If you’re interested in microgreens and want to grow microgreens at home you’re going to need a bit know how, a bit of equipment, and big appetite. Microgreens are not necessarily hard to grow, but jumping into them headfirst can lead to a few common mistakes. Most important to your success will be the way in which you grow your microgreens. Different methods yield different results and some are more labor intensive than others. If you get all of this right you’ll be rewarded with piles of fresh microgreens in only a few weeks.
What are Microgreens Anyway?
Microgreens are not a specific plant. Instead, microgreens are a term for the immature seedlings of edible plants that are grown in mass to be eaten. There are a lot of edible plants that are perfect for microgreens, but not everything can be grown this way. Some very common garden plants, like potatoes or tomatoes, are actually poisonous if you eat the stems and leaves! Because of this we recommend only using seeds for microgreens that you know are safe and consulting with an expert if you are even slightly unsure. You can read more about what types of seeds are suitable for microgreens in out other article.
Growing Microgreens
Before you start your first batch of microgreens you’re going to need to prepare a few things. You’ll need some equipment such as trays, mats, and grow lights, for starters. Once you have your setup you’ll also need to decide what type of microgreens you are going to grow. Then, and only then, are you ready to actually start.
Essential Microgreen Equipment
There are few things that make growing microgreens indoors much easier nowadays. Before we got good at growing microgreens in the late 80s and early 90s, we used to grow them on soil. Now we have a much better understanding of which can be grown hydroponically, and which can be grown on an inexpensive soil substitute that is easier to use and makes way less mess. With the background out of the way let’s get into the most essential microgreen growing equipment.
1. Growing Trays
Microgreens need somewhere to grow and growing trays are that somewhere. A good tray will hold water, be durable and reusable, and should fit a standard size. For us the 21×10 trays work the best because they are pretty much the industry standard. While you can go with different sizes the 21×10 inch size will ensure they work with tray lids, light setups, and shelf systems if you really get into the art of growing microgreens at home. If you’re looking for somewhere to start, try this set of 10 reusable 20×10 growing trays.
2. Growing Medium or Growing Pads
We don’t actually recommend using soil in your microgreen setups anymore. First off, soil gets depleted very quickly and it’s a mess to constantly recycle and re-fertilize it every couple of weeks. Instead we recommend you use a coconut coir growing medium. This allows you to get all the benefits of soil with all the versatility of hydroponics.
These coconut coir mats, often just called mats, are a dense pad of the the husk from coconut. For seeds these mats act like dirt would as a substrate for them to hold onto while they grow and keep them from falling over and getting weird. They also act as a sponge that soaks up water for your microgreens!
In other cases, you can switch to more generic hydroponic growing pads. These can be a bit more expensive than coconut coir, but they are made from all sorts of material and act as a substrate for seeds to grow on. If you are growing seeds that typically require soil, you will want to use coconut coir instead as it will produce far better results. Sunflower seeds for example, will not grip a normal hydroponic growing pad, but they will grow fine on coconut coir.
3. Spray Bottles
You need a standard spray bottle to grow microgreens. There isn’t much to say here other than that you likely already have a spray bottle. If you don’t you should get one. It’s also important for starters, houseplants, and all sorts of really general applications. Also, it is worth noting that you should never use a spray bottle that has had chemicals or cleaners in it to water your plants. Additionally, you should separate your spray bottles into those that are just water and those that are water and fertilizer which can hang around in a bottle a lot longer than you think.
4. pH test kits for water
If you thought you could get out pH testing just because you don’t have any soil, you were wrong. You should always pH test the environment that you grow your plants in, no matter what it is. For hydroponically grown microgreens you want to keep your water between a pH of 6-7. Most microgreens prefer water slightly on the acid side, so make sure you test. If you have well water some minerals can mess with the pH, and city water is often treated and can push the pH more towards 7. In either case, make sure you are aware, because water that is too acidic or too basic will halt the growth of your plants.
5. Lights, the Sun, and Alternatives
Now we’re on to the subject of light and it’s a complicated one! If you are in a place that gets abundant natural sunlight for 6-8 hours a day, you don’t need grow lights for your microgreens. That being said, you are never going to get perfect overhead lighting for them with just the sun so you’ll spend more time rotating trays and adjusting them so they don’t all grow to one side and fight over the light source.
If you don’t get abundant natural sunlight where you are or you would like to grow your microgreens in an indoor space with no natural light instead, you’re going to need to get grow lights. Grow lights are all different, and there are a ton of options, but we can say fairly confidently for most microgreens T8 fluorescent lights are going to be your best bet. LEDs and T5s are great backups, but you’re going to get the most life out of a T8. T8 bulbs typically last around 20,000 hours, which means you’re likely going to have them for a long long time. A simple t8 fixture like this one, is extremely inexpensive and can suit most of your needs. Fixtures can get expensive though and this can easily be the biggest cost when starting microgreens if you need supplemental lights. For bulbs you can get an 8-pack of T8 fluorescent bulbs pretty reasonably, but you need to check the fixture you get and make sure the bulbs work with it. The market is so saturated with LED lights, different specs, and various fixture types that it’s often hard to just get a good light!
We’ve linked to some lights above from amazon, but we honestly would recommend going to the hardware store and getting fixtures and lights together that will fit your space. It might be a bit more of a hassle, but buying lights on amazon is a huge pain and it’s hard to guarantee both quality and consistency.
