Growing microgreens at home is a great way to start producing your own food. Microgreens are easy to grow and can be harvested in just a few days. The best part is that you know that they free of dangerous pesticides because you grew them yourself.
This complete guide will show you how to get started with growing microgreens at home. Anyone can do this, even if you live in a small apartment or don't have a lot of sunlight.
Be sure to stick around until the end of this guide to get the tutorial video.
Step 1: Decide Which Microgreens to Grow and the Buy Seeds
This might be the most difficult part of this whole tutorial. There are many great options out there, so it can be tough to decide.
A good place to start is to pick one or two that are:
- Easy to grow
- Something you will eat often
If you still having trouble deciding, I would recommend starting with one of these:
Related Tool: Electroculture Stakes for Potted Plants
Radish Microgreens
Radish microgreens are generally quite hearty and grow quickly, so they make a great first crop. It takes about 10 days to grow radish microgreens and have a peppery, spicy flavor.
They are very nutritious and can be used to give salads some kick or added to any other dish with milder flavors.
Wheatgrass Microgreens
Wheatgrass is a great microgreen to grow because it's very nutritious, it grows fast, and you can get about three harvests from one batch of seeds.
Most people juice them and they make a great addition to shakes or smoothies. The juice also great by itself as a “shot” in the morning.
Broccoli Microgreens
If you don't like the distinctive taste of wheatgrass or radish, then broccoli microgreens can be a great alternative. They are milder tasting and will go with almost any salad, or can be a great finishing garnish to hearty dishes.
Sourcing Quality Seeds
There are many great sources of seeds, so do some research. It's great to support local businesses by buying seeds in your local area.
Regardless of where you get your seeds, be sure that they are organic and non-GMO.
Can't find a good source of seeds? Not to worry, you can order quality seeds online.
Step 2: Purchase the Equipment
Microgreens don't require a lot of special equipment, so they are an inexpensive way to start growing your own food at home.
Here's what you'll need:
- Growing trays
- Soil
- Scissors
- Grow lights (optional)
- Spray bottle (optional)
Growing Trays
There are a lot of fancy growing trays out there. But in reality, you can use any tray that you have available. A small plastic container or pie pan is a great place to start.
However, if you want to get serious and grow a lot of greens, then a standard 1020 tray is the way to go. These trays measure approximately 20″ x 10″ and are made of plastic.
I recommend getting the Bootstrap Farmer brand of trays because they are much more durable. Even though they are more expensive, they come out cheaper in the long run because you don't have to replace them as often.
This keeps plastic out of the landfills and saves you the trouble of replacing your trays. These trays are also recyclable, so if they do break, you can just put them in with the rest of your recycling.
Soil
You don't have to buy the most expensive soil from your local home improvement store. The basic soil is good enough.
Look for soil that is fairly fine and doesn't have large particles like stones or wood chips. Microgreens have small roots, so they will have more difficulty growing if their roots have to grow around large particles. Make it easy for them and you'll get larger plants.
If you can't find good soil locally, then this is what I currently recommend to buy online.
Be aware that even the best ready-made soil can have a bad batch here and there. That's why it's best to get your soil from a local source that you trust.
Scissors
Next, the simplest way to harvest your microgreens is to use a pair of sharp scissors. Since you'll be working with food, it's best to get a brand new pair of scissors and wash them thoroughly before use. Who knows where your everyday household scissors have been?
I find that kitchen scissors work better than regular scissors, and are safer than a knife.
To find out which pair of scissors I currently recommend, see to our microgreens growing kit.
Grow Lights
If you live in an area that doesn't get a lot of sunlight, then grow lights are essential to making sure that your greens grow quickly. There are a few different types of grow lights out there, so let's take a look at your options.
The first type is the standard light bulb replacement. If you have a limited amount of space or if you aren't sure if growing microgreens if for you, then a light bulb replacement is a great starting point.
They are made for growing plants and the best part is that you can stick them into any standard lamp or wall fixture and you're good to go. Look for a full-spectrum bulb.
This type of light is also very inexpensive. You can usually get a good one for under $10 and they use very little energy.
