Tribest Wheatgrass Grower Review

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(More customer reviews)Wheatgrass, both by the shot as juice and growing in containers of various sizes, tends to be pretty expensive here in NYC, so growing my own for juicing (I actually LIKE the stuff) seemed like a good idea. Based on horror stories that wax eloquent on the high failure rate involved in this horticultural odyssey, I rigged up my own one-tray system (using a disposable kitchen storage container and cover) and followed these instructions, using vermiculite augmented with kelp fertilizer as my planting medium:[...] .
I successfully grew several batches of nice grass; however, my apartment's northern exposure doesn't provide enough light to properly "green up" the results. Alas...
This particular possible solution caught my eye while Web browsing and a $100 lottery win sealed the deal. Here's what's in the box.
First, don't bother ordering the SM-300 offered here because it's out of date, especially if you plan to grow your grass without soil (YES, it CAN be done) or at least want the option of giving it a shot. Go for either the SM-350 or the SM-350G9 (unfortunately, I became aware of the latter only after ordering the former). These models include, in addition to the contents of the SM-300, reusable plastic sheets that greatly facilitate soil-free cultivation (the SM-350G9 also contains a bottle of food-grade hydrogen peroxide and Steve Meyerowitz' book on wheatgrass--well worth the extra $10 over the price of the SM-350).
The unit isn't white but rather a sort of pale, celadon green. Other than that, it's pretty much as pictured: it's sturdy and attractive, has a small footprint, and assembles easily. Each of the three levels (which can be increased to 10, BTW) holds a ventilated planting tray that includes two covers for different stages of germination, ventilated seedling flats (ventilation and drainage being critical issues in wheatgrass cultivation), and the aforementioned plastic sheets; this allows you to stagger your cultivation--which takes about two weeks--so that you're never without grass. You also get a spray bottle, 1.5 pounds of organic wheat berries, and a very detailed instruction manual.
Research indicated that I could kick-start photosynthesis by training daylight compact fluorescent (wheat hates heat) bulbs on my crop, so once shoots started appearing, I began supplying eight hours of light daily, courtesy of two 100 W-equivalent CFLs with a color temperature of 6500K, which is best for growth of non-flowering plants. This works like a charm and in fact, even more powerful bulbs (125 W-equivalent) of the same temperature can be found on eBay. Had I been aware of this option, I'd have jumped on it but this is working out fine.
My first soil-free crop is now going great guns. My juicer works best with frozen grass, so I'll weigh out 3 oz. portions, which I'll bag and freeze. I'm eager to try juicing the grass in its entirety (don't try this if you suffer from gluten intolerance/sensitivity); my hunch is that it'll taste even better. As long as I can keep the cats away, my black thumb seems to be a thing of the past.
I have only three complaints. One is that while the growing trays provide ventilation along their sides, there's no allowance whatsoever for drainage--no small matter if one wants to use soil or a hydroponic medium such as a vermiculite blend. In fact, the whole concept of non-permeable trays resting on ventilated baskets seems counterintuitive and while it would be a pain to break down the unit to empty drainage water, surely an inexpensive tray could be provided to sit between the growing tray and basket. This would truly provide the best of both worlds. The second is that not all of the holes on the transparent greenhouse covers are actually punched through which means that the new owner has to finish the job to ensure proper air circulation during the secondary stages of cultivation. The third is that the tabs on the seedling flats are a bit too short, making lifting more difficult than it should be.
Bottom line: if you want to try your hand at growing wheatgrass in limited space, this attractive, expandable unit is definitely worth your while, especially if you want to play with the idea of growing without soil or hydroponic planting media. Add a small percentage of rye berries to your wheat for some added color!

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