Microgreens are a fun and nutritious way to add a new dimension to your soups, salads and sandwiches.
It’s exciting to watch those tiny seeds grow into fresh greens.
And, the satisfaction of saying, “I grew that!” never looses its appeal.
After enjoying the tangy, crisp flavor of fresh microgreens you’ll want to grow more. Gearing up to grow a continuous supply of fresh greens is easy and doesn’t cost an arm and a leg with our equipment.
Imagine, fresh greens at your finger tips year round!
Growing a Continuous Crop of Microgreens
Our Starter Sets for Growing Microgreens have everything you need started. If you’ve used it you already have all of the basics. All you need to do is expand on that. (Just getting started – get your Microgreens Starter Set here.)
Here’s what I use:
1. Grower Trays
You’re going to need several more Grower Trays to keep a contiuous crop growing (probably 4). If you have the Starter Set you won’t need extra domes because (2) trays with domes is enough for seed germination.
2. Grow Mats
Always have an extra supply of fresh Grow Mats on hand. Grow Mats come in packages of (10) that measure 10″x20″. You can cut the mats to fit the size of tray you’re using with a scissors. (A package of 10 mats will fill 30+ 8″x8″ trays.)
3. Seeds
You’ll also want to have an adequate supply of seeds on hand for future planting. Several websites sell seeds in bulk which makes makes a planting new crops easy and affordable.
My favorite sources for seeds are:
johnnyseeds.com
botanicalinterests.com
What to Grow?
Now that you’ve got your equipment – what should you grow?
Depending on your growing environment, some plants will grow better than others. (Remember, microgreens to are grown to be eaten – so they don’t have to look perfect for the crop to be successful.)
I like to grow 2 type of greens. First, I (try to) maintain a continuouos supply of greens that are easy growers (for me that’s radishes, lettuce mixes, and broccoli). Then, when I get the urge to try someting new, I’ll add a couple of new varieties (maybe herbs, swiss chard, spinach, or ???) to the mix.
The choices are endless!
Here’s what I’ve found:
Easy Growers |
More Advanced Microgreens |
| All radish varieties | Cilantro |
| Broccoli | Basil |
| Lettuce Mixes | Chives |
| Cabbage | Swiss Chard |
| Wheat Grass | Beets |
| Mustards | Sorrel |
Getting Your Program Up and Running
Microgreens are fast growers with most varieties being ready for harvest in 10-14 days after planting.
That makes planning for new crops easy. Simply schedule a new planting every 2 weeks and you’ll have a steady supply of fresh greens.
When your cooking calls for greens, harvest them right from the grower tray!
Nothing could be fresher!
Add a handful of microgreens to your cooking and you’ll instantly become an amateur chef! |
When the Grower Tray is empty, wash it with soap and water, insert a new grow mat and you’re ready for a new crop.
It’s that easy!
Harvesting and Storing Microgreens
For peak flavor and freshness, Microgreens should be harvested within 5 days after they mature – or when they’re 1-2″ tall and have 3 leaves.
As they continue to grow past harvest time they loose their flavor and actually turn bitter.
So don’t plant more than you can use in a week. That means you probably won’t need big trays. For me, our 8″x8″ trays are the perfect size for continuous crops.
More greens than you can use? No worries!
Microgreens will keep their “crunchy flavor” for a week or more after harvesting when stored properly.
The key to proper storage is put them in the fridge and keep them dry. That means no misting before harveting and no rinsing after harvesting.
Here’s how to store microgreens.
- Line a plastic bag with paper towels.
2. Insert microgreens between the paper towels.
The paper towels will absorb moisture and keep your greens dry. (You can wash them just before eating.)
When stored properly, microgreens will stay fresh for a week (or more) after harvesting.
With a little practice you’ll be producing a continuous crop of fresh greens that are full of flavor and at your finger tips just when you need them.
Again, I get my seeds at:
johnnyseeds.com
botanicalinterests.com
For more on planting and growing Microgreens go to: EasyGroHydro/Microgreens.
or watch the video:
Good Growing!
The Hydroponics Guy
EasyGroHydro Blog 