I am happy to say that spring has sprung here in New England! Crocus and tulip bulbs have finally started peeking out of the ground showing us that familiar beauty we have awaited for so long. With the last frost date of the season approaching quickly, I have decided to plant some indoor crops to hold me over until then.
I am lucky enough to be part of an amazing group of talented and knowledgeable gardeners on Twitter. I participate in weekly chats filled with new topics and ideas. In the past few weeks I have learned about permaculture, seed starting and growing microgreens. I was always a little intimidated about microgreens. Once I started chatting with fellow gardeners, it gave me the confidence to give it a try.
What Is A Microgreen?
A microgreen is a small shoot of a leafy, edible plant that has not fully matured. The stems are between 1” to 3” in height. With a wide selection of vegetables and herbs to grow as a microgreen, the options are endless! The flavors range from sweet to spicy. It’s great if you have a limited space to grow but still want to enjoy the health benefits of having a fresh garden. This edible, tiny plant is both nutritious and delicious. Within 10-14 days, you will be ready to harvest!
For such a small green it packs a BIG nutritious punch!
Things You Need
1. Seeds-Since microgreens don’t need that much space to thrive, you can fit more in a smaller area. I recommend getting a few different types of greens to try. I planted mesclun (spicy mix), rocket salad and spinach.
2. Soil-Any seed starting soil mix works great!
3. A Container-Since baby greens don’t need much room to grow, I used 9” aluminum pie tin. It is an inexpensive option and the perfect size to fit on a window ledge. Make sure that whatever container you use has good drainage. I cut holes in the bottom of my pie tin and put that on a tray filled with stones as my drip tray. This prevents overwatering and sad, soggy seeds. You never want sad seeds!
4. Light-The young seedlings need plenty of light and water to sprout. I used a south-facing window that receives lots of sunlight during the day. Another option would be to invest in grow lights.
Seeds I Used
Burpee Mesclun (Spicy Mix)- 20% arugula, endive, red loose-leaf lettuce and mustard.
Growing Tips
I decided to do some experiments while planting my microgreens in order to see what works best. When planting, make sure to fill your container with soil, wet the soil, and then put your seeds on top of the dampened dirt. After this, cover the seeds with a very light coating of more soil. When your seeds are covered, lightly mist with water. During my experiments, I noticed dampening the dirt before placing the seeds on top allows for faster and stronger growth. The seeds responded and absorbed the water better when I initially watered from the bottom versus watering from the top. Another good technique is misting your microgreens with a spray bottle daily. This keeps the soil moist and really helped me not overwater.
No garden, not a problem!
Harvesting Tips
You can tell that it is time to harvest your microgreens as soon as the first true leaves appear. When the seedlings emerge from the dirt in the first few days, you will see what is called the seed leaves appear. These seed leaves will then transform into true leaves usually by the 14th day mark. Your microgreens are now ready to be savored and enjoyed in a fresh salad or inside a tasty sandwich! If you want to store the cut microgreens in the fridge, they will last for about a week. Make sure to wrap the microgreens in a damp paper towel then place in a container. This prevents them from drying out before use. If cared for properly, you won't be dissapointed by this delectable and healthy snack!
If you miss fresh greens during the winter months, I would definitely give it a try. Have you grown microgreens? If you have any tips and tricks of your own, please feel free to share in the comments below. Happy growing everyone!
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