This winter I am going to write about microgreens and other winter gardening activities such as planning for next year, overwintering geranium, and house plants.
While I have never grown microgreens, I'll tell you what I plan to do. These suggestions are based on internet research, and in a future article I will let you know results, both in growing and eating.
Microgreens are seedlings of common vegetables or herbs, harvested as soon as they produce their first true leaves. There are a variety of microgreens: broccoli, cilantro, radish, pea shoots, kale, and a mixture of microgreen seeds. They are available at market garden centres such as Salisbury Greenhouse.
Microgreens add a combination of flavour and colour to your dishes. For example, broccoli has a mild flavour, while radishes are spicy. Sunflower microgreens are nutty and crunchy, while cilantro gives out a fresh cilantro taste.
They may be added to salads, sandwiches, pizza toppings, soups, smoothies, and many other dishes.
Microgreens generally have more vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants than mature vegetables. They are believed to have benefits in areas such as digestive and heart health, immune boosting, weight management and detoxification. Microgreens: Health benefits and growing tips (medicalnewstoday.com)
You will need a shallow tray with a clear plastic top, and drainage holes in the bottom. Even roasted chicken containers from your local grocery store may be used. The growing medium is a combination of sterile potting soil, and sterile compost. Sterilize the compost by baking it at 200 F for 30 minutes in a kitchen oven. You will need grow lights to provide the necessary light and a spray bottle to keep the surface moist.
To plant, place about two inches (five centimetres) of damp growing medium in the shallow tray. Some seeds are tiny; use a salt shaker to ensure the seeds are not placed too close together. Larger seeds, such as radish, may be placed by hand, approximately 10 seeds per square inch. Practise getting the right density of seed placement by placing seeds on a one-inch grid on paper, counting them until you can get the right number of seeds in the one-inch square.
Place the seedling tray in a warm area of your house, preferably above a heat vent. Microgreens need light to thrive; leave the grow lights on for about 16 hour each day. Mist the surface twice a day to ensure adequate moisture is available for optimum growth. Refer to the seed package and cover the seeds with your soil mixture as directed.
When a seed germinates, it produces roots, a stem, and what appear to be leaves, but are cotyledons. What appears to be a second set of leaves are really the first true set of leaves. These are the ones that are harvested.
Damping off occurs when mould weakens the stem and the plant falls over: the causes are overwatering in containers with no drainage holes, using non-sterile soil, or poor air circulation.
Microgreens are ready to harvest when the first true leaves appear, about seven to 15 days after planting. Start by tipping the tray almost vertical and brush off the seed hull off with your hand. With the tray still almost vertical to minimize getting soil on the microgreens, use scissors to cut the greens just above the soil, leaving the roots. Before each cut, sterilize the scissors in a mild solution of bleach and water. If you get soil on the microgreens, wash and dry the soiled microgreens. Immediately after harvesting, place the microgreens in an airtight container and refrigerate. They should keep for up to a week.
You may harvest when more than the first set of true leaves grow, but the microgreens may be bitter and not as tasty.
All I can say at this point is, experiment and find your own personal uses for microgreens.
Charles has written a book based on his experiences – Urban Gardening, Planning to Preserving.
