Growing Microgreens

Microgreens are selected vegetables and herbs that are harvested as seedlings—usually 2-3 weeks after sowing when they reach 2-3 in. tall. Growing microgreens is possible any time of the year; they add a bit of freshness especially during winter when grown on a sunny window sill.

Popular Microgreens

You may start with a single kind of pre-packaged seeds, a mix of specific greens, or a mesclun salad mix. Popular microgreens include amaranth, arugula, basil, beet, broccoli, cabbage, endive, kale, lettuce, mizuna, mustard, peas, radishes, spinach, tatsoi, and watercress.

Microgreen Features

All young, immature greens are packed with a nutritional and flavorful punch. Add to salads, sandwiches, garnishes, or stir-fries. Experiment with different ones to find those you like best.
Vitamins and minerals are more concentrated in microgreens than in mature, leafy crops and require less time and effort before a quick harvest.
Some seed mixes include several different colors and textures of greens.
Popular blends may be a zesty and spicy blend, herbal, or Asian, for example. Many blends are formulated to sprout at the same time.
Growing microgreens at home is less expensive than purchasing them.

How to Grow

Grow microgreens indoors in pots or trays that are a few inches deep; outdoors, in beds or in containers. Be sure that all containers have adequate drainage.
Grow outdoors year round except in cooler regions where winters are too cold.
Grow indoors in bright sun in an eastern-, western-, or south-facing window after germination.
Presoak large seeds 6-12 hours or so to speed up germination. Plant in a purchased soil mix in containers; outdoors plant in loose soil amended with 3-4 in. of compost.
Sow seeds 1/8 in. deep. Mix seeds with fine sand to help with even distribution.
Water regularly with a spray mister to avoid disturbing seeds. Maintain moist, but not wet, soil. Overwatering causes seeds to rot. Frequent watering is usually necessary in bright light.
Provide 6-8 hours of sunlight in every season as soon as sprouts appear. Or use fluorescent or specialized grow lights over growing trays with lights 6-12 in. above greens or as specified by the manufacturer. Use a timer on bulbs for 12-16 or more hours of light.
Fertilize only if there is inadequate organic matter in your garden bed. Consult content label of a purchased mix for its fertility. Add a light dose of granular organic fertilizer if needed.
Cover microgreens outdoors with a floating cover to protect cole crops such as broccoli or kale if cabbageworms are a problem.

Harvesting

Consult seed packets for times to germination after planting. True leaves follow the initial, simple-looking seed leaves and are miniatures of leaves of the mature plant.
Harvest microgreens after they develop their first set of true leaves and are 2-4 in. tall.
Snip small clusters of stems with scissors a little above the soil level; rinse before eating. No continued growth will follow after harvest.
Leave short stems and roots in the soil as organic matter and plant another crop.

April 2022