Microgreens

Dirt Crops

Some micro-greens grow better in soil, such as peas, sunflower, buckwheat, beets, cilantro, lentils. If growing

to the baby salad stage, soil may perform better as well.

Soil: Seed starting medium is your best bet, but honestly, you can grab just about any potting mix or garden

soil from the store with good success. You possibly want to steer clear of soils that have fertilizers mixed in

as fertilizer is not necessary to grow greens. There should be enough nutrients in any soil to grow this short

crop There are some really nice organic options available at our store. (Black Gold Seedling Mix) Some people

grow micro-greens without soil (Hydroponically) and it may be a cleaner way with less daily watering needs,

however, growing them in soil possibly gives them a better flavor and makes them easier to grow.

Tray: You’ll need something to grow micro-greens in. We recommend micro-green trays—available at our

garden center but almost any food safe tray can be used. These greens aren’t going to stay in them very long,

so it doesn’t have to be anything special. A plastic tote or a metal tray or even a baking dish works well!

Light Source: There are two ways of going about this—the natural way or the artificial way. For the natural

way, all you need is a sunny window. Easy! Or you can grow micro-greens under a fluorescent light . You don’t

need any kind of special light or lightbulbs. Just get the cheapest fluorescent shop light you can find and

outfit it with two regular fluorescent cool white lightbulbs. Hang the light about four inches above the table

where you’ll set your tray.

Fill Tray with Soil: First step is to fill up your tray with soil. Since these plants aren’t going to be in there very

long (9-12 days), they won’t develop a very intricate root system, which means you don’t need a whole lot of

soil. About 11/2 inches should be more than enough.

Seeding: Broadcast your seeds across the surface of the soil. No need to worry about getting it perfectly

even or spaced out equally. You want to put a pretty thick coating down. Unlike when you’re growing a full

adult plant, you don’t have to worry about overcrowding with micro-greens. Pack ’em in. Next, take a little

more soil in your hand, and sprinkle it over the seeds. You’re just looking for light coverage here. Again, no

need to be perfect. You don’t have to cover every seed exactly the same. Then take your hand and lightly

press down all across the tray to really set the seeds into their new home.

Water: Last planting step: Give ’em a good drink of water. The spray bottle is for later, now is the time to use

a watering can or the mist option on your hose sprayer. You don’t want them swimming in water, but you do

want them very, very damp.

Then put your tray in your sunny spot and wait!

Or, if you are putting them under a grow light, place them directly under the light. You actually want the light to

be almost touching the top of the tray.

Heating: If you’re trying to start your seeds in a particularly cool place, you might want to think about either

cranking the heat for a few days while the seeds germinate, or use a seed starting mat. We sell a heat mat for

starting seeds that holds standard 10”x 20” trays

Hydroponic Crops

Hydroponic growing is the cleanest and easiest way to grow micro-greens. With only a few exceptions, most

micro-greens grow extremely well hydroponically.

Prepare your water: Ideally you want a pH balanced water, in the range of 5.5 to 6.5. Test your water and

adjust if too far out of range.Distilled water or rain water is best. You can use tap water if needed, but we recommend letting it sit for 24

hours or boiling it to off-gas any chlorine. If you’re adding any nutrients to your water, you’ll want to dissolve

them now.

Soak your grow mat: [Coconut coir mats, or whatever your preferred growing medium is. This will give the

roots of your micro-greens something to grab onto and help them stand upright.] Cut your grow mat to fit your

growing trays. Then place your grow mat in your water or nutrient solution to get it wet, and then allow most

excess water to drain off before transferring it to your 10 x 20” tray.

Add your seeds: Sprinkle your seeds evenly across your entire grow mat. Keep track of your seed types and

adjust sowing density as needed.

Once you’ve added your seeds, mist them with your spray bottle using clean water or a nutrient solution.

Cover your seeds: You’ll want to cover your seeds with a lightproof cover so they’re in complete darkness. A

second tray flipped upside down works great.

Early on: You’ll want to keep your micro-greens in complete darkness while they start to germinate and

sprout. Only open your tray to mist them every 12 hours or so. Depending on your variety of micro-greens,

you’ll want them to remain in darkness for the first 5 days or so.

Growing: After around 5 days, your micro-greens should be starting to grow nicely. Remove your

lightproof cover and put the tray under fluorescent lighting.

At this point you can start watering them by pouring small amounts of water directly into the tray instead

of misting them. You can either water them with pH balanced water or continue using a weak hydroponic

solution. Ideally look for a product that’s food grade such as (Monty’s) or organic (Liquid Seaweed) and

specifically designed for growing micro-greens hydroponically. If you can’t find that, any general hydroponic

nutrients should work quite well.

Harvesting: After 10 to 12 days, most varieties of micro-greens will be ready to harvest. Use a sharp blade to

cut your micro-greens off at the base of their stems.

Rinse and dry well, then place between moist paper towels in a Ziploc bag and store in the refrigerator until

you’re ready to use.