Microgreens

What are microgreens?

Microgreens are essentially seedlings of edible vegetables and herbs. As microgreens are rich in potassium, iron, zinc, magnesium and copper they are used as a nutrition supplement. Microgreens can add sweetness and spiciness to foods and therefore are used as a flavor and texture enhancement.

How to grow microgreens DIY

Growing microgreens is easy, but you have to keep an eye on the moisture of the seedlings. A microgreens setup can be as easy as having a tray with soil and seeds, water, and place the trays outside. Growing microgreens inside all year round needs shelves, artificial light so access to electricity, timers, water, storage space and space to start seeds.

Microgreens troubles are ranging from preventing and managing fungus or mold growth to provided the right nutrients and growing media to the plants for getting quality produce.

To start microgreens, seeds are soaked in water for a few hours then a high density of seed is placed inside of sprouting trays or containers. The seed germinates rapidly due to the high moisture and humidity levels maintained For best results, the sprouting process should take place in dark, therefore growers usually place more trays on top of each other. After a few days of soaking and repeated rinsing in water the sprouts are placed under light and then harvested by cutting the roots.

To grow microgreens at home you need at least a few items:

• the seeds (go for organic seeds if you can)
• trays (any trays will do for the beginning)
• planting medium (can be soil or a soiless medium)
• water

On The Grow has a complete walk-through with tips and tricks on how to grow microgreens with ease. Mandy explains how to setup the trays, how to measure the seeds, choosing a growing medium like Coco coir. The video then goes through how to fill up the tray with the growing medium and plant the seeds as even as possible. Then you water them, place the bottom tray on top and add a weight to force the seedlings to grow stronger. This will start the blackout period – seeds love to germinate in the dark.

In the next days you need to water the seeds 2 times a day and depending on the microgreens you are growing you should place the seedlings into light in 2-7 days from sprouting.

What are the most popular microgreens?

• Sunflower, mustard, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, watercress, radish and arugula
• lettuce, endive, chicory, amaranth, quinoa
• swiss chard, beet and spinach

Read more

• The professional microgreens setup for your basement
• Growing microgreens from start to finish outside
• 10 most popular microgreens to grow at home
• The Cheap microgreens setup – video tutorials

Microgreens videos