How to Grow Microgreens

Planting Microgreens

Planting instructions for microgreens vary depending on the type of greens you’re growing. Depending on the type, some seeds will need to be covered, and others will need to be left on the soil surface.

Whatever variety you choose you’ll want to sow your seeds densely, then follow the specific instructions on the seed pack to find out how deep they should be planted.

I recommend that you grow microgreens in shallow trays filled with soil. Make sure there are drainage holes in the bottom, or poke some holes yourself if there aren’t any. You’ll only need 2-3″ of soil, as you’ll be harvesting the seedlings early so they don’t require much space to grow roots.

I personally use this Pro Mix Organic Seed Starter Mix when growing microgreens. It’s top quality stuff that the pros use, so you really can’t go wrong with it!

You want to avoid using regular garden soil when growing microgreens indoors because it contains all sorts of large matter, bacteria, and bugs. This can hinder your new seedlings from sprouting or growing properly, and you could end up with an insect infestation in your house. Definitely not a fun time!

Related Post: Small Space Vegetable Gardening: Choosing The Best Potting Soil for Your Garden

A good seed starting mix has a fine texture and is sterile — a perfect combination for tiny microgreens to thrive in.

To eliminate the guesswork in selecting the right size containers for your plants, we’ve put together a list of commonly grown herbs, veggies, fruit and flowers along with the minimum pot sizes required by each.

Starting a container garden? Grab my free guide on choosing the best sized pots for each veggie, fruit, and herb in your container garden – Veggie Garden Potting Guide

 

Watering Microgreens

You’ll need to mist your seeds after planting in order to keep the soil moist.

Once your microgreens have sprouted keep the soil moist but don’t leave it sitting in water. Use a misting or spray bottle to keep the top of the soil moist. Covering your seedling tray with a clear lid or plastic wrap can help keep moisture in so you don’t have to water as often, but must be removed as soon as seedlings sprout.

Related Post: How to Start an Indoor Garden for Beginners

 

Where Can I Grow It?

Microgreens, as the name implies, are all about small sizes so they can be grown just about anywhere. They can be grown both outdoors and indoors, but you’ll need a good grow light setup in order to grow microgreens indoors successfully.

I use this Sunblaster Grow Light Garden to grow my microgreens indoors. It’s nice and compact, and will provide full-spectrum light to your little seedlings so they grow up strong and healthy.

I also use it to grow lots of fresh herbs and greens indoors during the long winter months when it’s too cold to grow anything outside. It is definitely one of my favorite purchases!

If you have limited indoor space I recommend the Sunblaster Micro Grow Light Garden. It’s the small version of the one I use and linked to above and will do the job just as well.

You can grow microgreens at any time of the year, as long as you provide them with adequate light.

 

Microgreen Growing Tips

Microgreens should be harvested when the first leaf pair (the cotyledon) opens fully. However, you can also let the seedlings continue to grow and harvest them as needed. Time until harvest depends on the type of microgreen you’re growing; it can be anywhere from a few days to a few weeks.

To harvest, pull microgreens from the soil and rinse all the soil particles away. They can be consumed whole, with roots attached, or you can trim them off if you prefer.

Almost any edible green can be grown and consumed as microgreens: salad mixes, lettuce, beets, carrots, basil, broccoli, kale, peas sunflower, spinach, and many more.