Microgreens
Microgreens 101
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Microgreens are plant seedlings that are harvested before they grow into a mature plant. Micro means “small” and Greens mean “plants”, thus the literal translation is Small Plants. So, the broccoli floret is the mature form of the plant and the broccoli microgreens look like sprouts with leaves; sprouts do not have leaves.
Microgreens can be eaten on its own but usually, they are added to salads and soups since the flavors of the microgreens are very strong. Even if they are micro, they are packed with nutrients and antioxidants higher than that of their full-grown, mature greens making it is a very convenient and quick way to add nutrients to your diet. Microgreens is Healthy Fast Food!
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You only eat the leaves and stems of the microgreens but not the roots and the seeds. The roots and the seeds can be used as the Green Materials for your composting. Please refer to my Composting article on How and What Materials are Required to Home Compost.
It is easy to grow microgreens and they can be grown indoors or outdoors. It does not take up a lot of space so it is a perfect farming technique in an urban setting where growing space is limited to kitchen counters, windowsills and if you are lucky, a balcony. Microgreens are fast growers and can be harvested between 7-14 days, unlike their mature plant counterparts which can take months to harvest the final crop. This quick turnover is in sync with the fast-paced city life.
Microgreens can be grown from seeds of a variety of plants like Kale, Radish, Sunflower, Broccoli, Mustard, and Cress. There are complementary seeds that are pre-mixed that I have planted like Alfafa Red Clover, Lentils Together (different varieties of lentils) and French Lentil, Adzuki, Mung & Daikon Radish Mix.
Props I am using to Grow Microgreens
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1. Organic, Non-GMO Vegetable Seeds – I get mine from online seed stores and farms/gardening shops locally and when on my travels.
2. Non-Shallow Trays - BPA-Free Plastic Trays (#5) with no holes - 10.75” (W) * 21” (L) * 2.5" (D) - I use these when I am using soil instead of moist paper towel as a medium.
3. Shallow Trays – BPA-Free Plastic Trays (#5) with no holes - 10.75” (W) * 21” (L) * 1.25” (D) - I use these shallow trays when I am using wet paper towels as the growing medium instead of soil.
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4. Non-shallow 5” * 5” Trays - BPA-Free Plastic Trays (#5) with holes – You can place 8 of these on the non-shallow tray of 10.75” (W) * 21” (L) * 2.5" (D) so you can grow different types of microgreens at the same time.
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5. Dome Cover - 11" (W) * 21.25" (L) * 6" (H) with 2 adjustable dials to control how many of the 5 holes stay open, thus controlling the moisture level in the germination environment.
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6. A 4-layer rack to place the microgreen trays on. However, it will work on any counters and tables.
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7. Electric Grow Lights if you do not get at least 6 hours of indirect sunlight a day. If you are growing microgreens on your kitchen counter, you can mount a Grow Light under the kitchen cabinets. You can easily buy Grow Lights from any lighting shops and get an electrician to supply power through them.
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8. Several Spray Bottles - one filled with water and the other one holds the hydrogen peroxide solution to combat mold.
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9. A pair of sharp scissors to trim the microgreens.
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MICROGREENS
EASY STEPS WITH TIPS
Step 1: Place about an inch of soil in the trays. I use a microgreen sterile potting soil mix with coconut fibers. You do not need extra nutrients in the soil nor that much soil since microgreens do not have that many roots (harvest time is about 2 weeks) for them to absorb nutrients. The nutrients we get from the Microgreens come from the seeds themselves.
Even out, press down and flatten the soil with the back of your hands or with the help of another empty tray. You do not really need holes in the tray to grow microgreens, but it can help if you are new to gardening. As long as you do not overwater the microgreens, you can plant them using trays with no holes. My mini 5" * 5" colorful trays come with holes and I stack these on top of a tray with no holes. I fill the bottom tray with water so the microgreens in the mini trays can drink up the water via the holes, if and when it needs water.
Recycle Tip: You can substitute the gardening trays with any takeaway plastic food containers used by restaurants and supermarkets. Wash these food containers properly before you plant the seeds, so no bacteria find their way into them.
You do not even need soil to grow microgreens. You can use damp paper towels as a medium instead of using soil. It works better in an urban setting as it feels cleaner and the used, moist paper towels are easier to dispose of, once you have harvested the microgreens. If you are composting, you can place the entire paper and the seed/roots remain in the composter. The soil medium works well for those who are also growing other things; the soil from the harvested microgreens can be separated from the non-edible seeds/roots/stems and then used as recyclable soil for other plants. Or the entire remains after cutting the microgreens can go into your compost bin. Follow step 1, but instead of adding soil to the tray and then patting it down, place a 2-ply thick paper towel in the tray and mist the paper towel with a spray bottle.
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Step 2: Sprinkle the seeds evenly over the soil or on the wet paper towel. Make sure that they do not pile on top of each other otherwise, the chances of molding increase. Sift a layer of additional soil over the top to cover the seeds if you are using the soil as a medium. Mist the soil with a spray bottle and if paper towel is used, mist the seeds directly. Keep the seeds moist by misting them daily.
Tip: Instead of sprinkling another layer of soil on top of the seeds, you can place a damp paper towel on top of the seeds. This enables you to check on the seeds by peeling off the top paper towel.
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I cover the tray with a plastic see-through dome lid with an adjustable dial that I can turn to control how many of the total 5 holes stay open. This helps me to create a greenhouse effect by keeping the moisture in and the germinating environment warm.
Did you Know? The salad plastic boxes from the supermarket come built-in with a mini greenhouse effect from snapping the lid on.
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Step 3: Stack the trays on top of each other if you have planted more than one tray and then stack an empty tray on the final top one. This is to create Weight and Darkness. The weight on top of the seeds makes the microgreens grow stronger likened to working out and getting stronger muscles. Secondly, when the seeds germinate (pop out of their hulls), they try to look for sunlight and so when it is dark, they will keep growing taller hoping to reach the sun. Nature is miraculous!
Step 4: Once the seeds poke through the soil or around 3 days, place the trays in indirect sunlight. Microgreens need about 6 hours of indirect sunlight daily to grow. Otherwise, the leaves stay yellow. Install Grow Lamps to supplement the lack of sunlight. Continue to keep the soil moist but avoid wetting the leaves. The Grow Lights can dry out the moist paper towel so pay more attention to the moisture level when you are using a paper towel as a medium.
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Possible Step 5: I had mold on top of my sunflower and radish microgreens several times and what I did was spray a mixture of 1-liter water, 50 ml food-grade hydrogen peroxide and 50 ml Vinegar on top of the microgreens including the areas not molded and let the mixture dry. You do not want to use too much of it as it can kill off the leaves. Not piling the seeds on top of each other can minimize the chances of molds.
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Step 6: Once the seedlings reach around 2 inches in height, you can trim the microgreens with a pair of sharp scissors as you need them but by the 14th day, you should cut them all. I rinse the microgreens briefly in cool water before I eat or store them. You can store extras in the fridge, wrapped in paper towels (not touching each other) and sealed in a container or resealable bag. Plate microgreens when they are ready to be eaten to prevent them from wilting or drying out.
The remains of the soil/roots/seeds/paper towels can go into your compost bin.
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It takes around 2 weeks for Microgreens to harvest so you can schedule the growth of the microgreens to give yourself a constant supply of microgreens.
I always have had excess and would gift them to our neighbors. I even got a couple of them into growing their own microgreens after I showed them how easy it is. We now compare notes. Happy Microgreening!
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Below are some of the microgreens I grew on a moist paper medium
Alfafa Red Clover Mix
Broccoli
Lentils Together Mix
