Wheatgrass probably isn’t the first crop that comes to mind when you picture an aquaponics setup, but it deserves a spot on your shortlist. It grows quickly, doesn’t demand much space, and gives you a steady supply of a genuinely nutritious green. People sometimes know it best as fodder because of how often it’s fed to livestock, yet it’s just as suitable for human consumption. Among the benefits associated with eating it are:
- Lower cholesterol levels
- Better-regulated blood sugar
- Possible protection against certain cancers
- Support for weight loss
- Reduced inflammation
What exactly is wheatgrass?
Wheatgrass is nothing more than the young shoots of the wheat plant, cut soon after they sprout and before the plant matures into wheat grain. Compared to its relatives wheat malt and barley grass, it’s left to grow a bit longer before harvest. Once cut, you can eat it right away while it’s fresh, or dehydrate it for use as a nutritional supplement or as the base for wheatgrass juice — a use that has grown quite popular thanks to its reputed health perks.
Why bother growing wheatgrass?
Beyond the health angle for people (some of which is still debated by researchers), growing wheatgrass in your system gives you a reliable, ongoing feed source for animals — horses, rabbits, and chickens all do well on it, and you can eat it too. Since it costs so little to produce in an aquaponics setup, it’s an easy way to supplement your animals’ diet while picking up some nutritional value for yourself along the way.
Can animals live on wheatgrass alone as feed?
It might surprise you, but the answer is largely yes. Wheatgrass is loaded with vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients animals need, and it’s easy on the digestive system, helping animals break down and absorb both it and other foods more efficiently.
Growing wheatgrass in an aquaponics system
You don’t need advanced skills to get this right, but your aquaponics system should already be up and running with fish established before you start, since you’ll rely on system water throughout the process. Here’s the process broken into steps:
Step 1: Soak the seeds for 8 hours
Scoop out a bowl of water directly from your aquaponics system so the seeds start out in the same water chemistry they’ll finish in. Submerge the wheatgrass seeds completely and let them sit for a minimum of 8 hours.
Step 2: Drain and rest the seeds in the dark for 8 hours
Pour off the soaking water rather than returning it to your system. Keep the seeds covered so they stay moist, and leave them somewhere dark for another 8 hours.
Step 3: Rinse again
Once those 8 hours pass, rinse the seeds once more using a bit more water pulled from your aquaponics system, the same way you did in step 1.
Step 4: Repeat the cycle
Cycle through steps 2 and 3 several more times — most growers need three or four rounds — checking each time for a small white tail forming on the seeds. Keep repeating until you see it.
Step 5: Spread the seeds out to dry
At this point your seeds are almost ready to move into the system. Take a plastic grow tray, drill a series of small drainage holes in the bottom, and spread the seeds out evenly so they can dry. Leave the tray to sit for roughly 8 hours, giving excess moisture a chance to escape.
Step 6: Set up the grow bed
Grab a second tray, also with small holes drilled in it, and line the bottom with a sheet of hemp grow mat. This keeps the seeds from slipping through into the water underneath and stops them from becoming waterlogged.
Step 7: Block out light
Drape a linen cloth over the tray to keep light away from the seeds — this step matters for proper germination. Leave the cloth on for 48 hours; during this window you should start to see white shoots forming underneath.
Step 8: Uncover and water for a week
Remove the cloth and water the tray twice a day for the next 7 days. The shoots will shift from white to green during this stretch. Set the tray onto your aquaponics trough so it floats like a raft, letting water rise up from below to keep the hemp mat moist — just be careful not to let it stay fully saturated. By the end of the week the shoots should be solidly green.
Step 9: Harvest
Keep an eye on water quality as the shoots continue growing. Within a short time they should reach about 5 to 6 inches tall. You’ll know it’s harvest time once the tip of each blade splits open — a clear, simple signal that your wheatgrass is ready to cut.
Getting the seed density right
Seed density matters if you want a full, healthy crop without overcrowding. Aim for somewhere between 6 and 8 cups of seed for every 10 x 20 inch tray to strike the right balance between yield and crop quality.
Watch out for mold
This point is worth taking seriously. Wheatgrass grows in a consistently damp environment, and if it isn’t fully dried before storage, mold can take hold — and moldy wheatgrass can be dangerous to feed to your animals.
Is wheatgrass aquaponics worth it?
Wheatgrass makes a smart addition alongside the more typical crops and flowers grown in aquaponics systems. It’s inexpensive, quick to grow, and doesn’t ask much of your time. If you haven’t added it to your system yet, there’s no better time to give it a try.