We occasionally hear from customers who experience mold growing at the base of the wheatgrass stems. This is a common problem, usually due to environmental issues like spores in the air or growing warm humid areas of the country. The good news is that there is an easy fix for mold if you do find it near the bottom of the flat: treating your seed-soaking water with about 10 drops of grapefruit seed extract. It will provide enough all natural "citruscide" to prevent or inhibit the growth of mold.

For years, we have offered our own very generic bottle of grapefruit seed extract with a medicine dropper, but our supplier no longer offers it. So we have switched to a more commercial product: GSE Grapefruit Seed Extract by Nutribiotic.

It is exactly the same stuff we used to offer, only this stuff is nicer packaging, and available in a 2-ounce or 4-ounce bottle. Like the stuff we used to offer, it is pure grapefruit seed extract, suspended in vegetable glycerin, and about 10 drops in your soak water will do the trick. Of course, the packaging makes no mention of using it for wheatgrass mold control but now you know!

One other cool aspect of grapefruit seed extract is that it is popular as a homeopathic remedy to help forestall the onset of a cold, or at least lessen the impact and duration of a cold. When you feel a cold or other sickness coming on, dilute 5 to 10 drops of GSE in water or juice, and take this remedy a few times a day till your cold is over. If you are like us, you will find that you suffer quite a bit less, and your cold is over faster.

Wheatgrass mold control and a home remedy for colds--double word score!