How to grow microgreens at home?
What are microgreens?
Microgreens - tiny, healthy and tasty. They are a wonderful and colorful addition to many a dish in trendy restaurants all over the world. They are used as a garnish or as a main ingredient itself. They are natures Gourmet vegetable confetti. But what are they? Microgreens are the first true leaves of any plant. They are minute but perfectly formed. They are not preferred solely for their aesthetic appeal. Their nutritious value is also much higher than that of their full grown versions.
Nutritional Benefit of Microgreens
If not, now is the time to learn about the big nutritional benefits to these tiny greens! Micro greens are the baby version of foods you may already know and like. They are usually sprouts (or sprout-like small leaves) usually under 14 days of growth. You can find full grown grocery staples like spinach, kale, chive, arugula, and broccoli as a microgreen. However, you can mix things up with watercress, mustard-greens, onion sprouts, radish & alfalfa. Each of the micro greens will not taste exactly like the adult plant. They are usually milder, since they're not fully grown. However, items like mustard, onion, and radish will have a stronger, spicier flavor.
How do these little leaves bring you a big value?
They generally have from FOUR to SIX times the concentration of nutrients you usually get in the bigger/adult size plant. That means you get more nutrients in a smaller package, like beta carotene, vitamin B, vitamin C and even amino acids. That's great news if you don't want a traditional salad every day. Since you don't need as much plant material to get the benefits, they're easier to include in your diet with ideas like blending them into a smoothie, using lettuce sprouts to top a burger instead of lettuce (or topping any sandwich, really) or replacing the spinach leaves in an omelet with micro spinach sprouts.
Microgreens are tiny leaves with many health benefits.
The health benefits differ slightly between the different varieties of plants you can choose. For instance, most of the bean sprouts are rich in C, while alfalfa has higher calcium, potassium and magnesium. While no one would think to eat the sunflower plant, you can (and should) eat the sprouts as they have amino acids, folate & and vitamin E as well as trace copper. The benefits just go on and on, so the best thing to do is pick your favorite flavored sprout (the sweeter & mild sunflower, or the zippy radish, or maybe the heartier crunch of the bean-sprout in a stir fry?) and search for all of its specific nutrients on the internet.
Can you raise micro-greens in your own home?
Yes! Microgreens are extremely easy to grow at home, and the whole process only takes a couple of weeks. They're just about the closest thing to instant gratification a gardener can hope for! All you really need is a container, soil mix, and seeds. There are several online sources for wonderful microgreens mixes, and you can often specify "spicy" or "mild."
Which Microgreen to grow and how to do it?
The process of determining which microgreens you should grow varies widely depending on environmental conditions, market supply and demand, seed availability and compatibility with existing greenhouse crops if you are adding them to an existing operation.
Which Microgreens Seeds can you Grow?
There are several online sources for wonderful microgreens mixes, and you can often specify "spicy" or "mild." Some common varieties include amaranth, basil, beets, broccoli, cabbage, celery, chard, chervil, coriander/cilantro, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, mustard, parsley, peas, radish, rocket/arugula, spinach, and sorrel. However, you are certainly not limited to these! Microgreen Seeds and accessories are now easy to get as you can request for delivery at your doorstep, just order on Amazon. The good news here is microgreen growing kits Includes a growing tray, organic seeds, coco coir and nutrients. Thus makes it easier and economical for you to grow microgreens. Here are top microgreen seeds and accessories you can buy:
The Simply Good Box by Home Greens
Certified Non-GMO Microgreen Seeds
Certified Organic Microgreens Growing Kit
How to Grow Microgreens
Microgreens are grown quickly from seeds in good light with adequate moisture. They are usually sown in a soil medium or substitute and harvested before they reach full size. Each seed needs enough ‘personal space’ to grow.
Materials
Tray/container
Certified organic/fungicide free seeds
Spray bottle
Seaweed solution
Seed raising mix growing medium
Paper towel/chux cloth to line tray
Plant label or pen to mark date and variety
Basic Steps to Grow your Microgreen
To help your seeds germinate quickly, pre-soak larger seeds (e.g. mung beans, wheat, peas, beetroot and sunflowers) in warm water for a few hours or overnight. After presoaking, drain and rinse large seeds. However small seeds don’t need this step.
Prepare container and seed raising mix
I grow microgreens in shallow, brown seed starting trays. You can use any shallow tray, even repurposed plastic food takeout containers with holes poked in the bottom for drainage. Fill the tray with an organic potting mix, add a small amount of granular, organic fertilizer.
Sow your seeds
Next,sprinkle your seeds on top and press in lightly. The plants will not be growing for very long, so there's no need to space the seeds too much.Sprinkle a very thin layer (1/8 of an inch at most) of soil on top of the seeds. Water the surface lightly. I use a spray bottle so I can water gently without displacing the seeds. Keep the tray in a warm area. There can be lots of light or there can be just a little light, it doesn't really matter. Plants can't use light until they have leaves. Once the seeds have sprouted and you see their cute little cotyledons, or seed leaves, give the plants at least six hours of sunlight each day.
Harvest your Shoots
When the plants have sprouted their first set of true leaves, they should be ready to harvest. The true leaves are the second pair of leaves to sprout, and they often look quite different from the cotyledons. Use scissors to snip the stems off at the soil line, rinse, remove any seed hulls that are stuck to the leaves, and enjoy.
If you'd like to plant a second crop, just use a fork to gently "till" the soil and rake the harvested crop's roots back in for added organic matter. Now, you're ready to start a fresh planting. I plant in large trays because we go through them quickly.
Things to keep in mind include:
Clip tiny leaves or stems about a centimeter above the substrate they grew on
Clip only with clean, food quality scissors
Plastic shears or ceramic shears will prevent browning (important for serving presentation)
Expose the greens or sprouts to strong sunlight for several hours before harvesting - this will maximize the chlorophyll content for better health
Do not use/consume sprouts if you find mold at the base
In a moist or humid climate, it's better to let your seeds sprout on a sunny sill & keep them there until ready to avoid any mold issues
Clip most greens when they are about 1 to 2 inches tall
Don't grow them outside unless they're well protected by a mini greenhouse or screens - you may love microgreens but so do bugs, spores and other pests you don't want on your food
Mist for moisture - Misting ensures safe moisture levels where heavy watering may lead to crushing sprouts, washing away seeds or mold in the soil
Most greens are ready in about 10 to 14 days but they don't grow back once clipped
Rinse greens gently in only cold water & serve immediately
You don't need to fertilize them; they're drawing their initial nutrition from the seed itself
Raising your own greens means saving money too, sometimes this healthy ingredient is expensive at the grocery, or appears less than fresh. Keep in mind that each one has a different flavor, if you don't like one microgreen, you may enjoy another, so experiment as much as you want, now that you know that the nutritional benefits are quite worthwhile.
You save money at the store and save space in your home, because microgreens can be grown in small batches and never require massive pots or large areas. Something as simple as a foil pie tin & small bag of potting mix are all you need to get started (and the seeds, of course!) so there's hardly an up-front cost on time or supplies.