Micro greens

[Snoop Puss]

Trying to eat a healthier diet (says the woman currently mixing up hot cross buns...) and was thinking of trying out micro greens (not bean sprouts) as a flavour and colour boost.

I've seen kits that involve jute mats and others that have plastic trays with holes in that the seeds sit in. I presume it would also be possible to concoct some kind of home-made system too.

Does anybody have any advice? I've never grown micro greens before and no absolutely nothing.

Thanks

[Bren In Pots]

Snoop I've grown micro greens a couple of times but for real info you need Penellype she grows them all the time.

[ameno]

Those kits you describe are for two different growing methods and two different finished products.

The jute mats are for microgreens, which are seedlings cut when they are a couple inches high, once the seed leaves have fully opened, much like the pots of mustard and cress you can buy in shops.
Just like mustard and cress, these can also be grown on damp kitchen towel or a very thin layer of compost.

The trays with the holes are for sprouts, not microgreens. Sprouts are eaten whole, seeds, roots and all, when the root is just a cm or two long. Mung beans are one of the tradition sprouting seeds, but there are many others, including peas, sunflower seeds, radish seeds, alfalfa, and onion seeds.
Sprouts are more work as they need rinsing thoroughly three or four times a day. This is partly to keep them moist, but it's actually mostly to prevent the build up of bacteria which would otherwise contaminate your sprouts and make you sick (at least if you eat them raw. As long as there are no signs of rot they should be safe once cooker, regardless).
You can make your own by taking a large, wide-mouthed jar and making lots of small holes in the lid.

[Snoop Puss]

Thanks, ameno.

Yes, it's very odd, the plastic trays with holes. They're definitely being sold for growing micro greens, not bean sprouts. And supposedly no need for a mat. Just straight on the tray. It's partly why I asked, as I wondered how suitable they'd be.

I have grown bean sprouts in the past but, truth be told, I don't much like mung bean sprouts. Having smelled them while they were sprouting, it rather put me off them and especially any others like alfalfa that I'd be more likely to eat raw than cooked.

[Bren In Pots]

Snoop this site has lots of info about microgreens including trays, medium and how and what to grow.

https://www.microgreenscorner.com/

This links interesting about using containers from around the house.

https://www.microgreenscorner.com/al...g-microgreens/

[Snoop Puss]

Thanks, Bren. Those links look really useful. I'll check them out.

[Penellype]

Only just seen this thread - here is what I do, based on a video I watched some time ago, although I can't remember who did it.

Seeds - you can buy specific microgreen seeds. These are generally expensive, so unless you want a specific variety such as cress, just use ordinary seed. Note that mustard and cress type cress is simply green cabbage. By cress I mean salad cress, which is different and has seed leaves that do not look like a brassica. I use seeds from old packets of brassicas, lettuce, annual herbs or anything else that you can eat the leaves of (eg beetroot), but remember that things germinate at different rates, so don't sow quick germinating seeds like brassicas with something that germinates a lot more slowly, like parsley.

Trays - yes you can get special microgreen trays. You can use an old meat tray or something similar, preferably dark coloured and it must be shallow so you can get at the plants to cut them. You don't need to make drainage holes, but you must be careful not to flood the tray. The microgreen trays come with a propagator-type lid which is unnecessary. I use 2 trays the same size, you could use 1 tray and cut a piece of cardboard to fit inside it - see below.

Method
Put a thin layer of compost in the bottom and damp it slightly with a spray bottle of water. You could sieve the compost and tamp it down to make it completely flat - I don't bother. Sprinkle the seeds thickly over the compost - I grow 2 or 3 different types to a 6x5 inch tray. It is easier to sprinkle the seeds evenly if you use some sort of small cup, for example a 100ml medicine measure but you can just sprinkle them straight from the packet. Mist the seeds with water but don't get them too wet. Then cover the tray with the 2nd tray or cardboard, touching the seeds. This stops the whole thing drying out. (Note - lettuces like some light to germinate, so cover the tray with a sheet of clear plastic instead. Check daily for germination - brassicas in particular are very quick. As soon as you see the first signs of leaves appearing remove the top tray or cardboard.

This is a tray I sowed on 23rd March, photographed this morning. I removed the top tray today.



On the left is white mustard, on the right is radish. On the far right are a few old komatsuna seeds (sow by 2018) which don't look like they will germinate. You can sow the seeds more thickly than this, but I find this sort of amount sown regularly is enough for me. These will be ready to eat in 2-3 days and will "keep" for a week or so. They will need checking and watering lightly at least daily. The seedlings are less nutritious and start to suffer from lack of compost once they have more than 2 small true leaves.

You can put them on a windowsill, although they will bend towards the light and grow rather leggy. I put them under the grow lights unless they are full.

I use up all of my old brassica seeds this way, but I do buy mustard for microgreens as it comes in decent sized packets. I've also experimented (with varying success) with old lettuce seeds, beetroot, spinach, herbs, florence fennel and carrots, but brassicas and lettuce work best. It is a good way of testing seed viability if you have a packet that is a year or so out of date.

[Penellype]

Incidentally, the method of covering the trays with cardboard works well for seeds sown in module trays too - it stops them drying out,

[Snoop Puss]

Wow, Penellype, that's brilliant. Thanks ever so much for going to all that effort.

It seems counterintuitive, putting something on top of the seeds so they're touching. Sounds like the seedlings should start off life all squashed, but I guess on reflection it's no different to having soil above them.

I wondered about the seeds. One place I was looking was advertising microgreen seeds with links that just took you to their gardening seeds. Does it matter if the seeds have some kind of treatment? Pelleted seed, for example, or maybe fungicides. I guess they're better avoided, but seeing as you're not eating the seed, it's not so crucial.

Do you ever grow onion microgreens? They probably take so long as to not be worth it.

[Penellype]

Wow, Penellype, that's brilliant. Thanks ever so much for going to all that effort.

It seems counterintuitive, putting something on top of the seeds so they're touching. Sounds like the seedlings should start off life all squashed, but I guess on reflection it's no different to having soil above them.

I wondered about the seeds. One place I was looking was advertising microgreen seeds with links that just took you to their gardening seeds. Does it matter if the seeds have some kind of treatment? Pelleted seed, for example, or maybe fungicides. I guess they're better avoided, but seeing as you're not eating the seed, it's not so crucial.

Do you ever grow onion microgreens? They probably take so long as to not be worth it.

I was concerned about squashing the seeds but they are fine - the plastic trays are very light. I wouldn't use anything heavy.

I would be very wary of using treated seeds as you are eating them very young before any treatment has had a chance to wash away. The seed cases do sometimes stick to the seed leaves and can be hard to remove, so some inevitably get eaten.

I don't much like raw onion in salads so I wouldn't think of growing onion microgreens but there is no reason why it wouldn't work.

[Snoop Puss]

Thanks, Penellype. I won't be starting in the immediate future (have to make a trip back to the UK), but when I return, I'll be on the case. I'll let you know how I get on.

[Bren In Pots]

Thanks for the info Pen you’ve spurred me on to grow more microgreens especially using those seeds I’m not likely to grow in the garden.

[Snoop Puss]

Might it be worth stickying this thread, Bren? I'm sure other people might find it useful.

[Bren In Pots]

This thread is now a sticky.

I’m sure others will find it handy Snoop, it’s a handy way of using up spare seeds.

[Snoop Puss]

Grand, Bren, and thanks again, Penellype.