Growing microgreens at home is incredibly simple. It can be done without special equipment and you don’t need a gardening background to be successful. Not only are they among the easiest and fastest growing crops, but they are also nutritious and offer a palette of fresh flavors from mild to spicy. They are great in salads (or replacing salad greens altogether), on sandwiches, folded into wraps, sautéed into a stir fry, or mixed into soups, stews or casseroles. You can choose whatever greens you enjoy the most—from broccoli to arugula to radishes.
A microgreen is the new, tender shoot of a vegetable plant. They take minimal space, will grow with medium to bright light, and are ready to harvest in a week or two (and sometimes just days, as is the case with radishes!). If you have a sunny windowsill or counter space with a bright light, a container, some potting soil and suitable seeds you can grow microgreens.
Here’s what you need:
- Seeds. Any type of salad or leafy green, leafy vegetables, herbs and even edible flowers can be grown as microgreens. This can be a good way to use remaining seeds from your summer vegetable garden. Some good options for beginners would be radish, broccoli, cabbage, mustard, cilantro. [Note: do not use tomatoes, peppers or eggplant seeds as these nightshade family members produce toxins in their leaves and stems.]
- Container. A shallow container that will hold 1”-2” of soil. You can use seedling flats if you have them. Recycle plastic take-out dishes, disposable pie plates, or clear fruit or salad boxes. Use what you have. Since microgreens have shallow roots your container does not need to be very deep and does not have to have drainage holes though poking drainage holes in the bottom can be helpful (see below about watering). One thing to keep in mind is that seeds germinate and grow at different rates. Planting a single variety in a container makes harvest simpler and allows you to harvest each variety at its peak. If you want to grow a variety of seeds consider multiple containers.
- Soil. Regular potting soil or mix will work.
- Spray bottle for watering the microgreens.
- Scissors for harvesting.
How to begin:
Moisten the potting mix so it’s damp but not dripping when you squeeze a handful of moistened mix. Because watering may displace some soil and seeds it’s best to start with the soil already moist.
Fill your containers with mix 1”-2” deep. With small seeds 1” is fine. For larger seeds like beans, beets or sunflowers 2” is better. The plants won’t be in the container long enough to develop an intricate root system so not much soil is needed. Flatten and level the soil with your hand or a small piece of cardboard, taking care not to over-compress the soil. Level soil makes sowing and harvesting easier.
Scatter the seeds on top of the soil. No need to worry about spacing them evenly. Microgreen seeds should be sowed densely but not so close as to touch each other. About a seed’s width apart is good but don’t stress over it. [Note: To help your seeds germinate quickly, you can pre-soak larger seeds (e.g. mung beans, wheat, peas, beets and sunflowers) in warm water for a few hours or overnight]
Sprinkle soil lightly over seeds just enough to cover. Don’t worry about covering each seed exactly the same. Just a light coverage over the entire container. Then tamp them down lightly. You can use your hand or a small piece of cardboard to press gently. This seed to soil contact is critical for quick, consistent germination. You can also use vermiculite to cover the seeds instead of soil if you have it.
Dampen the surface with a mister. If you prefer, you can skip this step and instead cover the container with a clear lid or plastic wrap until the seeds are sprouted. Most seeds like around 70°F for germination. If you’re trying to start your seeds in a cool spot you should consider placing them someplace warm like on top of your refrigerator until they begin to sprout.
Wait for sprouts to appear. This is usually within three to seven days. Check the soil surface daily (twice daily if in a warm spot) and give a light mist of water if the surface looks dry. The goal is to keep the soil moist but not wet. When the seeds germinate, two little circular leaves will pop up first—those are called the cotyledons—they are the extra food reserves for the seed to keep germinating.
Care for sprouts. As soon as seeds have sprouted, remove the cover (if you’ve used one). If you’ve had them in a warm spot to germinate you should move them now. Microgreens will grow in indirect light but growth will be quicker on a sunny windowsill or under a light. If you see some of your microgreens growing in an irregular pattern, try rotating your container every few days so all sides get equal access to the light. The seeds closer to the light might grow faster than the ones further away (this is especially true in a sunny window). Microgreens germinate and grow best at temperatures between 65˚F and 75˚F and with 4-8 hours of light per day. If your microgreens are growing slowly put them in a warmer location and give them more light.
A note about watering: If your container does not have drainage you can continue to mist or water carefully at the soil level around the edges of the container. You can very gently push aside the microgreens and water in sections between the stems. Careful watering can allow you the flexibility to grow in some fun and cute containers that don’t have drainage. If your container does have drainage, you can place it in a sink or larger tray that has a few inches of water in it, allowing the plants to take up the water they need from the bottom. When the soil looks moist, take the container out of the water tray and place back in the lighted location.
Harvesting – You can choose to harvest any time after the first true leaves show up, which typically occurs in 7-14 days. To harvest, hold the top leaves of your microgreens and simply snip the base of their stems as close to the soil as you can with ease. Microgreens are best eaten fresh but can be stored in the refrigerator in a canning jar for 3-5 days.
Carolyn Filippi is a Master Gardener Volunteer who has been growing vegetables and perennials in Old Dekalb for over 40 years. She preserves food from her garden and teaches Seed to Supper classes for beginning gardeners.