SoilBible · Episodes · Ep 033

Ep 033: Sprouted Seed Tea — Keystone Input Tutorial

· Day 48, end of week 7 in the 10x10 grow. Jeremy walks the tent flagging which genetics look 8-week finishers (Branson's Royal) versus 9-10 week finishers (Halitosis), talks about how to read senescence and trichomes, then delivers a full tutorial on Sprouted Seed Tea (SST) using the Easy Sprout vessel with alfalfa and blue corn. He demonstrates the 12-24 hour soak, daily rinsing with centrifugal moisture removal, the peak-enzyme window, blending into water and applying via Chapin sprayer. Closes with a Quadrant 4 walkthrough covering Sakura cherry tomato transplant, tulsi/holy basil thinning, peppers, radish, carrots and lettuce germination.

Topics

Reading senescence and trichomes to determine harvest timing · Why 8 weeks is the minimum realistic flower finish · How to use an Easy Sprout vessel for daily sprouting · Sprouted Seed Tea for enzymes, auxins, gibberellins, growth hormones · Blue corn versus alfalfa sprouting — which is for SST vs food · Seed anti-germination coating and why you rinse it off · Peak enzyme window — tail just emerging from the seed · Sprouted seed tea application via Chapin sprayer · Clackamas Coot as originator of SST technique · Mono-cropping vs mixed containers for strain evaluation · Quadrant 4 food crops — tomatoes, peppers, tulsi, lettuce, carrots, radish · Independence from BuildASoil products — DIY philosophy

Sections

0:00 — 3:00

Week 7 Tent Walk and Finish Timing

Day 48, going into week 8. Jeremy explains why 8 weeks is the realistic minimum flowering time for good genetics and flags anyone claiming 40-45 day finishes as suspect. Shows senescence fade colours — purples on greens — on the Branson's Royal leaves, notes they look 8-week finishers while the Halitosis is still stacking white hairs and will go longer. Identifies uneven light burn yellowing on leaves closest to the canopy and admits his morning watering schedule has slipped to afternoons because of company growth.

  1. 1. Walk the canopy to assess each strain's progress relative to expected finish date
  2. 2. Look for senescence colour change — purples and fades on leaves — as end-of-life signal
  3. 3. Assume minimum 56-60 days flowering for unknown genetics
  4. 4. Note which plants are still pushing new white pistils (not yet ready)
  5. 5. Water first thing in morning when lights come on (best practice)
3:00 — 7:00

Strain Comparison and Mono-Cropping Observation

Jeremy compares the Branson's Royal, the Halitosis, and his Los Olly (quadrant 4) picks. Notes Quadrant 4 became his favourite because the smaller soil footprint got spread wider in the 5x5 area so each plant had more personal space. Explains that mixing strains in one container hurts the slower stretchers — mono-cropping a favourite genetic reveals strengths and weaknesses better. Discusses the rule of thumb for harvest — go longer than expected, watch for new white hairs, don't harvest until they stop.

  1. 1. Mono-crop one genetic per container to properly evaluate it
  2. 2. Give each plant max personal space rather than overcrowding under screen
  3. 3. Wait until new white pistils stop pushing before harvesting
  4. 4. In living soil, let plants tell you when they're done — do NOT flush
  5. 5. Use USB microscope to check trichomes for final timing decision
7:00 — 10:00

Easy Sprout Vessel Introduction

Opens the Easy Sprout box and demonstrates its components — the outer cup, inner colander-style insert with drain positions, and the small-seed insert that fits in the bottom to stop fine seed like alfalfa falling through. Walks through the printed instructions on the back of the container: add seeds, add water, soak 1-12 hours. Notes the durability (years of use) and that they stack in the fridge better than other sprouting gear because the ventilated design lets seeds hold perfect moisture and even slowly grow while refrigerated.

  1. 1. Remove Easy Sprout from box, identify outer cup, inner vessel, and small-seed insert
  2. 2. Check the printed back label for quick-reference steps
  3. 3. For small seed like alfalfa, clip the small-seed insert into the bottom of the inner vessel
  4. 4. Use the inner vessel's drain position for sprouting (up for breathing)
10:00 — 13:00

Soaking Alfalfa and Corn Seed

Starts both sprouts in parallel — alfalfa seed (bulk 3lb bag, $60 free shipping, much cheaper than grocery store) for eating, and BuildASoil blue corn for SST. Drops about a quarter cup of each into their respective vessels — alfalfa barely covers the bottom, corn a little more since there are fewer seeds per volume. Fills with clean water way over the seed volume to account for absorption. Mentions preferring mung beans and salad mixes for eating variety, emphasises that sprouting seed should be clean and washed or you pay for it in quality.

