and Chinese toon have gone through 48 hours, and radish 24 hours, the sprouts can be sown once they reach 2-3 mm in length.
Sowing Techniques
Wash the sowing tray clean, lay 1-2 layers of white paper (or old newspaper) on the bottom of the tray, let the paper absorb enough water, and evenly scatter the pre-germinated seeds on the wet substrate. Generally, for a tray measuring 60×25×5 cm, the sowing rate per tray is 350-400 grams for peas, 150-170 grams for buckwheat, 80-100 grams for radish, and 30-50 grams for Chinese toon. After sowing, stack the seedling trays neatly together, cover them well with black plastic film, and carry out “stacked-tray germination” with peas at 18-13°C, buckwheat and radish at 20-25°C, and Chinese toon at 20-23°C. After 2 days, when the sprouts reach 2-3 cm, the trays can be “put on the shelf,” and light-exposed growth begins at this temperature.
Sprout Management
1. Light: Buckwheat sprouts and baby radish greens need relatively strong light, Chinese toon seedlings need moderate light, and dragon-whisker peas have strong adaptability. Note that during sprout growth, light must not be too strong, otherwise cellulose forms prematurely and quality is affected. If light is too weak or insufficient, sprouts tend to become thin and weak and may lodge and rot.
2. Water: Because sprout vegetables themselves are fresh, tender, and juicy, water must be supplied frequently, with spraying or misting 2-3 times a day, to the extent that the substrate in the tray is moist without dripping heavily. Spray less on cloudy and rainy days or when temperatures are low, and spray more during high temperature and dryness.
3. Ventilation: Ventilation should be maintained every day to regulate temperature and humidity.
Timely Harvesting
Sprout vegetables use young tender stems and leaves as the product. The tissues are tender and the water content is high, so they are mostly sold as whole living trays. The harvest standards are as follows.
1. Dragon-whisker peas: The sprouts are pale yellow-green, 10-12 cm tall, uniform, with the top cotyledons unfolded, tender, and not yet fibrous.
2. Chinese toon seedlings: The sprouts are deep green, 8-12 cm tall, uniform, with cotyledons unfolded and plump, the heart leaves not yet emerged, and a rich fragrance.
3. Buckwheat sprouts: The sprout cotyledons are green, the hypocotyl is red, the sprouts are 12-15 cm tall, uniform, with cotyledons flat and fully plump.
4. Baby radish greens: The sprouts are emerald green, 8-10 cm tall, uniform. The cotyledons are flat and fully plump.