Growing Microgreens

Microgreens are baby salad greens, a little bit like sprouts, but grown in soil. While sprouting seeds need to germinate quickly so the seeds do not rot, microgreens can be planted just like any other herb or vegetable seeds. That means that seeds with longer germination requirements can still be grown as microgreens. Think of basil, carrots, spinach, and any other edible greens. It is useful to learn how to grow microgreens, because you can grow them indoors all winter for a nutritious source of fresh vegetables.

Season and Zone

Microgreens can be grown at any time of the year as long as you can supply enough light.

Timing

Timing microgreens depends on the individual kinds of greens you will be growing. Cress grows fast and can be harvested a few days after sowing. Carrot seeds can take as long as 2 to 3 weeks to germinate, so you should expect to allow extra time.

Starting

Follow the planting instructions for each variety of seeds. For instance, some seeds prefer to be sown on the surface of the soil, while others need to be covered. We recommend using sterilized seed starting soil in shallow trays that have drainage holes at the bottom.

Spread the soil to a depth of only 2-3 inches. You will be harvesting the baby seedlings, so they do not need a lot of room to grow roots. Sow microgreen seeds densely, a little less dense for large seeds like sunflowers or swiss chard. Once your microgreen seeds have been planted, mist the whole area. You want to keep the soil moist like a wrung-out sponge, but not sitting in water. Keep your mist sprayer handy and spritz the soil regularly.

Growing

When sprouts emerge from the soil, you will want to provide adequate light. Though spring/summer windowsills provide wonderful light, supplemental light may be required in fall and winter months. This supplemental light can be provided by fluorescent or LED lights.
This bright light will help keep your microgreens short and stout.

Harvesting

Microgreens can be pulled from the soil and rinsed until all the soil particles have washed away. They can be enjoyed whole, roots and all. Or simply trim them with scissors and dispose of the used soil in your compost.

Microgreens are intended to be harvested when the first leaf pair (the cotyledon, or seed leaf) opens fully and turns green. This is the point at which your microgreens will be richest in nutrients. However, you can also let the seedlings continue to grow and harvest them as needed. Be aware that the longer they are left to grow the more roots will also develop in the soil.