Sprouting through the winter months can have unique challenges. Lack of heat, lack of air movement, and darker days can lead to sprouts that don’t want to germinate—or worse, these conditions can cause mold and decay inside your sprout jar. Don’t worry! You can make things grow even through the dead of winter. Here’s how:

Add More Heat

For your sprouts, heat from the bottom can be extremely beneficial! A heating pad, a warm wood stove (but don’t put jars directly onto your stove—too much heat will cook them!), or even a germination mat can add just enough warmth to encourage quicker growth.

I’ve struggled with these challenges in an off-grid atmosphere, and I can safely say that one of the greatest solutions for adding heat long-term without electricity is this: hot stones! Heat a clean, washed stone in the firebox of your wood stove, on top of your stove, or even in a fire pit. Let the stone get nice and warm, then remove it with heat-safe gloves or mitts. Once the stone has cooled a bit so it won’t cause a fire, wrap it in thick towels and place it wherever you need a bit of extra warmth. These work just like old-fashioned hot water bottles!

Just be sure your stone won’t cause a fire against the fabric. You can even wrap a wet towel around a very hot stone to create moist heat. Hot stones can be used to warm water, plants, your greenhouse, or even a batch of baby chicks if you have some that hatch in

winter. I really love using warm stones, and once you start, you’ll use them for many things! Just keep in mind that they get extremely hot and can be a fire hazard. Once you get used to working with them, you’ll know just the right temperature.

Add Extra Light

Adding extra light is as easy as moving your sprouts to a south-facing window. If you don’t have one, you’ll need to use a bit of grid power. Grow lights can be wonderful, but they aren’t really necessary! If all you have is a fluorescent light, just put it somewhere close to your sprout jars and you’re golden. The sprouts will enjoy that extra bit of light and reach toward it.

Improve Airflow

If your sprouts are sluggish to get going and you find they’re getting moldy—with little bits of black, green, or sagey brown goop—you’ve got to add some extra airflow. This can be done by putting your sprouts into a sprout bag instead of a sprout jar. This is the easiest non-electric way to get extra air circulation. They hang from your kitchen cabinet or a curtain rod and can drip easily into your sink. Because they use fabrics that drain easily, extra airflow is almost certainly ensured.

If you find they’re still a bit too damp, simply make the sprout bag lay horizontal instead of vertical. Do this by taking the top strings and pulling them to one side, then adding an extra string on the bottom and pulling it to the opposite side so that the whole bag is horizontal over your sink. In this way, almost every square inch of that sprout bag is exposed to the air and gets the circulation it needs.

Of course, you can always add a fan! If you have the electricity or a good battery-operated fan, put that on during the day while your sprouts have daylight. It’s best to let the sprouts rest at night and let them enjoy their downtime during the dark hours—just like we do!

I hope this gets you started sprouting even in the winter months! It’s really a marvelous way to get extra nutrients and greens during these dark and blustery days.