  1. 1. Put small-seed insert into bottom of inner vessel for alfalfa
  2. 2. Pour quarter cup alfalfa seed into vessel (doesn't even cover the bottom fully)
  3. 3. Fill with clean water well above seed line for absorption headroom
  4. 4. Snap breathable lid on and set on desk — no light needed at soak stage
  5. 5. Repeat with blue corn seed — slightly more volume than alfalfa because fewer seeds per cup
  6. 6. Soak for a minimum of 12 hours, max 24 hours, never longer
13:00 — 17:00

Day 2 — Initial Rinse and Seed Coat Wash

Day two he pops the caps and shows the seeds have absorbed much of the water, some still floating. Explains the biology — seeds are coated in an anti-germination material that nature uses to prevent germination in the first light rain. That coating has to wash off before true germination begins, so the soak water is not something you use. Takes the vessel to the sink and blasts it under the faucet stream to physically rinse off the coating. Demonstrates the centrifugal moisture removal — swing the vessel a few times to throw out excess water so the seeds hold perfect moisture without pooling. Will rinse once or twice per day thereafter.

  1. 1. Day 2: remove lid and inspect swollen seeds in coloured soak water
  2. 2. Drain the soak water (it contains the anti-germination coating — do not use)
  3. 3. Take vessel to sink and blast with running faucet stream to physically rinse the seeds
  4. 4. Swing the vessel using centrifugal force to throw out excess moisture
  5. 5. Set back on lid, breathable top, continue once-per-day or twice-per-day rinses
  6. 6. Fluff the seeds daily as roots form so they don't clot and mold
17:00 — 21:00

Day 4 — Peak Enzyme Window and SST Blend

Day 4: the blue corn has well-germinated tails visible — Jeremy admits he actually waited a day too long for ideal SST use. Explains the peak enzymatic window is right when the tail first emerges from the seed (day 2 or day 3), not after it has grown out. The alfalfa is letting grow longer because it's for human consumption, ideally sprouted out with small green tops. Demonstrates the SST blend: quarter cup sprouted seed into a small blender with water, blend into a milky/frothy bluish-purple liquid carrying all the enzymes. That volume is good for a 4-5 gallon bucket of water.

  1. 1. Check sprout tails daily — ideal SST time is tail just emerging (day 2-3)
  2. 2. Harvest the sprouted seeds from vessel for SST
  3. 3. Add sprouted seeds to a blender with some water as carrier
  4. 4. Blend into a milky, frothy solution — bluish-purple from the blue corn
  5. 5. Quarter cup of seeds = enough SST for a 4-5 gallon bucket of dilution water
  6. 6. Pour blended slurry through a strainer into a bucket to remove chunks
  7. 7. Add remaining water to the bucket to reach final application volume
  8. 8. Load into Chapin sprayer — remove fan nozzle, run as hose flow, because chunks clog the fan
21:00 — 25:00

SST Application and Closing the Loop

Applies the SST water to the tent via the Chapin sprayer. Emphasises that SST is about enzymes, not NPK — but if you blend the seed in and do not discard it, there is real protein-to-nutrient value as well. Recommends dumping the leftover seed pulp into the worm bin rather than on the soil surface. Cites Clackamas Coot on the forum as the originator of the SST technique, experimenting with every seed type. States BuildASoil philosophy — independence — you can buy organic popcorn from any grocery store and start the process tonight, you don't need to buy their blue corn. Warns against GMO seed.

  1. 1. Load strained SST liquid + dilution water into a Chapin sprayer
  2. 2. Remove fan nozzle, use open hose mode to avoid clogging
  3. 3. Water the SST into the containers at normal watering volume
  4. 4. Dump leftover blended seed pulp into the worm bin (do not waste it)
  5. 5. Alternative: top-dress the leftover pulp onto soil surface to feed microbes
24:00 — 26:00

Finished Alfalfa Sprouts for Eating

Shows the day 5-6 alfalfa sprout cup now bursting with sprouts filling the entire vessel from what was less than a quarter cup of seed. Explains you can slide the entire cup into the fridge with the breathable lid and they'll continue to slowly grow at 34 degrees without decaying, lasting much longer than store-bought sprouts. Pulls them into sandwiches, tacos, salads for the family. Talks about alternative sprouting methods — glass jars, hemp bags — but states the Easy Sprout gives better moisture control and results.

