How to Grow Microgreens in 7 Steps
How to Grow Microgreens: A Free 7-Step Guide
Do you ever wish you could have a garden but just don’t have enough space for it? You should grow microgreens instead! With microgreens, you can have your very own vegetable garden sitting right on your windowsill or shelf, all year long.
The word ‘Microgreen’ is actually just a broader term for several common types of edible plants, garden veggies, and herbs. They are called MICROgreens because they are harvested after growing only a few inches tall. A typical grow period ranges from 1-2 weeks for most microgreens.
Because they are harvested so quickly, they don’t require the same amount of space as mature vegetable plants with more developed roots systems. They can be planted much closer together than in a traditional garden plot. This makes them ideal for growing indoors such as in urban areas and small apartments where space is limited.
Get all your microgreens products at True Leaf Market!
Microgreens are a tasty and rewarding way to get started with gardening and agriculture. They are more flavorful and nutritious than their adult counterparts, so they are an excellent addition to your dinner plate, both in a salad, and as a garnish. There are several nutritional and educational benefits to growing microgreens that I have summarized in another article. Click the button to read more about the benefits of growing microgreens!
I love growing microgreens and I want to help you get started too. Follow this guide and you will be growing your own microgreens in no time!
Follow these 7 steps to start growing your own microgreens TODAY!
To get started growing microgreens, you will need a few supplies. Most of these things can be found either around your house, or at any garden center. I have included a price guide at the bottom so you don’t have to guess.
Step 1: Get the Supplies You Will Need:
⦁ A PLANTER–
If you want to start small, get thrifty with your planter. You can use old milk cartons, tupperwear containers, window boxes, etc. My sister even grew microgreens in eggshells! You definitely have room to get creative. Your containers just need to be about 1.5-2 inches deep to allow the roots the depth needed to grow and take hold.
If you have the space and want to start a little bigger, I would suggest either 1010 or 1020 gardening trays. I bought a ten pack online for $20 ($2/per). They are washable and reusable. Make sure they are HEAVY WHEIGHT. They need to be heavyweight because the regular trays are just too flimsy to handle the weight of soil. Also, make sure they have NO HOLES. Other setups may use trays with holes because of their watering systems. For this method though, no holes are preferable. Check out the stack of 1020 trays below.
⦁ A SPRAY BOTTLE–
Any generic spray bottle will do. I bought two at Target for a dollar each. You will be using the spray bottle for watering your microgreens.
⦁ HYDROGEN PEROXIDE-
Hydrogen Peroxide is used to clean the seed before planting. Also, because of the warm, damp environment in the trays, it is important to prevent the spread of mold and bacteria. Adding a small amount of hydrogen peroxide to the water in your spray bottle will help accomplish this. You can get a large bottle of hydrogen peroxide for one or two dollars at any pharmacy or department store.
⦁ A LIGHT SOURCE-
If you plan to grow your microgreens on a windowsill, then you are all set. No expense here! Southern-facing windows are preferable because they receive a lot of sunlight.
If you want to use artificial light, that’s perfectly fine too. You might think setting up grow lighting is expensive, but actually, you can set lights up for as low as $30. You don’t need a fancy, multicolored LED-system for several hundred dollars. Regular old shoplights will work just fine. I got a couple of 48-inch LED shoplights from Lowe’s for $25 each and they work great! Fluorescent lights work really well too. Incandescant lights are not very efficient so I would recommend avoiding them.
The size of your lights will depend on the size of your grow space. Once you figure out the amount of space you have to grow your microgreens, you can decide what size works best for you. This will determine the cost. Just for reference, I have 4ft. lights because I grow 4 trays at once. If you want to grow 2 trays at once, you can easily use 2 ft. lights for about $15/per.
⦁ GROW RACK
Again, if you plan on starting small with little planters on a windowsill, you don’t have to worry about this!
Grow racks are best suited for bigger 1010 and 1020 trays. If you dont want to buy a rack, you can get creative with this. You can use some old shelving or furniture and come up with your own set up. Chances are, it will work just fine. Just make sure whatever you use is clean.
If you decide you want to buy a metal rack, you can get one for $15-20 from any department store. I personally skipped the rack my first time and set my trays under a coffee table in my spare room. I hung my lights underneath the table about 6-8 inches above the trays. It worked great!
I recently splurged and spend $70 on a big, 4-foot wide, 6 shelf grow rack, but you definitely don’t need this to get started!
