Harvesting fresh greens in the heart of winter, or anytime really, right from your kitchen, is a wonderful feeling. Growing microgreens is an easy and productive way to have a kitchen (permaculture zone zero) garden.
While there are a few ways to grow microgreens in your kitchen, I have found the best way is by using commercial sprout trays placed on a shelf in front of a window. By using these trays, a paper towel, organic potting soil, and high-quality microgreen seeds, you can have a constant supply of fresh microgreens throughout the year.
What Are Microgreens?
Perhaps you’re new to microgreens and not quite sure what they are, but you like the idea of having high nutrient fresh greens all year long.
Microgreens are the highly nutritional stage of growth in plants between sprouts and baby greens. Edible plants during this stage vary in height depending on the kind you are growing but generally grow to around 3 inches tall.
Some common plants grown as microgreens
| Arugula | Kale |
| Basil | Mustard |
| Beets | Peas |
| Broccoli | Radish |
| Cilantro | Red Cabbage |
| Chia | Sunflower |
| Collards | Wheatgrass |
Benefits Of Eating Microgreens
Most microgreens are commonly rich in antioxidants and nutrients such as potassium, iron, zinc, magnesium and copper. They can be up to nine times more nutritious than the full grown mature plant.
Because of their high nutritional value, they can be beneficial in reducing the risk of many health issues, such as Heart Disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, Diabetes, and certain Cancers.
Reference: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/microgreens
What Microgreens Need To Grow
Good Organic Potting Soil
Any brand will do but I do prefer organic soil. You will want to avoid bringing soil indoors from your garden as it can and often does contain aphids which will thrive in an indoor environment.
High Quality Seeds
I will address where to get seeds later in the article, but you will want to use seeds that are organic or specifically marketed as microgreen seeds. Be careful not to use any type of treated seeds or seeds that have been exposed to any chemicals.
Water
You can use water from the tap if you are on a well. If your water is from a municipality, then it is likely you have chlorine in your water, and you should dechlorinate it before adding it to your microgreen trays. Also, do not use water from a water softener, as it will damage the plants.
Harvesting rainwater is another fantastic way to get high-quality water for your microgreens.
Light
Natural sunlight is best if you have a south facing window (in the northern hemisphere) to place your microgreens in front of on a shelf. If not, you can place full spectrum grow lights a few inches above the trays, and they will grow just fine. I’m a big fan of the Barrina Grow lights.
- Full Spectrum - Barrina LED grow lights 2ft provide indoor plants with...
- Super Bright and High PPFD - Consuming only 144W with 576 LEDS totally, replace...
- Easy Installation - With included tape, clips and cable ties, you could install...
Last update on 2024-07-26 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The Best Trays I’ve Found For Growing Microgreens
These sprouting trays from Amazon have turned out to be perfect for growing microgreens even though their main purpose is for growing sprouts. They are designed to use only water and no soil, however, when growing microgreens rather than sprouts you need soil to sustain the plants longer and beyond the sprouting stage.
- 【Size:】Bigger Capacity; Bottom Tray Size: 12.7"x10"x2.95"/ 32.3*25.5*7.5cm...
- 【4 Pack Trays with Covers:】The package contains 4 pack tray with covers,...
- 【Healthy and Green: 】Made from BPA Free PP Material.Sprouting without soil...
Last update on 2024-07-26 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
To add soil to these trays you will need to place a paper towel in the top tray to keep the soil from falling into the bottom tray with the water. The roots will grow through the paper towel and into the water as the plants grow.
What I like about growing microgreens using these trays and in this way is that I don’t have to do anything else until it’s time to harvest. Other methods and trays I’ve used require you to spray the seeds with a water bottle until they germinate and monitor soil moisture and add water to the soil during the growing process.
I’ve discovered that by putting enough water in the bottom tray to come to the top of the soil when the top tray is submerged into it will be just the right amount of water to germinate the seeds and supply the microgreens the entire time.
As the seeds germinate and send down roots, they will follow the water as the levels drop. The roots will grow through the paper towel and stay in the water until it gets to the bottom of the bottom tray. In every tray I’ve grown the amount of water has been just exactly what was needed to grow the microgreens until harvest time.
How Long Does It Take To Grow Microgreens?
Depending on the type of microgreen plant you are growing, it can take anywhere from 7 to 10 days to reach this stage in its development. Once the plant has developed 2 to 4 true leaves and reached the desired height, they are ready to harvest.
In the sample I’m displaying in this article, I am growing pea microgreens. You can follow the growth timeline through the pictures below.
Harvesting Your Microgreens
When the microgreens are at the desired stage of growth you can simply cut the stem above the soil to harvest. You can use scissors or a sharp knife, I prefer using a corrugated steak knife and cutting in a sawing motion to easily cut the stems without pulling the roots from the soil.
Composting The Used Soil and Roots
You’ve harvested your microgreens and now you have some soil, the base of the stems and the roots to dispose of. Great news, this is fantastic to add to your compost pile and later add to your garden. You could simply toss it directly in the garden and scatter it around and it would break down just fine and there isn’t anything that could smell or harm your garden.
Where To Buy Microgreen Seeds
Amazon
Maybe Amazon isn’t your first choice when it comes to buying seeds, nor is it normally mine. However, I have purchased microgreen seeds a couple of times from them, and they were fantastic. Here is a great seed mix I’ve used before.
- A COLORFUL & DELICIOUS microgreen salad mix containing heirloom non-GMO...
- THIS MIX CONTAINS broccoli seeds (popular for their sulforaphane rich crop),...
- TOP QUALITY SEEDS with high germination rates. Grown & packed in the USA.
Last update on 2024-07-26 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
True Leaf Market
I’ve said it many times before, and I will say it again: True Leaf Market is a fantastic option for buying seeds, especially when buying them in bulk. They are my go-to for microgreen and cover crop seeds.
Basic Salad Micro Mix. A flavorful and colorful combination of microgreens that grow we… [More]
Save Seeds From Your Garden
This is the best and most sustainable option for those of us who care about such things. It can be time consuming, and you need to have many plants that you can let go to seed to get enough seeds to last the whole year, but if you can do it, then it’s a great and affordable way to get your seeds to grow microgreens.
Enjoy Your Microgreens
No doubt, the best part of growing microgreens is eating them. You can add them to a salad or top off a sandwich with them or just simply eat them as they are. No matter how you choose to eat them, I’m sure you will agree they are a welcomed addition to a meal for both their taste and nutritional value. Enjoy!
Have you tried this method using similar trays? Do you know a way that works even better? Share your comments and questions below.