GROWING MICRO GREENS SPROUTS

You can use almost any vegetable seed to grow microgreens (some are tastier than others, though)

MICRO GREENS SPROUTS Dirt Crops – If growing to the baby salad stage you may find them easier to grow in soil. Some microgreens perform better in soil. peas, sunflower, buckwheat, beets, cilantro, lentils
Soil: Seed starting medium is your best bet, but honestly, you can grab just about any potting mix or garden soil from the store and have good luck. You possibly want to steer clear of soils that have fertilizers mixed in as you don’t need fertilizer to grow greens. There should be enough nutriants in any soil to grow this short crop There are some really nice organic options available at our store. Some people grow microgreens without soil [Hydroponically] and is a cleaner way with no daily watering needs but growing them in soil possibly gives them the a better flavor and makes them easiest to grow.
Tray: You’ll need something to grow microgreens in. Use regular seed starting trays—available at our garden center but honestly, you can use pretty much anything. 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 galvanized tub or even a baking dish!
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 SPROUTS 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 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 two inches worth should be more than enough.
Seeding: Then you 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 SPROUTS. 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 variety of different size heat mats for starting seeds from windowsill size to one that holds 4-10”x20” trays

Hydroponic Crops – Hydroponic growing is the cleanest and easiest way to grow MICRO GREENS SPROUTS. With only a few exceptions, most MICRO GREENS SPROUTS grow extremely well hydroponically.
1) Prepare your water
Ideally you want a pH balanced water, in the range of 5.5 to 6.5. Test your water and adjust accordingly. Wood ash or lime can be added to the water to raise pH, and phosphoric acid can be added to lower it.
Distilled water or rain water is best. You can use tap water if needed, but I’d 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 in now.
2) Soak your grow mat [Coconut coir mats, or whatever your preferred growing medium is. This will give the roots of your MICRO GREENS SPROUTS 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.
3) Add your seeds
Sprinkle your seeds evenly across your entire grow mat. Each type of MICRO GREENS SPROUTS requires a different seed density, so refer to your packaging or research to find the optimal density for your crop.
Once you’ve added your seeds, mist them with your spray bottle using clean water or a nutrient solution.
4) Cover your seeds
You’ll want to cover your seeds with a lightproof cover so they’re in complete difference. A second tray flipped upside down works great.
5) Early on
You’ll want to keep your microgreens covered and in complete darkness while they start to germinate and sprout. Only open your tray up to mist them every 12 hours or so. Depending on your variety of microgreens, you’ll probably want them to remain in darkness for the first 5 days or so.
6) Growing
After around 5 days, your microgreens 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 just pH balanced water or continue using a weak hydroponic solution. Nutrients Ideally look for a product that’s organic and specifically designed for growing microgreens hydroponically. But if you can’t find that, any general hydroponic nutrients should work quite well.
7) Harvesting
After 10 to 12 days, most varieties of microgreens will be ready to harvest. Use a sharp blade to cut your microgreens off at the base of their stems.
Rinse and dry them well, then place them between moist paper towels in a Ziploc bag and store them in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use them.