Microgreens – Easy. Quick. Healthy.

Do you know what microgreens are? Those tasty, tiny plants that are so easy to grow and which spice up your meals in a few seconds.

At Sprout we have made our own tiny gardens with hemp mats instead of soil in which you can grow delicious microgreens in your window sill or at the kitchen table.

What are microgreens?

You grow microgreens from seeds and harvest them as soon as the first leaves emerge. These small sprouts with only a stem and the cotyledons are called microgreens. I think the best known microgreen is cress, but you can grow a range of different crops such as e.g. broccoli, basil, radish and sunflower.

You can get your own tiny gardens from our webshop here.

How to grow microgreens

It is easy to grow microgreens. Follow these simple steps and you will be able to harvest your own home grown herbs within 7-10 days.

• Water the hemp mat well. It should be so soaked with water that something is left in the bottom of the garden
• Sprinkle the seeds evenly on the hemp mat
• Place in a light place, but avoid direct sunlight most of the day
• Water every day – the seeds may never dry out!
• Harvest and enjoy!

Watering guide for microgreens

It is easy to grow your own microgreens. But until you have tried a couple of times it can be a little difficult to get the watering right. The seeds may never dry out and you should not soak them in water.

This watering guide can help you find the right amount of water for your tiny gardens.

• When sowing, water the hemp mat so much that a little water is left in the bottom of the garden
• When the seeds are on the mat, but not rooted yet, water carefully along the edges of the garden – otherwise the seeds will “run off”
• When the seeds are rooted in the hemp mat, you can water “too much” and pour off the surplus
• If the microgreens loose tension, you can be lucky to revitalize them by adding water and place them in a cooler place

Good tips when you are growing microgreens

• Place the gardens in a light place
• Plants need sunlight, but if you place them in direct sun all day, the sun might burn the small, delicate seedlings.
• Nature is amazing!
• Some seeds as e.g. basil and cress develops a mucilage that helps them to germinate. The mucilage secures a high humidity around the seeds, which increase the success rate for germination. The basil seeds turn greyish in this process.
• Some seedlings develop root hair, as e.g. radish and broccoli. The small white hairs can be seen at the bottom of the stems and they help the plant to take up water and nutrients.
• Away for the week end?
• Put your microgreens in the refrigerator. This will slow down growth and reduce the need for watering. Take the gardens out from the fridge when you are back and continue to water.
• Temperature
• All microgreens grow well at room temperature (20 C). The cooler the temperature the longer time from seed to stomach. The warmer the temperature the more water is needed.
• How long time?
• Most microgreens are ready to eat within a week. They are dependent on light, water and temperature, so allow up to 14 days for the slowest varieties (basil and sunflower) and maybe as fast as 5 days for the quick ones e.g. cress.

We have also made a little how to video plant Microgreens from Sprout

Indlægget Microgreens blev vist første gang den Sproutworld.