If you’re a beginner at gardening, maybe you’d like to start small and try growing microgreens. Perhaps you know tons about gardening already, and so now you’re considering starting your mini microgreens garden. Either way, the following article is a guide for amateurs and connoisseurs alike. Keep reading to know more about microgreen gardening.
What are microgreens, and are they like sprouts?
To answer the latter question first, yes, and no. Microgreens are similar to sprouts since they are miniature plants and rich in nutrients. Because of their rapid growth rate, they’re full of healthy, beneficial enzymes and taste even better than their original forms.
However, sprouts are different from microgreens since they are soaked and rinsed in water for germination. Microgreens, on the other hand, grow in soil or a soilless medium, and even hydroponically. Instead of consuming their seeds, like in sprouts, people eat the grown microgreen leaves and stems.
Moreover, since microgreens grow in an open environment and soil, they resist the possible bacteria growth like that on sprouts. Finally, microgreens are easy to grow and add the perfect garnish to food, which brings us to the next question.
What can you grow with miniature plant seeds?
Gardeners will answer that question in two words: almost everything, and it’s true. You can grow all salad greens, leafy vegetables, herbs, and even edible flowers as microgreens. Their growth depends on the size of the seeds, and some micro greens are harder to grow than others. Keep reading to know which microgreens are the easiest to grow and which require extra care.
The most common microgreens include the following:
Amaranti, Basil, Beet, Broccoli, Buckwheat, Cabbage, Chia, Kale, Lettuce, Mustard, Radish, Rocket, Spinach, Sunflower, and Watercress.
You can keep adding to the list. However, depending on the size of seeds, we have the following lists:
Large seeds
Adzuki, Barley, Beets, Buckwheat, Chard, Chickpeas, Cilantro, Kale, Kohlrabi, Lentils, Lovage, Mung Beans, Peas, Sunflower, Wheatgrass, and others.
Medium seeds
Arugula, Basil, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Pale Choi, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Chia, Lettuce, Mustard, Parsley, Radish, Sesame, Spinach, Turnip, and more.
Small seeds
Alfafa, Amaranth, Celery, Lemon Balm, Marjoram, Oregano, Mint, Purslane, Sage, Tarragon, Thyme, and many more.
Why should you consider growing microgreens at all?
While gardening can be a therapeutic process, not everybody has the space to indulge in the activity. However, with microgreens, even that issue is out of the question. To know-how, and to know other benefits of microgreens, take a look at the following list.
Easy to Grow
As you continue reading, you’ll find the few steps required to grow microgreens and realize how simple they are. Cultivating microgreens requires minimal effort, and only enough care to provide them with the sunlight and water they need. If the soil is organic, healthy, and moist throughout the growth period, then you won’t be disappointed.
High Yield in Less Space
Microgreens are tiny, but they are attracted to growth like all plants. For a fact, they grow faster than regular plants and yield a huge amount of produce. The best part is that they don’t need as much as plants as say, a regular lettuce would. You can even put the seeds in takeout paper plates, and expect a healthy bunch of lettuce greens. So all you require is a small sunlit corner, and you can prepare your favorite salad two weeks later.
Rich Nutrients and Flavour
As mentioned above, microgreens are rich in nutrients and flavor. According to research, they contain five times the regular level of vitamins and carotenoids. Consuming microgreens, therefore, can lower the risk of Alzheimer’s, cancer, and improve heart health as well.
The flavors are perfect by themselves, but you can also be creative with microgreens. By researching, you can combine different seeds with similar growth rates and flavors that complement each other. Moreover, the mixing of seeds can result in beautiful color combinations, like red and green.
Minimal Time and Cost
To grow microgreens, you require a few basic tools. Once you have invested in those tools, your miniature plants will not require additional expenses. Moreover, depending on the seeds, microgreens usually grow in a period of two to four weeks. So if there is an unsuccessful yield, there won’t be a significant loss in terms of money and time.
