A Guide To Microgreens

What are microgreens?

Microgreens are essentially young, edible leafy greens such as lettuce, beets, sunflowers, radishes, spinach, kale and many more, harvested at 1-3 inches between 2-21 days after planting. Different from sprouts, which are grown in water, microgreens are grown in soil and only the leaves and stems are eaten. Microgreens are an easy and delicious way to get highly concentrated nutrients, up to 40 times more potent than the mature plants.

Where do I get microgreens?

Having gained popularity in restaurants over the last few years for use in soups, salads, sandwiches and garnishes, savvy consumers are now becoming interested in having them at home. You can find them in grocery stores, but this is not ideal because 1) they are expensive 2) they are most probably in a plastic container (boo!) and 3) who knows how far they’ve traveled to get there. But you don’t need to buy them because it’s so easy and inexpensive to grow them at home. Here’s how you can have these tiny nutrition-packed meal boosters in your kitchen all year round!

A Complete Guide To Growing Microgreens

1. Obtain your seeds. There are many sources and many to choose from. Just make sure you get untreated, organic and non-GMO. You can get them from our store. It’s a good idea to soak the larger seeds such as peas, beans or sunflower seeds for a few hours before planting.
2. Fill a shallow container or tray with an organic seed planting mix. Sprinkle your seeds evenly over the surface and then lightly cover the seeds with a thin layer of soil and press down lightly.
3. Use a spray bottle to gently moisten the soil. You may cover the container loosely with plastic (make sure there are a few air holes in the top) but this is not necessary.
4. Place in a sunny window inside or a partially shaded location outside (if it’s warm) and wait, keeping the soil moistened with the mister daily. Don’t let it dry out.
5. When the plants are 1-3 inches tall (anywhere from 1-3 weeks, depending on the plant), harvest by cutting the stems at soil level, rinse and eat!
6. Start another tray right away to keep yourself supplied in these marvelous little superfoods!