6. Seeds for Microgreens
Last but not least, you’re going to seeds to start with. If you’ve never grown microgreens before we recommend getting a bunch of different types of microgreen seeds to start with. Like most plants you’re going to grow, you won’t necessarily know which ones you like growing and eating best. We recommend trying an assortment and seeing what your favorite is before investing in a larger bulk seed purchase. The seeds you can get at most places range from exceedingly inexpensive to outrageously priced. In general try and avoid seeds that are labeled with nonsense words about being organic or full of health benefits. These are just marketing tricks to up the price and lower the quantity. Even seeds that don’t germinate super well will work here since you are planting so many, so you don’t need to shell out any extra cash for “premium” seeds.
Finally, make sure the seeds you buy are safe to eat. Only certain plants are safe to eat as microgreens, and if you are worried or unsure we would recommend starting in the broccoli family which has a lot of plants in it that work great as microgreens.
Miscellaneous Additional Supplies
Microgreens may also need a few additional supplies depending on how many you are growing. We recommend a simple wire rack to store your trays and mount your grow lights to. and some simple S hooks or zip ties to affix your lights in place. We’ve messed around with more complicated systems for mounting lights and storing plants, but they all ended up being about the same while still costing way more. Save yourself the hassle and keep it simple.
How to Grow Microgreens, Step by Step
We’re finally at the how to portion of things! Microgreens couldn’t be easier at this point, essentially it comes down to water, set, and grow. With these simple steps you’ll be eating microgreens at home in only a few short weeks.
Step 1. Soak the Microgreen Seeds 6-8 hours
Before you plant your seeds you’re going to want to give them a decent soak. This gets the seeds ready to germinate and can help accelerate their growth process. Not every type of seed will need to be soaked, but this is a general step for most microgreen seeds. Check your packet or research your specific seeds more closely if you believe this step is unnecessary for your particular variety.
Step 2. Soak Your Growing Mat in Water and Place in Your Tray
Soak your growing mat in water to prepare it for your seed. This doesn’t need to be a long soak, you’re just trying to ensure that the mat is holding some moisture. It should feel like a damp sponge when you place it in the tray, but should not be sitting in visible standing water after being moved into the tray.
Step 3. Spread Your Microgreen Seeds Over the Growing Mat
Spread your microgreen seeds fairly evenly across the mat. You want them to be packed fairly dense as they will not grow large enough to compete with each other for space.
Step 4. Keep Seeds Moist Until They Sprout
Microgreen seeds can be covered or moistened periodically with a spray bottle until they sprout, typically after a few days. If the seeds dry out they may stop germinating, so make sure you keep them moist (not wet).
Step 5. Grow Microgreens Until They Develop Color and Are Ready for Harvest
Once your microgreens have sprouted you can start giving them light. We recommend that you give them 6-8 hours of florescent light a day if you are growing them indoors. If you are giving them sunlight (still indoors), 6-8 hours of full sunlight should do fine. If you are using LED grow lights, be careful not to overdo it. Many LED UV lights are a higher intensity than microgreens or sprouts need and are meant for use with larger indoor plants. If you notice your plants are getting too much UV from an LED system reduce the time they get light in half hour increments until you hone in on the correct time for your microgreens.
While your microgreens are growing over the next two to four weeks, be sure to water them as needed to keep the coconut coir or other growing mat moist. When the microgreens change color and are a few inches tall they are ready to harvest.
How to Harvest Microgreens
Harvesting microgreens is as easy as using a pair of kitchen sheers. Simply use a pair of kitchen sheers and cut them slightly above an inch from the mat. That’s all there is to it!
How to Store Microgreens
You have to harvest your microgreens before they get too big. Sometimes this leads to excess microgreens that you have to store. Once harvested you can store your microgreens in the fridge for up to two weeks. They tend to last slightly longer in a crisper draw, but don’t let the humidity get too high which can degrade their shelf life.
Microgreen Waste, Cleanup, Costs, and Recycling
Once you’ve harvested your microgreens you will have some steps before you start again. If you’ve harvested early enough you potentially even get a second use out of your coconut coir mat, but this is often unnecessary. For the mat, the roots, and any left over organic material we recommend composting it.
After your initial setup is in place a full tray of microgreens with a fresh mat and seeds will typically cost you less than a dollar to grow. There are some added costs for the electricity, and you will likely spend between $40 and $100 setting up a modest home system if you use indoor lighting. If you grow microgreens consistently for two years you’ll have gotten a huge amount of value out of your system. Typically you can recoup the costs of setting up the system by simply selling excess greens to neighbors or local restaurants (if you have a nice enough setup).
Beyond the above, the only other major clean ups you need to worry about are your trays and how you handle reusing coconut coir. We’ve said you can get an extra use out of the mat, but every additional use brings in the potential of introducing mold to your system. Never eat microgreens that come from a moldy mat! If you ever get mold in your tray compost the entire mat, deep clean the tray, and quarantine it in a warm dry place. Mold spores can persist for a long time, so don’t take chances when you can replace the tray an mat for under a few dollars.
Microgreens, the Easy Healthy Kitchen Booster
So there you have it. Microgreens are simple enough to grow and take a minimal amount of setup to get started. With a small investment and a little bit of time you can be growing fresh healthy microgreens in your own home in no time at all. Remember, with all gardening there’s a bit of learning required before you can master it, so don’t worry about getting everything perfect on the first go. Good luck getting started on growing your own microgreens!