Maine Garden Ideas
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How to Grow Microgreens

microgreens
Microgreens add both flavor and nutrients to fresh garden salads and sandwiches.. Although you can certainly mix your own assortment of greens - such as spinach, chard, lettuce, beets and peas - buying the seeds for microgreens in a kit makes sense for those who don't normally grow a wide assortment of vegetables. Available from seed catalogs and other online vendors, these baby greens are harvested shortly after the sprout stage. 

  • Planting: Plant microgreens in flats filled with seed starter or plant them directly in the soil as soon as it can be worked in the spring. Space seeds no more than two inches apart in all directions. Broadcasting the seed over a wide row - or over the surface of the seed starting flat - and covering with ½ inch of soil works best. Water to moisten the soil and keep the soil moist until seedlings emerge. Some seedlings may appear within three to five days, while others may take up to two weeks, depending on the specific mixture of seeds.
  • Germinating: Cover the top of the container with clear plastic wrap to conserve moist and place in bright indirect light. Indirect light refers to light from a window that does not shine directly on the plant trays. Because most greens prefer cool soil and cool growing conditions, heat mats are not recommended for starting microgreens.
  • Light: Once the seeds germinate, remove the plastic cover and gradually introduce the seedlings to full sun.
  • Watering: Water when the soil dries to the touch or when you observe signs of wilting. The amount of water required depends on the particular greens grown and their rate of growth. Some may require daily watering.
  • Harvesting: Harvest microgreens as soon as the seedlings have developed two to four leaves, typically when they are less than four inches tall. Clip the greens at the soil level with clean scissors or a sharp knife. Many will continue to grow, sending up new foliage to replace those harvested.
  • Serving: Serve microgreens in fresh garden salads or add to sandwiches for a tasty alternate to traditional iceberg lettuce.
Microgreens make an excellent choice for windowsill gardens. With adequate light they can be grown all year long, providing your family with a host of vitamins and minerals that promote good health.
Copyright © 2014 Nannette Richford



  • Home
  • Garden Thyme Blog
  • Themes
    • Butterfly Gardens
    • Moon Gardens
    • Sensory Gardens
    • All About Fairies
  • Flowers
    • Annual Flowers >
      • Alyssum
      • Cosmos
      • Geraniums
      • Marigolds
      • Morning Glories
      • Nasturtiums
      • Petunias >
        • Reviving Petunias
      • Snapdragons
      • Sunflowers
      • Sweet Peas
      • Zinnias
    • Perennial Flowers >
      • Golden Glow (Rudbeckia laciniata ‘Hortensia’)
      • Lupines
      • Purple Coneflower (Echinacea Purpurea)
    • Maine Wildflowers
  • Veggies
    • Warm Season Vegetables >
      • About Beans >
        • Growing Beans
        • Growing Pole Beans
        • How to Make a Teepee Trellis
      • About Corn >
        • Growing Corn
        • What is Baby Corn, anyway?
        • Can you grow corn in containers?
      • Cucumbers >
        • Grow a cucumber in a bottle
        • Growing Pickling Cucumbers
        • Growing cucamelons (Mexican Gherkin)
        • Why do cucumbers blossom but fail to set fruit?
        • Trellising Cucumbers
        • Making Cucumber Relish
        • Powdery Mildew on Cucumbers
      • Melons
      • Peppers >
        • Growing Peppers
      • Squash >
        • Growing Zucchini
        • Spaghetti Squash
      • Tomatoes >
        • How to Harden Off Tomato Plants
        • How (and when) to Prune Tomatoes
        • Magnesium Sulfate (Epsom Salt) for Tomatoes
        • Blossom End Rot in Tomatoes
        • Growing Cherry Tomatoes in Hanging Baskets
        • 4 Best Tomatoes for Short Seasons - Early Tomatoes
        • 5 Early Maturing Tomatoes for Short Season Gardening
        • How to Ripen Green Tomatoes
        • How to Make Sun-Dried Tomatoes at Home
        • How to Grow a Pomato Plant
    • Cool Season Vegetables >
      • Cole Crops
      • Greens >
        • How to Grow Spinach
        • How to Grow Malabar Spinach
        • How to Grow Swiss Chard
        • Harvesting and Cooking Beet Greens
        • How to Grow Microgreens
      • Onions & Garlic >
        • How to Grow Garlic
        • How to Grow Onions
      • Peas >
        • Growing Garden (shelling) Peas
        • Growing Sugar Snap Peas
      • Potatoes >
        • How to Grow Potatoes in Containers
        • How to Grow Potatoes in Hay Bales
      • Root Crops >
        • Growing Beets
        • How to Grow Carrots
        • Turnips vs Rutabagas
  • Herbs
    • Growing Basil
    • Growing Chives
    • Growing Lavender
    • Herbal Tea Garden
    • How to Grow a Culinary Herb Garden
    • How to Grow Herbs in Sponges
    • Colonial Herb Garden - Classroom Project
    • Herbed Butter
    • Making Herbed Oils
  • Gardening Basics
    • Seed Starting Basics
    • Grafting Basics
    • Soil >
      • Starting a New Garden
      • How to Prepare Soil
      • How to Test Soil Drainage
      • What Type of Soil Do You Have
      • Soil Mix Recipe for Containers
      • How to Make Compost Tea
      • How to Use Mulch
  • Garden Pests
    • How to Control Japanese Beetles
    • How to Control Blister Beetles
    • How to Get Rid of Colorado Potato Beetles
  • Birds
    • Hummingbirds >
      • DIY Hummingbird Feeders from Recycled Bottles
      • Annuals for Hummingbird Gardens
      • Perennials for Hummingbird Gardens
    • About Birdseed
    • Choosing a Birdfeeder
  • Fiddleheads and Fairies
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • How to Marinate Roasted Vegetables