Simple Requirements
As said earlier, microgreens require only a handful of basic tools for cultivation. While you can easily buy microgreens from someone else or the market, growing them yourself becomes a more cost-effective solution. Buying new tools will be a long-term investment and, since people sell their microgreens at expensive rates, budget-friendly as well.
How to go about it?
When growing large seeds, it’s necessary that you soak them beforehand in water for a few hours or let them stay overnight. The next day when you sow the seeds into the soil, they will take relatively more space. As a result, your produce will be less in comparison with the yield of smaller seeds. On the other hand, with medium and small seeds, it’s advisable that you sow as many seeds as possible at once.
As mentioned earlier, some microgreens are easier to grow than others. These include arugula, pale choi, buckwheat, cabbage, chia, mustard, kale, and a few others. On the other hand, the hardest seeds to grow are beets, chard, basil, chives, and amaranth. If you’re a beginner at gardening, it’s more beneficial to grow these microgreens later with some experience.
Now that you know why growing microgreens is advantageous and which seeds you can grow let’s move on to the process.
What tools do you require to grow microgreens?
The list of pieces of equipment you need is short and easily accessible. It includes:
- A seed tray
- Organic soil
- A warm mat (Optional)
- A grow light (Optional)
- Microgreen seeds
- A hand sprinkler
You can buy seed trays from the nearest nursery or stores. However, if you prefer upcycling, you can also use four to five inches deep plastic trays or takeout plates. Organic soil is necessary since chemically treated soil will add the pesticides and other chemicals to your microgreens. As a result, your plants may harm your body internally on consumption.
Moreover, a warm mat and a grow light are only required if you live in cold locations. Microgreens require three to four hours of sunlight during summertime and even more in the winter. Additionally, the seeds need the average room temperature heat, which is 70 Fahrenheit or 21 degrees celsius, for proper growth. If you live somewhere warm with abundant sunlight, all you need is a sunlit corner in your house.
At last, you can choose to buy microgreens in bulk, but it’s safer and cost-effective to buy small seed packets first. As your experience with microgreens grows, you can turn it into a big garden.
How do you grow microgreens?
The following are the steps you need to follow to grow your microgreens.
Prepare the tray
To prepare the tray, first choose the medium: soil, soilless, or hydroponic. Soilless medium includes a mixture of coco coir, vermiculite, perlite, or other blends. The hydroponic medium includes a growing ‘pad’ which absorbs and retains water for the microgreen growth.
For the soil medium, spread the organic soil evenly across the tray with a depth of one or two inches. You can also add minerals to it before you sow the seeds. Remember to read the instructions on the seed packet to know additional information.
Sow the seeds
Spread the chosen seeds across the soil. If they’re small, don’t hesitate to scatter as much as you can to get a high yield. Soaking the seeds overnight will speed the growth, but it can also make it difficult to scatter them.
Once scattered, cover the seeds with a thinner layer of soil.
Water, Sunlight, Heat
The next step is to sprinkle the soil and seeds with water. Use your fingers to continuously check the moisture of the soil. Make sure that it is never so moist that it’s overflowing with water or too dry. Sprinkle water frequently throughout the day.
As discussed earlier, you can use a warm mat, and a grow light for your microgreens. Otherwise, warm sunlight is enough.
Harvest
Usually, microgreens are ready for harvesting in two to four weeks. To start cooking with your microgreens, cut the leaves and stems above the soil level, and rinse them with water. Your miniature leafy greens are ready.
Keep on growing more
Once you have harvested your microgreens, you can continue growing more. Either you can remove the roots and replant new seeds or dump the soil and refill the tray. Follow the same process and keep producing these highly nutritious, organic veggies.
Growing microgreens is a great hobby and there is just a beautiful therapeutic effect in growing and harvesting your own little greens. And considering the simple steps and the variety of seeds to grow, we highly recommend you try your hand at microgreen gardening. Most probably, this vegetable confetti will not disappoint you.