⦁ GROWING MEDIUM-
For this method, you will need soil or soil-less seed starting mix to grow your microgreens. There are also hydroponic methods for growing microgreens, but I don’t grow mine that way.
If you don’t have quality growing medium readily available, you will need to purchase some. Any gardening soil or soil-less potting mix from your local garden store will work. I typically try to find mix that contains vermiculite or perlite and some sort of peat moss. Vermiculite granulates the soil and prevents caking, while peat moss makes the soil spongy and more absorbent. Peat moss also naturally inhibits fungal growth, which can be an issue in the soil where it is warm, moist, and dark. One bag of soil will be plenty to get started. You can pick up a bag of soil for around $5.
⦁ SEEDS-
Finally, you need to purchase your seeds. This part is fun! It’s also one of your bigger expenses, though not bad.
You won’t have enough seeds if you buy those small paper packets of vegetable seeds on the rack by the register at your garden store. I suggest going online and ordering from a seed company. I personally use True Leaf Market, and would highly recommend them if you’re just starting out. Their selection and customer service are incredible, their prices are competitive, and the quality of their seeds is excellent!
Now It’s time to decide which seeds you should start with. There are so many different varieties of microgreens, each with their own distinct flavor and nutrient value. Which seeds you choose depends on your tastes. If you aren’t sure and just want to experiement, I’m going to suggest three seeds to get you started.
Radishes
First, you should try China Rose Radishes (traditional radishes). They grow quickly and easily. In fact, they are ready in about seven days from planting to harvesting. They are very colorful, with a distinctive pink stem and bright green leaves.
Be careful, because they definitely have a kick when you eat them. I wasn’t prepared for just how spicy they were when if first tried them. It really cleared my sinuses! If you are going with the windowsill, a 4 oz. packet of seeds will suffice. This will run you about $5. If you plan to use 1020 trays, you should purchase a one pound bag for $11.
Peas
Second, I recommend getting Thomas-Laxton Peas. There are several other varieties of peas though and you really can’t go wrong. They are very easy to grow, and have the distinctive and recognizable taste of fresh peas from the garden. When harvested at the correct time (about 10 days), they are super flavorful and have a nice crisp texture. For the windowsill, you can get a one pound bag for $5. For a bigger setup, a five pound bag will cost about $20.
Sunflowers
Finally, I recommend Black Oil Organic Sunflowers. These are definitely my favorite! They have such a wonderful, nutty flavor, and when harvested at the right time, they have a perfect crunchy yet tender texture. They are an excellent addition to any salad. These seeds are a little more expensive than my first two recommendations, but they are worth the price! A one pound bag is about $13, and is plenty for the windowsill garden. For the 1020 trays, I recommend a larger five pound bag for about $35.
2. Prepare Your Seeds
It’s time to get your seeds cleaned and ready for planting.
Mix a half liter of room temperature water with a couple teaspoons of hydrogen peroxide.
Soak the seeds in hydrogen peroxide mixture for 5 minutes to kill bacteria commonly found on seed shells.
Rinse the seeds thoroughly several times to get rid of any remaining hydrogen peroxide.
Now, soak your seeds in plain cold water for 6-8 hours to soften their shells. It helps the shells to split easier which speeds up the germination process.
You DON’T have to soak radishes. Just clean them and sow them directly.
I highly recommend soaking the peas and sunflowers though! THE PEAS ESPECIALLY!
I actually did an experiment comparing soaked vs. un-soaked microgreens seeds and you can check out the results HERE!
3. Plant Your Seeds
Its finally time to plant your microgreen seeds. The unique part about planting microgreens is you don’t actually plant the seeds in the soil. Instead, you lay the seeds evenly across the soil surface. After germination, the plant roots will naturally climb down into the nutrient rich soil, while the leaves reach toward the sunlight.
⦁ Take your clean 1020 tray or planter, put about 2 cups of water in it.
⦁ Next, fill it about half full with soil. The soil should be about 1.5 inches deep. Gently press down on the soil so you have a nice smooth even surface.
⦁ Spritz the soil surface with plain water until evenly moist. This will help the seeds stick to the soil surface.
⦁ Spread the seeds evenly across the soil surface. Make sure all of the seeds are in direct contact with the soil. They will be very close together but they can’t be piled on top of each other. If they aren’t touching the soil, they won’t be able to anchor their roots. They will also be crowded and forced to compete for light. Some of your crop will be shielded and unable to grow properly.
⦁ Finally, give your planted seeds another even spritzing. Now they are ready to germinate!
4. Germinate Your Seeds
This step takes about three days. The seeds need darkness, moisture, and warmth to germinate.
