Content
Intro
Growing microgreens indoors can be a fantastic way to boost your family and friends' health. It's better for you to grow your own rather than buy from the grocery store. When you eat your produce shortly after harvest, you will receive the most nutrients you will receive from your microgreens. If your food is dead when you eat it, the nutrition value has significantly decreased.
How to Grow Microgreens Indoors
I have added a few links to the products I use from Amazon.
Not all microgreens are grown the same way so I will give a general guideline that will work for most microgreens, and I will also do specific microgreens when I have time. I have already added some in the content on the top of this page.
First, I'll add the growing medium into the microgreen tray, which is coco coir for me. I add very little to the tray, about a quarter-inch of coco coir. It's best to moisten the medium before adding it to the tray. Once you have added your moistened medium to the tray, press the medium down nice and firm and evenly, then add your broccoli seeds to the tray. Spread the seeds as evenly as possible reasonably densely. Once you have added your seeds, spray the top of the tray with food-grade hydrogen peroxide and water your seeds. After that, you should cover with something to keep your seeds in the dark, or placing them into a dark room will work well also. Continue to water daily on the tray's top until you can see the roots through the soil on the bottom of the tray. Once the roots started shooting out of the soil, I started to bottom water. Broccoli is a fast-growing microgreen. It won't take long to start bottom watering. Watering on top too long into the process can destroy your whole tray because of the planting density, mold may take over your tray. There is not enough airflow to allow the microgreens to dry out on the top so it stays moist and makes a perfect environment for mold to grow. Once your broccoli has reached the height, you like then place them into your light source. Continue checking daily and bottom water as necessary. You'll want to harvest them when you see the first true leaves. When a plant sprouts, the first two leaves are called cotyledons. The following leaves that come are called the true leaves. I harvest when I see the first true leaves start showing. Use a very sharp knife and cut them as close to the soil line as possible. After harvesting then rinse and enjoy the broccoli microgreens that you have grown!
What are Microgreens?
Microgreens are the youth plants harvested before they have become mature adult plants. Microgreens are the baby of the well-known common plants you would have in your garden or buy in the grocery store. For example, if you buy kale at the grocery store, you will be buying a bunch of kale leaves from a mature kale plant. Kale microgreens are the same plant only grown to the size of one to three inches tall and then harvested at that time. They can be harvested in eight to fourteen days, depending on the variety. There is a wide range of flavors with microgreens. They can very intense flavored compared to the adults.
Microgreens have more concentrated nutrient content than mature plants. In most cases, the microgreen antioxidant levels, vitamins, and minerals are higher than the adult plants. There are some vegetables where that is not the case. Overall, eating microgreens will help you incorporate nutrition into your daily menu.
Why Microgreens Are Good For You
All vegetables and greens alike are very nutritious, and so are the microgreens. In some cases, microgreens have higher vitamins and minerals than their mature counterparts. With their small size, microgreens have a concentrated value of nutrients.
Will Microgreens Regrow?
From my experience, I have seen pea microgreens regrow but I would not use them. When the peas regrow the nutritional value has decreased.
Can Microgreens Be Grown Outside?
Microgreens can be grown outdoors as long as you can black out the tray you are using to grow them. It's also possible to grow them on the ground as long as you can give them a blackout period, meaning they shouldn't have any light.
When to Harvest Microgreens?
Microgreens are grown away from a light source to get lengthy quickly before introducing them into the light. After you see the first true leaves, they are ready to be harvested. The first leaves that you will see are called cotyledons. The first true leaves are the second set of leaves that appear. When you notice these leaves, your microgreens are ready to be harvested and eaten.
Microgreens With Protein
Sunflower, a favorite of mine, has a delicious nutty flavor.
Of all the microgreens I have grown, sunflower is the most difficult. The seed hulls hang to the leaves, giving you extra work that you don't have with other microgreens. Sunflower microgreens are a complete protein.
Microgreens Without soil
Microgreens can be grown hydroponically also. For most microgreens, some type of medium is necessary. There are all types of hydroponic mediums used, so soil is not needed. One that I have grown and used no medium is peas. This works well for peas.
Which Microgreens Grow the Fastest?
If spicy is to your liking, then radish microgreen seeds can be sown and within eight days harvested!
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