  1. 1. When alfalfa fills the cup (day 5-6), it's ready for eating
  2. 2. Slide the whole vessel into the fridge with breathable lid — no transfer needed
  3. 3. They will continue very slow growth at ~34F without decaying
  4. 4. Use in sandwiches, tacos, salads — everything
  5. 5. Any sprouts that start going off, dump into worm bin to close the loop
26:00 — 33:00

Quadrant 4 Food Crops Walkthrough

Walks Quadrant 4 food crops. Peppers and tomatoes are slow to germinate (10 days for peppers). Thins the tomato seedlings to one strong plant and reveals he'll transplant the Sakura cherry tomato into more soil and vine it up. Tulsi (holy basil) seed germinated well despite an unknown source — will thin to one plant per cup. Previously-planted tomato shows forming tomatoes with no bottom end rot after the top dress, while pre-top-dress tomatoes had some blossom end rot. Pepper plant is still producing and has been feeding Jeremy, office staff, and his pet bird. Radish, mixed lettuce (way too much seed used), and carrots are germinating under the kale; carrots are slower to establish, lettuce fastest. Signals upcoming harvest within 2-3 weeks and a cleanup-and-reset for next cycle.

  1. 1. Pull weak tomato seedlings, keep the strongest one per cup
  2. 2. Transplant the Sakura cherry tomato into more soil volume and vine it up
  3. 3. Thin tulsi seedlings to one (maybe two) strongest per cup
  4. 4. Check tomatoes for bottom end rot — top dressing helped the newer fruit develop clean
  5. 5. Harvest peppers continuously — pull green OR red, don't wait until fully ripe
  6. 6. Mist the seed beds to keep carrot and lettuce germination going
  7. 7. Plan tent cleanup and re-amend the 3x3 after harvest in 2-3 weeks

Notable quotes

"if someone tells you a strain finishes in 40 45 days i typically think that they're incorrect and it could be better if you waited longer"

Jeremy on distrusting fast-finish marketing claims

"in organic and living soil you let the plants tell you when they want to finish and you don't force that"

Core living soil harvest-timing philosophy

"seeds are coated in a anti-germination material nature is smart and so if a seed is dropped and a little bit of rain comes the seed has to not germinate too early"

Explaining why you wash the initial soak water off

"the moment we see the tips coming out of the seed that's the peak of the enzyme action"

Defining the peak enzyme window for SST

"that's what we're stealing from these seeds is all of their enzymes that begin life and we're going to feed them to the plants"

Jeremy's poetic summary of what SST actually delivers

"one of the goals of build a soil is not to make you dependent on our products but to create independence for you as a grower"

The BA independence philosophy in a single sentence

"just because we sell a cool blue corn does not mean you have to buy this from us"

Jeremy refusing to gatekeep the SST input — go buy organic popcorn at your grocery store

"all credit goes to clackamas coot back in the day on the forum he was experimenting with every seed there was to try this and was sharing the formulas with us"

Jeremy's explicit credit to the originator of SST

Glossary terms from this episode

Anti-germination seed coating · bottom-end rot (blossom-end rot) · Centrifugal rinse · Chapin sprayer · Clackamas Coot SST lineage · Easy Sprout vessel · Flushing · Independence philosophy · Mono-cropping (container) · Morning watering rule · New white pistils rule · Peak enzyme window · Sakura cherry tomato · Senescence · Small-seed insert · Sprouted seed tea (SST) · Top dress · Trichome check · Tulsi / Holy Basil

Products mentioned

EarthBox self-watering planter · Worm bin · Chapin pump sprayer · Radish seed · Carrot seed · Easy Sprout sprouting vessel · BuildASoil organic blue corn (sprouting) · Alfalfa sprouting seed (bulk) · USB microscope · Branson's Royal (cannabis) · Halitosis (cannabis) · Los Olly (cannabis) · Number 12 (cannabis pheno) · Sakura cherry tomato · Holy basil / Tulsi seed · Mixed lettuce seed · Pepper plant (Quadrant 4) · Mung bean sprouts · Sunflower sprouting seed · BuildASoil support email