On the downside, lightbulb replacements take up a lot of space and cover a relatively small area. So they aren't ideal if you want to grow a lot of greens.
If you really want to get serious about growing, then the best choice is to get LED light bars. They are very energy efficient and can be easily installed under a cupboard or a rack. Most models can be linked together or used separately, making them very flexible.
You can see the lights I recommend here.
Spray Bottle
Finally, a good spray bottle is the best to water your greens. Sure, you can use a cup, but that can over-water the tray and disturb the roots.
It's good to water the bottom of the tray with a cup before you add the soil to the tray.
However, once you sow the seeds, and for future watering, a spray bottle waters evenly and you can control exactly how much water each tray gets. Spraying the water also ensures that soil won't splash up on your microgreens, which will require more washing before you eat them.
They aren't expensive, so it's a great addition to your toolkit.
I prefer glass bottles, but that's just me. See the spray bottles that I use here.
Step 3: Prepare the Trays and Sow the Seeds
Once you have your equipment assembled, it's time to get your hands dirty.
First, find out if it's beneficial to soak your seeds in water before sowing. The seed producer will usually tell you what's best.
But if you have any doubts, it doesn't hurt to soak the seeds overnight before sowing them. This helps “soften” them up and makes it easier for them to germinate.
When your seeds are ready to go, add a cup of water to the bottom of the tray before adding the soil. This will help prevent mold developing at the surface of the soil.
After that, add the soil to the tray. Be sure to leave about half an inch between the surface of the soil and the top of the tray. Doing this will ensure that you don't get soil or roots in your harvest. When there's too much soil in the tray, it can be easy to harvest roots and the dirt that comes along with it.
Then spread the seeds evenly on the surface of the soil. Since microgreens are small, you can sow a lot of them in the tray and you don't have to worry about them being too close together. Just put a light coating of seeds on the soil and that will work out great.
Now spray some water on your seeds with your spray bottle and your tray is ready to go.
You don't have to bury the seeds. They will germinate if they are sitting on the surface of the soil.
However, most microgreens will grow best if you don't expose them to light when they are germinating. They also benefit from having a weight on top of them during the germination phase. This helps them push their roots down into the soil.
Putting another tray on top of the soil is an easy way to accomplish tasks.
Once the seeds start to germinate, you can uncover them and move on to the next step.
Step 4: Give Them Light and Water
Once your seeds have germinated, put the tray next to a well-lit window or under the grow lights. Then give the microgreens some water about once a day or when you start to see the soil drying out at the edges.
Using the spray bottle helps prevents soil from splashing up on your microgreens.
In a few days, you'll have some microgreens that are ready to eat!
Step 5: Harvest
This is the fun part.
Now it's time to harvest your crop.
Simply cut off the greens about an inch (or so) above the soil and put them in a bowl. Don't cut them too close to the soil because you'll get some roots and soil in your bowl.
It's a good idea to wash them before eating. Then add them to your favorite dish and enjoy!
If you're going to store them, don't wash them and just put them in a freezer bag and remove most of the air from the bag. Only wash them after you remove them from the bag.
What do you do with the soil in the afterwards?
Microgreens from the grass family can generally be regrown several times, so you don't have to replace the soil in the tray after the first harvest. However, with all other microgreens, you'll have to start over because the plants won't grow again.
So it helps to have a compost bin, whenever possible. Put the soil in the compost bin and you can mix it in with your soil in future microgreen trays.
If you have a yard, you can also mix the soil into your outdoor garden as fertilizer.
Now you're ready to start again!
Tutorial Video
This is an excellent tutorial on how to grow your first batch of microgreens. It will show you the process from start to finish. You will also learn how to harvest and prepare the greens.
Conclusion
So that's how to grow your first batch of microgreens. It's very easy to do indoors, even if you have a small space. You only need a minimal amount of equipment and the seeds don't cost a lot.
The best part about microgreens is that many of them grow quickly, so you can see results in just a few days. Other types of plants can take months or even years, to mature to the point where they produce an edible product.
Many thanks to Epic Gardening for creating a fantastic tutorial video. You can watch more of his excellent videos here.
