Imagine . . . eating fresh greens 15 days after you planted them!
I’m thinking that a small tray of microgreens in the windowsill is more fun to grow (and eat!) than any other type of plant.
Add a handful of microgreens to your cooking and instantly you’ll become an amateur chef!
What Are Microgreens?
Microgreens are simply miniature versions of the same plants that grow in gardens every summer. The difference is micro-greens are grown indoors and harvested 15-21 days after planting – when they’re only 1-3″ tall!
When you harvest plants at such a young age their flavor (and nutrition) is concentrated. They have 10 – 40 % more nutitional value than mature plants!
With tastes that range from mild, to intense, to crunchy, microgreens add an extra dimension to soups, salads, or sandwiches. Many people grow them to juice or just to eat on their own.
And the best news is . . . . growing them is really easy! Simply plant the seeds, watch them grow for a couple of weeks, and then start eating!
Of course we do this without soil (that’s a 4 letter word around here!). I just can’t imagine growin in dirt in the kitchen.
Here’s list of the best for products for growing microgreens in your kitchen without soil.
Growing Mediums
Soil based growing works, but it’s not very clean. Watering is a guessing game and who wants soil in the house! There are several types of “grow mats” on the market that you can use in place soil. They’re clean and easy to use – just wet them, position in a grower tray, and sow your seeds directly on top of the pad.
The types of mats are:
Cocount Fiber Mats – Coconut fiber and bamboo fiber mats stiff and hard to work with. They also have an “oily feel” and they carry a slight odor – could be the stuff that holds the fibers together? They don’t distribute moisture evenly either.
Wood Fiber Mats – These are the worst! They’re stiff, hard to work with and they fall apart when saturated!
100% Natural Fiber Jute Mats – These are by far the best. Made from natural jute fibers, Natural Fiber Jute Mats are soft and durable. They’re constructed by weaving fibers together – not pressed together with an adhesive. They distribute moisture evenly and hold more water that other mats. And they’re easy to cut to fit any size tray.
Grower Trays
Technically, any tray that holds water can be used to grow microgreens. But, if you want to do it right, use a tray that’s heavy duty because you’ll want to use them over and over again for each crop you grow. Thin, flimsy trays are useless because when they leak (and trust me, they will) you’ll have a mess.
Use only heavy duty commercial grade grower trays for growing microgreens.
Tray Size – At first I thought 8″ x 8″ Grower Trays would be too small to grow a crop that amounted to anything.
For the freshest flavor (and nutritional value) microgreens should be harvested right after the first 2 leaves appear. Wait too long and they turn bitter to taste and loose nutrients.
8″x 8″ trays are the perfect size because you can enjoy eating fresh greens directy from the tray without anything going to waste. Four 8″x 8″ trays will yield a variety of fresh greens for salads, soups, and sandwiches – without having to store them in the refridgerator. 10″x20″ trays produce a much larger crop that often turns out to be more than what you needed.
What Microgreens Should You Grow?
Micogreens start from seeds. 
Getting seeds to sprout the first time can be intimidating. Turns out it’s really not that hard. Simply spread the seeds over the the grow mat, cover the grower tray with a humidity dome and 2-3 days you’ll see tiny seedlings emerge.
The miracle of seeds! Every seed contains all the food and energy it needs to burst out of its shell and start growing. Just add water!
There are many varieties of vegtable plants that can be grown as microgreens. Here are some of the easier ones:
All Radish varities Sunflower
Broccoli Pea Shoots
Mustards Cabbages
Organic, non-GMO seeds are my preference. I use and recommend seeds from Bontanical Interests.
After enjoying your first batch of fresh microgreens they’ll become an indispensable part of your cooking!
We have everything you need to start growing these remarkable little plants in our “Let’s Grow Microgreens” section of the EasyGroHydro Store. There’s even a Starter Set for Beginners for growing your first crop – including Step by Step instructions.
Good Growing!
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