Collection: Good for Microgreens

You may have noticed that microgreens are gaining a lot of popularity. Microgreens have begun to make a consistent appearance at health food stores and farmers' markets. These miniature plants are a delicious addition to salads, sandwiches, soups—microgreens can be incorporated into nearly any dish for a nutritional boost!

The awesome thing about microgreens is that you can grow them on your own schedule. Sow seeds any time of the year, in any region of the world, and you’re sure to have harvestable microgreens in 10 to 14 days! Sprouts to throw on top of your summer garden salad? Sure! Fresh greens to garnish tomato soup in the middle of winter? Absolutely.

You can grow your own microgreens at home without a fancy setup. Microgreens can be grown in any hardiness zone because these seeds are grown and harvested indoors. All you need to grow your own microgreens at home is a seedling tray, potting soil, microgreen seeds, and potentially a grow light and/or heat mat.

Set up a seedlings table by a well-lit window, or if you’re fortunate enough to have a heated greenhouse, even better. If not, consider investing in a heat mat and grow light. Generally, growing microgreens involves harvesting seedlings when the young starts have sprouted their first set of true leaves.

To grow microgreens, prepare a tray with soil or another growing medium. Only fill the tray about three-fourths of the way full, as you’ll be adding another layer of soil to cover the seeds. Moisten the soil so you won’t have to water the seeds in. You’ll likely want to use a tray without cells, because you will be seedling the tray very thickly.

Some larger seeds like beans and melons you may want to soak prior to seeding. Multi-seed the tray, and tray to make the seed coverage as even as possible. Cover with a shallow layer of wet soll. Cover with a humidity dome if you have one—if not, cover the tray with plastic wrap or a clear plastic container to lock moisture and heat inside, creating an ideal environment for your seedlings to grow.

Yes, growing microgreens is really that easy. Your seedlings will be ready to harvest in 10 to 14 days. You’ll know your microgreens are harvestable when they produce their first set of true leaves, and are one to three inches tall. Take a clean pair of scissors and cut the seedlings just above the soil level. Rinse in cold water, allow to dry, and incorporate the raw (or cooked) microgreens into any dish you can think of!