⦁ If you are using 1020 trays for your microgreens, take a spare tray and flip it over to use as a lid for your planted trays. This will keep it dark, and will trap heat and humidity. If you are using a small planter, a simple piece of cardboard can be used as a lid. Get creative.
⦁ Make sure the place where you are storing your trays is warm, but don’t worry too much about temperature and humidity regulation right away. If you are comfortable with the room temperature, then your microgreens probably will be too.
⦁ Mix your water/hydrogen peroxide to spritz your microgreens. Fill your waterbottle with about 500ml of water, and add a teaspoon of 3% Hydrogen peroxide. The hydrogen peroxide is very dilute, but it helps inhibit mold and microbial growth from the warm, wet conditions of the soil. This very small amount of hydrogen peroxide won’t affect the health of your crop, and it is totally safe.
⦁ Once a day, take the lid off your tray and give your microgreens a generous spritzing. The water shouldn’t be pooling, but the seeds and soil should remain wet. Put the lid back on and repeat for 3 days.
It’s amazing to see how quickly the seeds sprout. Every day you take the lid off, you will be amazed to see how much taller they are.
5. Initiate Photosynthesis
After three days in the dark, sprouting has occured and the roots have already begun to form. The cotyledons will begin to emerge as well. These are the first two leaves to grow from the sprout. (They are actually considered false leaves.) Once the sprouts are about 1-2 inches tall and have their first two leaves, it’s time to give them some sunshine.
⦁ When you first emerge the sprouts from the darkness, they won’t look lush and green. The radishes, for example will appear yellow and a little sickly, but this is normal. It’s because the microgreens haven’t undergone photosynthesis yet. Once they get some sunshine, they will flourish into green, beautiful crops very quickly.
Sun & Bathe Your Microgreens
⦁ Now your microgreens just need to be maintained until they are ready to be harvested. If you are growing your microgreens on a sunny windowsill, they will receive adequate light cycles naturally from the direction of the sun. Just give your microgreens a spirtzing of your water/hydrogen peroxide mixture once a day. Make sure to use a fresh water mixture each day to prevent microbial growth in the bottle. (Thats why I bought two bottles, so I could rotate them.)
⦁ If you are using 1020 trays under grow lights, you will have to simulate the sunlight by turning the grow lights on and off. I usually do about 14-16 hours on and 8-10 hours off. It’s actually pretty easy this way. I just turn the lights on when I wake up in the morning, and turn the lights off in the evening when I’m heading to bed.
Just like the windowsill planters, give your trays a good spritzing once a day. Repeat this step until your microgreens are ready to harvest.
6. Harvest Your Microgreens
⦁ For the three microgreens I’ve suggested, the growing times are as follows:
China Rose Radish: 7-9 days
Black Oil Sunflowers: 8-12 days
Dun Peas: 12-16 days
⦁ Once you get into that time range, start sampling your microgreens each day to determine what flavor you like best. The flavors will change the longer you let them grow. When you are satisfied with the taste and texture of your microgreens, its time to harvest.
Take your tray of microgreens to a clear workspace where you will be able to work safely.
Choose either a knife or kitchen shears to harvest your crop.
Grab a handful of microgreens gently but firmly, and carefully cut the stems about half an inch above the soil surface.
You don’t have to cut them all at once. You can let part of your tray keep growing and do the same thing the next day. Remember, you have a time window.
Once you cut them, they are only good for a couple days before they lose their tenderness and texture. They should either be washed and eaten right away, or stored for short term use in the fridge.
7. Enjoy the Fruits of Your Labor
You put in the time and effort to cultivate your microgreens, now it’s time to enjoy them! They are perfect for some exciting new flavor and texture in salads, they work great as a functional garnish, and can be used in cooking (especially the herbs).
⦁ It’s important to always wash your microgreens before eating them. Even though you took great care of your crop, you can never be too careful!
⦁ Make sure to wash your trays, equipment, and work space between each use.
⦁ Once you get a few harvests under your belt you can really get creative and start staggering your planting schedule to always have a mixture of flavors that are ready to harvested!
CONGRATULATIONS!
You did it! You successfully dove into the world of agriculture and grew your very first crop of microgreens. I hope you had fun with the process and are proud of what you accomplished.
Gardening and agriculture are extremely useful skills. I’m happy to promote their benefits, especially with a fun and exciting project like microgreens!
Make sure to grab your FREE copy of the ULTIMATE MICROGREEN CHEAT SHEET below to help you get started!
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