Microgreens for indoor gardens.
An excellent gardening project for any gardener is growing microgreens indoors. Microgreens are young, delicate plants that have only been growing for 2-3 weeks. They not only provide fresh greenery to your meal but they have high nutritional value: full of vitamins and enzymes.
Microgreens are often made up of the same plants that are found in salad greens but they are harvested at a much earlier stage: as soon as the cotyledons and first true leaves have emerged. Seeds that work well for producing microgreens include:
Cress (easiest to grow): four days to harvest
Barley, oat or wheat grass: six to nine days to harvest
Flax seed: five to six days to harvest
Buckwheat: five to six days to harvest
Sunflower: eight to 12 days to harvest
Vegetables — broccoli, cabbage, radish, lettuce, kale, kohlrabi, pea, spinach, salad mix, turnip: seven to 15 days to harvest
Growing microgreens in your home is easy. Choose a large enough container or tray so that the seeds are only one layer deep and with at least 2-3 millimetres between them. The container or tray should be 3-4 centimetres deep and have some holes for drainage. If the tray or container has large drainage holes that allow the soil mix to drain out, line it with paper towel.
In order to avoid harmful bacteria (i.e. salmonella) or disease contamination in your microgreens, purchase and use only seeds recommended and sold for sprouting. Microgreens can be grown in a soil or soilless base such as potting soil, coir (coconut peat), sieved compost or worm castings from vermiculture. Fill the bottom of the tray 2-3 cm deep with your selected mix.
Prior to seeding, soak the seeds in water overnight. In the morning, drain them and sprinkle the seeds evenly on the tray. For best germination and growth, seeds should not overlap within the tray. Cover the seeds with 0.5 cm of your mix, pressing the seeds and mix firmly into the tray. Cover the container/tray with clear plastic wrap or lid. Place the tray in a warm room, 20-25 C.
Using a mister or light sprayer, ensure that the surface of the tray remains moist. As soon as the germinated greens are visible, remove the clear plastic cover. Continue to water the greens, ensuring that the tray remains moist but is not left in standing water.
Often grains such as barley, oat, wheat grass or even sunflowers are grown in trays that contain no soil or media. When growing microgreens in this manner, line the seedling tray with two or three layers of damp paper towel. Spread the soaked seeds over the damp paper towel. Cover the seeds with a plastic lid and/or damp paper towel. Remove the lid and covering paper towel when green leaves appear. Keep the seeds and paper towel moist throughout the germination and growing period.
Unlike sprouts, microgreens need sunlight to grow. When grown indoors, they should be placed on a south facing windowsill, under a grow light or outside on your deck or patio in the summer. Some seeds (ex. sunflower) have hulls that will persist on the young plant once they have germinated. Mist the plants with a spray bottle; once moist, the hulls will naturally fall off.
Microgreens are usually harvested when there are four or more leaves. Cut the shoots just above ground level with scissors. Plan to use your microgreens fresh. However, if necessary, they can be stored in the fridge in an air tight container for several days. Roots and rooting media should be composted after harvest.
‘Growing and Using Sprouts’ by Richard Helweg is an excellent reference book for information on growing and using sprouts or microgreens in your meals.