Best growing medium for microgreens
One of the best things about microgreens is that you can grow them on different growing mediums. This makes them fun to grow for hobbyists as well as commercial backyard farmers.
One of the best things about microgreens is that you can plant them on various growing media. But which is best growing mediums for microgreens?
Summary of our best Picks
Fox Farm Happy Frog Organic Potting Soil Mix Indoor Outdoor
Burlap Table Runner Roll
Panacea Coco Liner Sheet
Biostrate Hydroponic Growing Mats
Fox Farm Happy Frog Organic Potting Soil Mix Indoor Outdoor
Grow amazing indoor container plants with Miracle-Gro Indoor Potting Mix. It has been blended for a wide variety of container plants and is designed to be less prone to gnats. This mix has an easy-to-water formula that helps the soil easily re-wet while feeding for up to 6 months. Contains no compost or bark, which are known to shelter fungus gnats.
Blended for a wide variety of container plants
Feeds up to 6 months
Designed to be less prone to gnats (contains no compost or bark, which are known to shelter fungus gnats)
Contains coconut coir, which holds and releases water and helps soil easily re-wet
For use in containers
Although it can get a bit messy, a good potting mix will give you the maximum yield while staying relatively affordable compared to other options.
Besides being reasonably priced, growing in soil is also highly sustainable, especially in the long run. You can reuse the soil over and over. All you need is a composting and sterilization systems. Through these systems, you’ll be able to recycle the system more than once.
Sterilizing the soil is quite easy, all you need to do is bake the soil in a preheated oven for about 20 to 30 minutes. The temperature should be about 180 °F (82.2 °C).
If you don’t want to use an oven, simply lay the soil on the tray and cover it with a plastic sheet. The layer should be a couple of inches thick and it should be left for about a month.
Burlap Table Runner Roll
Burlap
1. Extra Long Size Burlap Roll, 30 yards long;
2. Highest Density, 50 yarns per every 10 centimeters;
3. Finished sewn edges; Trim it into sections easyliy
4. Eco-Friendly, No chemical smell;
5. High quality, 100% inspection;
Burlap comes from the skin of the jute plant. It’s known as “Hessian fabric” outside the U.S. and Canada. The fabric is also used to make ropes and nets.
The most special highlight of burlap is that it’s one of the most economical growing media to go for. While average soil might cost you a $1 per tray, burlap costs around $0.25 for the same amount.
Despite being one of the cheapest, it’s also one of the most difficult and unforgiving growing media. In most cases, growing with burlap generally leads to erratic and inconsistent results.
Unlike soil, burlap is just fabric. This means that it won’t have enough nutrition for microgreens. It also doesn’t retain water well. To make a good yield out of burlap, you need excellent fertilization and irrigation plans.
Additionally, you need a near-perfect temperature and humidity levels. You should keep your microgreens at a consistent 75 °F (23.8 °C) and a 50% humidity to expect good results.
Unfortunately, with all the strict measures, there are a lot of things to monitor at the same time. Moreover, there are a lot of things that can go wrong, affecting your yield negatively.
That’s why it’s a bad idea to start microgreen growing using burlap, especially for beginners and new backyard farmers to start a microgreen.
On the other hand, an expert can save a lot of money with burlap while getting similar results to soil growing
Panacea Coco Liner Sheet
3' square of coco fiber liner
Item can be cut to fit your basket or trough planter
36" length and 36" width provide plenty of versatility
Coco fiber construction helps create a tidy bed for soil or mulch
Brown color enhances your plants
Coconut coir is made out of the fibers of the outer shell of the coconut fruit. Making this fiber requires minimal processing, which contributes to a lot of features of the coco coir as a growing medium.
Coconut coir is one of the most consistent fibers to use as a growing medium. As a result, it’s unlikely to overwater coconut coir, as most excess water will run over it. A coconut coir liner also has a very good ability to retain moisture.
Since it requires minimal processing, it comes at a reasonable price. Coconut coir liners usually come at a lower price than soil, with most of them costing about $0.5 to $0.6 per tray. The price often depends on the quality the husk used.
Minimal processing also means minimal external additives. These fibers are devoid of any harmful chemicals, which is ideal for microgreens.
Coconut coir comes in a wide variety of forms too. You can buy them as rolls, sheets, blocks, and pre-formed baskets.
The ideal ones for storing are the dehydrated blocks. To use them, you need to add some water and watch them expand several folds. On the other hand, sheets and rolls are much easier to cut and shape.
Coconut coir is odorless but can be quite messy too. Similar to burlap, coconut coir doesn’t have sufficient nutrients for your microgreens. That’s why you need to add fertilizers to the mix.
Biostrate Hydroponic Growing Mats
Perfect medium for roots - pH balanced - Biodegradable
No required additional treatment - Clean and easy to use - Light material
Ideal hydroponic medium for microgreens, wheatgrass, microherbs & more
Biostrate is a man-made textile produced by Grow-Tech LLC. It’s a biobased lightweight textile fiber that is engineered specifically for growing microgreens hydroponically.
What makes Grow-Tech biostrate special is that it has a balanced pH and holds moisture. The textile fiber is also compostable and biodegradable, which is great for recycling growers.
Biostrate is relatively pricey, as it costs about $0.85 per tray. The price is more than most other growing media except high-quality soil.
Another advantage of using biostrate is that it’s ready to plant, so you won’t need to do any pretreatments before using it. It’s also very easy to cut and shape.
Which Growing Medium is the Best for You?
Best growing medium for growing microgreens as you can see, there are multiple options to go with. Choosing the ideal medium depends mainly on your situation and what you need.
Ideally, when it comes to growing microgreens, the soil remains the best general option to go for.
However, if you’re looking for a budget-friendly option, coconut coir should be ideal for you. You can even save more money by opting for a burlap medium. Yet, I don’t recommend that you go for it if you don’t have enough experience to handle burlap.
If you like soil results but looking for a less messy option, coconut coir won’t save you. Instead, opting for hemp should be your best bet.
Lastly, if you’re growing your microgreens hydroponically, you can’t use soil. In that case, you can choose between biostrate felt, hemp, or coconut coir.