Let's introduce how to properly germinate mung bean sprouts and the related topics on the cultivation and maintenance methods of mung bean sprout gardening. Keep reading!
Mung bean sprouts are a food product processed from mung beans, with the nutritional content doubling that of mung beans. This is because during the germination process, the amino acids in the protein can be recombined, significantly increasing the amount of amino acids that are relatively deficient in mung beans and making the amino acid ratio more suitable for human needs, thereby enhancing the nutritional value of mung bean sprouts. Let's take a look at how to germinate mung bean sprouts!
Pre-germination treatment
When cultivating bean sprouts, it is best to choose fresh seeds from the current or the previous year that are fully mature, with plump and bright-colored grains. To promote seed germination, "activation treatment" and "soaking treatment" are usually used. The method of activation treatment is to soak the pre-selected beans in 60°C hot water for 1-2 minutes before placing them in the germination container, then wash them 1-2 times with cold water to adjust the activity of the oxidative enzyme system related to seed germination and provide temperature stimulation to the dormant seeds, which helps the beans germinate uniformly. The soaking treatment method requires about 1 kilogram of water for 1 kilogram of mung or soybeans, with the most suitable water temperature for soaking being 20-23°C. In winter, warm water is generally used for soaking, while in summer, cold water can be used directly. The soaking time for the beans is usually about 8-12 hours.
Germination temperature
The seeds of mung beans are seeds of warm-loving and heat-tolerant vegetable crops. The minimum temperature for germination is 10°C, the most suitable temperature is 21-27°C, and the maximum temperature is 28-30°C, not exceeding 32°C. Temperature regulation during germination is done by watering. For example, in summer, when the temperature is too high, cold water should be used to sprinkle the sprouts universally, but attention should be paid to thoroughly watering the central part of the cultivation container to lower the temperature. In winter, when the temperature is low, warm water should be used to sprinkle, to raise the temperature of the sprouts being cultivated, while also minimizing the circulation of cold air. For small-scale home cultivation of bean sprouts, the cultivation container can be placed near the stove or stove top for insulation in winter.
Sprinkling water to promote germination
There are generally two methods of watering during germination: one is the sprinkling method, which requires a large amount of water each time, and the entire container of bean sprouts should be thoroughly watered to ensure that the heat in all parts of the container is evenly adjusted until the temperature of the water coming out is the same as that of the water going in. The other is the flooding method, which involves filling the entire container with water, allowing the water level to be about 2 centimeters higher than the surface of the sprouts, so that the sprouts in the container are universally soaked in water, and then all the water is drained or removed. This process is repeated 1-2 times until the temperature of the sprouts in all parts of the container is consistent.
Timely harvesting
The best time to harvest mung bean sprouts is when the sprouts have fully extended their hypocotyls and the true leaves are about to emerge or just emerging. At this stage, the hypocotyls are about 5-6 centimeters long, the roots are about 0.5-1.5 centimeters long, the cotyledons are egg yellow, the hypocotyls are milky white and bright, and the emerging true leaves are creamy yellow, without lateral roots. Generally, 1 kilogram of mung beans can produce 7-8 kilograms of mung bean sprouts.
The above content about how to properly germinate mung bean sprouts and the detailed methods for planting and maintaining mung bean sprouts is hoped to be of help to you. Also, we hope that everyone will come to see more green plant and flower experience and common sense!