If you are looking to add fresh flavor to your meals, or just want a fresh, spicy snack, then try growing your own microgreens.
What are microgreens? Simply put, microgreens are vegetable plants, or herbs harvested very early in their life span; typically within 7-10 days.
Microgreen seeds are densely sown on top of the soil, the first roots, called the radicles, develop, and the plantlets develop their first set of leaves, called the cotyledons.
That is the life cycle of a microgreen.
This explains why they are packed with so much flavor and nutrients!
Think about a radish. The flavor and nutrients packed inside of that one radish was derived, in part, from the energy in a radish seed. Now, if a radish plantlet is harvested at the early stages of its life (when it's considered a microgreen), you are effectively packing a great amount of flavor and nutrients into that tiny little plantlet.
Instead of eating an entire radish, a comparable amount of flavor and nutrients is being packed into a small plantlet.
Microgreens offer more flavor and nutrients packed in less food.
Below, I will break down the (surprisingly) simple steps to growing your own microgreens. The only things you have to worry about are:
· Getting your Supplies (Just 3 items)
· Planting your Microgreen Seeds (it’s simpler than they say)
· Allowing them to Grow (bro, it’s not that hard…)
Getting Your Supplies
The 3 essentials you’ll need to grow your microgreens are:
· A Pot/Container
· Potting Soil or any Growing Medium
· Seeds
Odds are, you already have 2 of them. Maybe even all three- you’d be surprised by what kinds of seeds you can find in your spice cabinet.
Pot/Container:
Literally anything will work.
A regular pot that you used to have a houseplant in… until it died R.I.P. A food container from your kitchen. A vase. A bowl. Even a plant could work!
The point is, the barrier to entry is super low here. YOU DO NOT NEED THE FANCY TRAYS THAT ARE ALWAYS BEING SOLD TO YOU! They are absolutely, 100% nonessential!
With that said, I use them because they allow me to grow much more product in much less time. Otherwise, I’d have to transport 20 bowls from my kitchen to the farmers market, and I’d never be able to eat cereal again.
Just get something that can hold a little soil.
That’s all.
Potting Soil or Growing Medium:
There is one requirement you want to make sure you meet to have a “good” potting medium:
You must have something with good nutrients. What do I mean by good nutrients? You don’t need any specific NPK (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium- the nutrients plants need to grow) balances here. Just make sure you’re not using that dirt and dust that’s been sitting in your garage for two years (guilty), or some red mud from your backyard.
A simple rule of thumb: if you see lots of white specs mixed throughout your soil, your good (that’s called perlite- it’s packed with nutrients for your soil).
You can also you coconut coir, or pre-made hemp fiber mats.
Seeds:
This is the really fun part!
I get all of my seeds from trueleafmarket.com. This is THE website for anything microgreen related. I’ve purchased seeds and supplies from TLM many times and have never had any trouble whatsoever.
If its your first time growing microgreens I’d recommend you choose 2-3 seed varieties, and purchase the 1oz or 4oz packet. If you know which types of greens are you prefer, don’t be afraid to purchase more than a couple of ounces.
You can still grow your own microgreens at home even if you never purchase seeds!
Head over to your spice drawer and look for a container of mustard seed?
Mustard microgreens were the first ones I ever grew! Where’d I get those seeds from? My spice cabinet. Here's a picture from my first batch of microgreens.
There was a little luck involved here; there’s no guarantee the seeds will have any vitality, so if you don’t succeed at first, it could just mean you used bad seeds!
I would definitely purchase some good seeds before ever giving up. It’ll be worth it. Trust me.
Planting Your Microgreen Seeds:
The hard part is over! You’ve gathered all your materials, and all that’s left to do, is plant your seeds and watch them grow (this sounds like that one Tyler the Creator song)!
1. Fill your container with your growing medium. Remember, the pot, and the soil doesn’t have to be fancy- this should be the cheapest part of the entire shebang! If you want to share a picture on Instagram, but don’t want to look like the schlob that grows their microgreens in a soup bowl (I’m just kidding), then try an old soda or beer can! They make great decorations too! I use old beer cans to pot up my Pilea’s! They are so cute and you can do the same thing with your microgreens (the picture below is a Pilea- not microgreens)!
2. Sprinkle your seeds on top. That’s it. Seriously. There’s nothing to it! I would sew enough seeds over the soil so that you can see 75% seeds and 25% soil; make sure they are evenly spread. You don’t want them to be over-crowded.
If you feel inclined, after adding your seeds, you can sprinkle a little more soil on top, but that’s not even completely necessary!
Get Them Greens Growing
Add a little water to your seeds after planting, and every few days thereafter, and you’ll be golden!
DON’T OVER WATER THEM. I had an entire 10x20 inch tray spoil last week because I accidentally overwatered it.
Overwatering is the most common route to failure. Don’t be that guy.
If the soil looks dry, give it a little water! If the soil looks wet, for the love of everything, don’t give it water- they aren’t going to grow any quicker by overwatering them. Be patient.
I will write another post soon on my favorite watering method: bottom watering. Stay tuned! Subscribe so you don't miss it!
Lastly, you’ll want to make sure they are getting adequate light.
Seeds can root in complete darkness, but you’re not going to get any good leaves if they aren’t getting enough light.
You can grow them either outside in partial sun, or inside, on a windowsill, or underneath LED lights. Just make sure they are getting 6-12 hours of light a day.
One last quick tip: Some people have lighting strips like these underneath the cabinets in their kitchen. They typically have LED bulbs, which allow plants to photosynthesize. This is a great place to grow your microgreens.
That’s it y’all! I promised you it was that simple. Hopefully this guide covered everything! If you still need a little more guidance or have any questions, drop a comment and I’ll get back to you. You can also DM me on Instagram @the_botaneer, or email me at ncw0620@gmail.com.
Thanks for reading!
Comments