Just a quick update... The peas and sunflowers are doing great. They look like everyone's pictures. The sunflower are lagging a bit behind the pea shoots - is that normal?
(One of these days I'll figure out how to post pics here.)

Peas are fast. Difference is in the seed shell coat. Peas find the soil/moisture faster and evenly.
Sunflower seed is elongated/thick and once germination starts they go every way sideways up
down...the shell is thick so a bit slower to germinate.
once they find their way UP to sun and light, they do catch up. Just by a few days.

like any seed, they all have their quirks. like tomato vs pepper seed. Pepper is a yawn to watch
germinating. Tomatoes are satisfying, but peas are zippy!

I just reread this whole thread which started 2 years ago. I also saw Oakley's sprouted rye bread photo and it renewed my interest in the recipe. Would you please post that delicious bread recipe? All your photos are great! I will post some as soon as I get a good batch of micro greens going. The ones growing right now look quite puny.
Sue

Ah, the BarnYard Rye. Made that over the holidays. My only hard copy of that is
kitchen scratched and full of notes. Dad has the other copy.[URL="https://breadtopia.com/sourdough-rye-bread/"]https://breadtopia.com/sourdough-rye-bread/[/URL]
Basically it is as if these two recipes had a baby...
[URL="https://savorysaltysweet.com/2011/03/17/10-grain-hearth-bread/"]https://savorysaltysweet.com/2011/03/17/10-grain-hearth-bread/[/URL]

I knew that would post funny. ^

I've had to adapt my recipe for friends and my parents. They don't stock multiple grains
like I do for soaking/sprouting. So I have them use Bob's red mill 7-10 grain.
Both of those recipes above are really good. Someday I'll get my version back on a computer.

I realized around the holidays I've come to where I've wanted to be for some time...
an easy, no blink rotation that suits us. 3-5 9x6inch trays always ready to harvest,
3-5 trays at 5-7 days and a stack of trays germinating. Always a few new ones like fenugreek and
the triton radish I just started last weekend. I'm organized and quick to sow. A quick check
every morning and a quick check pm in the door often before my coat comes off.
Ready-to-harvest trays come upstairs into the kitchen right above my prep counter on a shelf.
(that makes room for my germinating stacked trays to see some light)

That rotation keeps it manageable to just one of my four 4ft germination shelves.

Holidays and friends over I can easily sow an extra stack 12 days in advance.

I even got ahead of myself a couple times and had to bag it/fridge it.

What an operation; so impressive.

One nice thing to share is troubleshooting - saves and fails.

Top left is a save. I'm always quickly checking trays for their water weight. Different days
as they grow, have different water needs. Day 5-6 some get very thirsty. Some look fine and
healthy but the tray is light and dry. Without any drooping....just a few hours they start to
show signs. Those two bounced back after watering in just a few hours. That is also the
appearance of water-logged/wet feet and rarely recover.

Top right, toast, haha. Happens. No biggie. I had moved them to the work bench behind.
Meant to take up to the kitchen for harvest. A couple days or three without water=dead.

Pic of misc seed collection. Easier to grab and sow. Bulk bags are in airtight totes. The 5-6
fast growers and the bulk of my growing are in larger containers. Pints instead 1/2 pints.
Also easier to grab visually out of the stack. (pea blend, radish blend, etc)

Middle is just a bunch of smaller tray trials over the holidays and lots of herbs.

Bottom right? I think that is MammothRedRock cabbage. Or ChinaRose radish. Forgot to label
that pic. Glad I bought a pound of both as they are both winners. And gorgeous.

Another save just a couple days ago. Radish mix. Perked back up by the next morning.

Just like any other seed germination/grow, too much water/wet feet they will perish.
Letting dry out a bit and watering just before signs of suffering/droop = success.